The channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus is abundant in Lake Oahe, Sout
h Dakota, providing a minor sport fishery. Because of it's population
size, channel catfish undoubtedly influence the trophic ecology of Oah
e Reservoir. However, little research has been conducted on channel ca
tfish since the years following dam closure. We studied the food habit
s of channel catfish in Lake Oahe during 1991 and 1992. Food habits we
re evaluated using the relative importance (RI) index. Channel catfish
fed on a variety of prey, but aquatic insects dominated the diet for
all sizes of fish sampled. Terrestrial insects, zooplankton, and verte
brates (toads and fish) largely comprised the remainder of the diet.