Good for the Bay, Better for your plate

Wild-caught, Sustainably sourced, Locally Processed Chesapeake Bay Lion

Our Mission

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Reclaim

Every catch helps remove a top predator, giving crabs, oysters, and rockfish room to thrive again.

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Protect

By eating Bay Lion, you’re helping protect the Chesapeake’s fragile ecosystem — one meal at a time.

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Protect
Sustain

From local jobs to full-fish processing, we’re building a food system that supports both watermen and the Bay.

Experience the Taste of the Top Feeder

Blue Catfish rule the Chesapeake — and now they’re ready to rule your plate. Learn what makes Bay Lion a local powerhouse and a culinary secret worth sharing

Bay Lion Filets

Savor the taste of our sustainably sourced Bay Lion, fresh from the Chesapeake Bay. Whether its filets, nuggets, or strips, its mild, sweat taste compares to striped bass and its culinary versatility to cod or pollock.

Buy Bay Lion

Nutritional Powerhouse

Bay Lion filets are high in protein, low in fat, and packed with potassium & vitamin D. Their flavor & nutritional value are due to their clean diet of oceanic proteins like blue crabs, white perch, shad, rockfish, and even juvenile eels.

35g

protein

5g

fat

(per 7oz filet)

The Fishery

Our mission is to restore balance to the Chesapeake Bay while creating delicious, low-cost protein and sustainable income for our local watermen. Click to hear our story.

For the Sake of the Bay

Blue catfish are invasive, apex predators in the Bay, wreaking havoc on all of the local populations of fish and shellfish. They are not bottom-feeders like typical catfish, so their diet includes crabs, oysters, and clams, but also rockfish, perch, shad, bass, and menhaden.

Learn More

Turning an Ecological threat into Economic Opportunity

Bluecat Fisheries is only able to do what it does because of the hard work of our Watermen and women.
Blue catfish are opportunistic predators, feeding on all of the commercial fish & shellfish that we rely on. The Watermen of the Chesapeake Bay are limited to local buyers with limited processing capacity for Blue catfish specifically, making it hard to profit from catching them year round. It was in response to the economic reality facing these watermen along with a passion for the sustainability of the Chesapeake Bay that Bluecat Fisheries was created.

Restoring Balance in the Bay
Stimulating Local Economies
No Waste, Big Impact

Flavor Far from the Bottom

Blue catfish has a clean, mild flavor with a subtle sweetness. Often compared to white fish like striped bass or halibut, its flesh is firm but tender, with a texture that holds up well to grilling, frying, baking, or stewing.

Unlike the muddy, fishy flavor some associate with catfish, Bay Lion is delicate, lean, and surprisingly refined — making it a versatile base for bold seasonings or simple preparations alike.

Take a look

See What's on the Line

Dive into our world of wild-caught blue catfish—straight from the Bay to your plate.

The Watermen
The Bay Lion
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[team]
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Certifications

Drop Us a Line

  • Retail & Wholesale

    From restaurants and grocery stores to schools and nonprofits, we bring wild-caught protein to the table.

    Reach out now

  • Pet Food & Byproduct

    We sell and repurpose every part of the Bay Lion — from skins and heads to guts and bones.

    Byproduct Inquiries

  • Partner with Us

    Interested in collaborating through partnerships, sponsorships, or content creation? Let us know here.

    Partner with Us