‘Cool-colored’ catfish caught in Missouri lake isn’t what it seems, officials say

A fisherman recently caught a “cool-colored channel catfish” from a Missouri lake, photos show.

And while the catfish that Logan Laster snagged from Blind Pony Lake looks gold in color, the fish is not exactly as it seems.

“While appearing golden, our fisheries staff tell us the coloration is a degree of albinism where it lacks typical color/pigmentation,” the Missouri Department of Conservation said in a June 21 Facebook post.

Officials with the state wildlife department stocked the lake with “cool-colored catfish” a few years ago, according to the post. The fish came from the Chesapeake Hatchery and were raised at the Blind Pony Hatchery before their release.

Channel catfish are typically “olive brown or slate blue” with black spots, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. The species is abundant in the state.

Blind Pony Lake is about 70 miles east of downtown Kansas City.