Although U.S. commercial catfish aquaculture ponds are in temperate regions and experience cool to cold winter temperatures, the effect of low temperatures on catfish physiological performance is not well understood. In particular, the accumulation of stored energy during cold conditions can be important for facilitating physiological performance and ultimately survival. Therefore, growth, metabolism, and liver and muscle energy storage were compared between channel (Ictalurus punctatus), blue (I. furcatus), and hybrid (I. furcatus × I. punctatus) catfish acclimated to 10 and 20°C over a 17-week period. The experimental design included 18 treatment tanks, with 3 tanks per treatment combination. Feed consumption, growth, standard and active metabolic rates, and corresponding metabolic scopes were greatly reduced at 10°C compared to 20°C in all catfish types. Channel catfish were noticeably different than blue and hybrid catfish at 10°C in liver energy storage, whereas blue and hybrid catfish were generally similar. Relative liver size was much greater (measured as hepatosomatic index) in channel catfish at 10°C than blue and hybrid catfish. Total fatty acids, fatty acid profiles, and proximate composition also were markedly different in channel catfish at 10°C. These results indicate cold temperatures reduce feeding which is compensated by reduced metabolic rate, and increased energy storage in liver tissue, particularly in channel catfish. However, metabolic scope is also reduced suggesting prolonged cold conditions reduce performance capabilities of catfish to respond to additional culture or environmental challenges.