New Alabama Catfish Trail launches with 50+ waterways, experiences

June 25 was National Catfish Day and to celebrate the occasion, the Alabama Tourism Department launched a new initiative.

The Alabama Catfish Trail is designed to celebrate the people, places + traditions of Alabama’s catfish culture. It features more than 50 spots for visitors including:

• Lakes
• Rivers
• Restaurants
• Markets
• Hands-on experiences

“From the Alabama Civil Rights Trail to the Alabama BBQ Trail, we’ve seen how trails can be powerful engines for tourism, creating tangible experiences around shared interests. Our new Catfish Trail invites visitors to experience our beautiful state through its waterways, recipes and cultural traditions.”

Lee Sentell, Alabama Tourism director

Keep reading to learn more about the program’s recent launch + how you can experience the Catfish Trail for yourself.

Alabama Catfish Trail celebrates launch night in Birmingham

To commemorate the statewide trail, Alabama Tourism hosted a launch event at Cahaba Brewing Company in Birmingham.

The kickoff event featured chef tastings from iconic Alabama catfish institutions including:

• Ezell’s Fish Camp
• Old Greenbrier Restaurant
• The Ark

Guests also experienced interactive elements such as the Alabama Catfish Wall of Fame, a live catfish tank display, and the ACES “Biggest Catch” contest with 4-H Club participants.

Alabama Catfish Trail

Prominent waterways for catfish anglers include Wilson, Pickwick, Wheeler, and Lake Guntersville in North Alabama, along with the Alabama and Tombigbee Rivers flowing through the Black Belt.

Several Alabama restaurants are also featured prominently on the U.S. Catfish Trail, reinforcing Alabama’s role as a national industry leader. This initiative, launched by The Catfish Institute, aims to support local catfish farmers and provide diners with authentic culinary experiences.

During National Catfish Month in August, Alabama Wildlife Federation is hosting the Big Cat Fishing Tournament for youth anglers. The event takes place on Saturday, August 29 at the Alabama Nature Center in Millbrook.

To learn more about the Alabama Catfish Trail, visit the trail’s website.

Alabama’s catfish culture

Alabama consistently ranks as the second-largest producer of farm-raised catfish in the United States. The industry supports more than 2,400 jobs across different parts of the industry including:

• Farming
• Processing
• Feed production
• Transportation
• Research

Alabama generated $113 million and nearly 30 percent of U.S. farm-raised catfish production in 2023. Alabama’s catfish sector contributes nearly $92 million annually to the state’s economy.

Catfish and the Black Belt

The majority of the state’s catfish production comes from the Black Belt region with the bulk of the state’s farms in Hale, Dallas and Greene Counties.

Hale County is the largest catfish-producing county in the state, supporting more than one-third of Alabama catfish sales.

“For generations, this industry has created jobs and economic opportunity across the Black Belt, and the Catfish Trail helps tell that story while connecting more people directly to Alabama-grown products and the people behind them.”

Fran Pearce, a Dallas County resident and fifth-generation owner of Pearce Catfish Farms