The return of normal flow in 1957 left large areas unoccupied by fish and the processes described above were reversed. The expanded habitat favored spawning by nearly the entire adult population, and conditions for survival of young were excellent. As a result, a large hatch occurred in the summer of 1957. (Several hundred small channel catfish were sometimes taken by use of the shocker a short distance upstream from a 25-foot seine, set in a riffle). Subsequent survival of the 1957 year-class has been good. By 1959, few of the catfish spawned in 1957 had grown large enough to contribute to the sport fishery, but they are expected to do so in 1960 and 1961. The 1957 year-class was probably the first strong year-class of channel catfish since 1952. Davis (1959:15) found that channel catfish in Kansas seldom live longer than seven years. The 1952 year-class reached age seven in 1959. The extreme environmental conditions to which these fish were subjected in drought caused a higher mortality than would occur in normal times. The adult population in the two rivers probably was progressively reduced throughout the drought, and the reduction will continue until the strong 1957 year-class replenishes it. For these reasons, fishing success was poor in 1957-1959. Juvenile channel catfish were more abundant in the Neosho than in the Marais des Cygnes in 1958 and 1959, although both streams supported sizable populations. In the Marais des Cygnes the upper station had fewer channel catfish than the middle and lower stations. In the Neosho, populations were equally abundant both upstream and downstream. The habitat of channel catfish in streams has been discussed by Bailey and Harrison (1948). I found adults in various habitats throughout the stream, but most abundantly in moderately fast water at the lower and middle Neosho stations. At the upper Neosho station where riffles are shallow, yearlings and two-year-olds were numerous in many of the small pools over rubble-gravel bottom. Cover was utilized where present, but large numbers were taken in pools devoid of cover. Young-of-the-year were nearly always taken from rubble- or gravel-riffles having moderate to fast current at both upstream and downstream stations. Collections showed that young of 1957 were abundant on riffles throughout the summer and until 17 November, 1957. Subsequent collections were not made until 11 May, 1958, at which time 1957-class fish still were abundant on riffles at the lower Neosho station; on that date, the larger individuals were in deeper parts of the riffles than were smaller representatives of the same year-class.