Black Bullhead
Black bullhead are small, bottom-feeding catfish native to parts of southern Canada — primarily Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Ontario — where they turn up in warm, weedy, slow-water lakes and rivers.
In Ontario especially, they're a legitimate target for anglers fishing after dark with simple bottom rigs. Elsewhere in Canada, like Alberta, they're a prohibited invasive species.
Scientific Name: Ameiurus melas
Also known as Black Bullhead Catfish, Mud Cat, Yellowbelly, Chucklehead
- Dark brown to black body with a yellow or white belly and no mottling — the uniform coloring helps separate it from the mottled brown bullhead.
- Rounded, slightly notched tail (not forked), dark fin membranes with contrasting pale fin rays, and no scales — skin feels slick and covered in taste receptors.
- Four pairs of barbels around the mouth; the chin barbels are completely dark — the clearest field mark to distinguish it from yellow bullhead, which has pale or white chin barbels.
- Sharp, venomous spine at the front of the dorsal and pectoral fins. Typical fish run half a pound to one pound; fish over two pounds are uncommon in Canadian waters.
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- Native to the Hudson Bay and Great Lakes–St. Lawrence drainages in Canada, including southern Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Ontario; introduced and prohibited in Alberta.
- Prefers warm, slow-moving or still water — ponds, oxbow lakes, backwater sloughs, marshes, and low-gradient river pools with soft, silty bottoms.
- Tolerates conditions that push out most other species: high turbidity, low dissolved oxygen, warm temperatures, and even moderate pollution — which is why it persists in degraded urban waterways.
- In Ontario, found in Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, the St. Lawrence River system, the Grand River, Thames River, and connected lakes and backwaters.
Key Locations
- Lake Erie (Ontario) — warm, shallow western basin holds bullhead in weedy backwaters and tributary mouths.
- Thames River and Grand River (Ontario) — slow lower reaches and oxbow pools are classic bullhead habitat.
- St. Lawrence River system (Ontario and Quebec) — backwater sloughs and weedy bays along the main river and connected lakes.
- Red River (Manitoba) — slow, turbid prairie river with silty pools that suit bullhead well.
- Lake Ontario nearshore (Ontario) — weedy bays and tributary mouths, particularly in the warmer western end.
Specific Spots
- Soft, silty bottom in backwater pools and sloughs — black bullhead avoid strong current and settle where sediment collects.
- Shallow weedy bays and pond margins at night, when they move out of deeper holes to feed along the bottom.
- Undercut banks, submerged logs, and root tangles provide daytime cover; fish tight to this structure during daylight hours.
- Tributary confluences and oxbow cutoffs where current slows and organic material accumulates on the bottom.
Black Bullhead FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What are the best lures and bait for Black Bullhead?
Nightcrawlers and worm pieces are the go-to bait, a half nightcrawler on a long-shank hook fished hard on the bottom covers most situations. Chicken liver, cut bait, and commercial stink baits all work well because bullhead hunt by scent; these strong-smelling baits carry in slow, murky water.
When is the best time to fish for Black Bullhead?
Late spring through early summer: fish become active as water warms; pre-spawn and spawning fish are concentrated in shallow weedy areas. Summer nights: peak fishing period, warm water and darkness bring bullhead out to feed actively along the bottom.
How do you catch Black Bullhead?
Most Canadian bullhead anglers fish from shore after dark, casting a simple bottom rig baited with nightcrawler or chicken liver into weedy bays, backwater pools, or slow river pools. Keeping bait hard on the bottom and staying patient, sometimes waiting 20–30 minutes per spot, is the standard approach.
What do Black Bullhead eat?
Bottom feeders that eat midge larvae, mayfly nymphs, worms, small crayfish, mollusks, and plant material, a half nightcrawler on a long-shank hook fished on the bottom is the most reliable bait.
Where do Black Bullhead live?
Native to the Hudson Bay and Great Lakes–St. Lawrence drainages in Canada, including southern Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Ontario; introduced and prohibited in Alberta. Prefers warm, slow-moving or still water, ponds, oxbow lakes, backwater sloughs, marshes, and low-gradient river pools with soft, silty bottoms.
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