"Long-lost" blue catfish that can grow over 100 pounds making return to Pittsburgh's Three Rivers

Thousands of blue catfish were stocked in the Ohio River on Wednesday as the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission continues efforts to restore the "long-lost" native fish to the Pittsburgh area. 

Blue catfish are the largest species of catfish in North America, and they can grow to weigh more than 100 pounds. They're native to the Ohio River basin, including the Monongahela and lower Allegheny rivers, but they disappeared in the early 1900s because of poor water quality and habitat loss, the Fish and Boat Commission says. 

After water quality improved, the state began stocking blue catfish in 2022 with the hope of restoring the species to its native range. The restoration plan is set to last 15 years, with the fish being distributed to new parts of the Three Rivers every five years. 

On Wednesday, the Fish and Boat Commission stocked thousands of blue catfish, which, at 14 months old, measured about 10 to 12 inches, at Point State Park in Pittsburgh and at an access point in Kilbuck Township. 

"I mean, I think a lot of catfishermen around here should be excited," said Daren Reinhart, the manager of the Tionesta State Fish Hatchery, which, in 2026, will raise more than 10,000 blue catfish for the Three Rivers. "And from what I hear, they're excited about the blue catfish, or should be. They're our largest North American species of catfish and they have a much better foraging during the wintertime, so they can catch these things year-round now."

Reinhart says it takes blue catfish a long time to grow, but the Fish and Boat Commission is hopeful that through surveys and monitoring, the restoration program will be a long-term success. 

While the blue catfish is native to the Ohio River basin, it's considered invasive in other parts of the state, and it's illegal to move the species outside of its native range.