Ever wondered what the heaviest freshwater fish caught in each state is? YouTuber Wild About Utah sure has. From massive sturgeon to carp, this list dives into river and lake monsters from across the United States.
Wow, that’s a big fish!
Record-setting fish species by state include paddlefish, lake trout, carp, sheefish, striped bass, paddlefish, alligator gar and several species of catfish and sturgeon, this list still holds some surprises!
As expected, the list tends to cluster by species and region but somewhat surprisingly the weights of fish themselves jump drastically as you reach the heaviest freshwater river monsters ever caught– the white sturgeon of the Pacific Northwest.
White sturgeon can top several hundred pounds and live to be 100 years old and are most often found in the Columbia River and its tributaries, Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, and the Fraser River. Historical accounts of white sturgeon record species at 20 feet long and over a thousand pounds.
Other highlights include several 50-pound Lake Trout, a 327-pound alligator gar, and a 63-pound striped bass.
Full list of the biggest fish caught in every state:
In order of lightest to heaviest, here are the biggest fish caught in each state as reported by Wild About Utah:
Maine- lake trout- 39 pounds 3 ounces -Richardson Lake – 2020
Rhode Island – carp – 40 pounds – Undisclosed location – 2020
New Hampshire -carp- 41 pounds – Connecticut River – 2013
Hawaii – channel catfish- 43 pounds 13 ounces – Lake Wilson – 1974
Connecticut – carp – 45 pounds 5 ounces – Lake Lillinonah – 2013
Massachusetts – carp – 46 pounds 8 ounces – Quinsigamond Lake – 2012
Wyoming- lake trout – 50 pounds – Jackson Lake – 1983
New York – carp – 50 pounds 4 ounces – Tomhannock Reservoir – 1995
Colorado – lake trout – 50 pounds 5 ounces – Blue Mesa Reservoir – 2007
Alaska – sheefish – 53 pounds – Pat River – 1986
Delaware – blue catfish – 53 pounds – Nanticoke River – 2023
Utah – lake trout- 53 pounds 15 ounces Flaming Gorge Reservoir – 2020
New Mexico – striped bass – 54 pounds 8 ounces – Elephant Butte Reservoir – 1992
Nevada – striped bass – 63 pounds – Lake Mohave – 2001
Vermont- carp – 63 pounds 5 ounces. – Lake Champlain – 2022
Pennsylvania – flathead catfish – 66 pounds 6 ounces – Susquehanna River – 2023
West Virginia – flathead catfish – 70 pounds – Little Kanawha River – 1959
New Jersey – carp – 79 pounds – Curlis Lake – 2011
Arizona – flathead catfish – 76 pounds 6 ounces – Bartlett Lake – 2013
Ohio- flathead catfish – 70 pounds – Little Kanawha River – 1956 [corrected in comments as blue catfish – 101.11 pounds – Ohio River – 2024]
Maryland – blue catfish – 84 pounds – Potomac River – 2012
Indiana – blue catfish- 104 pounds – Ohio River -1999
Kentucky – blue catfish – 106 pounds 15 ounces- Ohio River – 2018
Iowa – paddlefish – 107 pounds- Missouri River – 1981
Nebraska – paddlefish – 107 pounds 12 ounces- Gavin’s Point – 2011
Georgia – blue catfish- 110 pounds 6 ounces – Chattahoochee River – 2020
California – blue catfish – 113 pounds 5 ounces- San Vicente Res – 2008
South Carolina- blue catfish – 113 pounds 7 oz- Lake Moultrie – 2017
Minnesota- lake sturgeon – 120 pounds – St. Croix River – 2019
Tennessee – blue catfish – 122 pounds 3 ounces – Barkley Reservoir – 2023
Florida – alligator gar – 123 pounds 3 ounces – Choctawhatchee River – 1995
Illinois- blue catfish – 124 pounds- Mississippi River – 2005
North Carolina – blue catfish – 127 pounds 1 ounce – Roanoke River – 2021
South Dakota – paddlefish – 127 pounds 9 ounces – Lake Francis Case – 2014
North Dakota – paddlefish – 131 pounds – Yellowstone River – 2024
Virginia – blue catfish – 143 pounds – Buggs Island Lake – 2011
Kansas – paddlefish – 144 pounds – Atchison Co. Pond – 2004
Alabama – alligator gar – 151 pounds 9 ounces – Tensaw River – 2009
Missouri – paddlefish – 164 pounds 13 ounces – Lake of the Ozarks – 2024
Wisconsin – lake sturgeon – 170 pounds 10 ounces – Yellow Lake – 1979
Louisiana – alligator gar – 179 pounds – Red River – 1997
Montana- white sturgeon – 181 pounds – Flathead Lake – 1955
Michigan – lake sturgeon – 193 pounds – Mullet Lake – 1994
Arkansas – alligator gar – 215 pounds – Arkansas River – 1964
Oklahoma – alligator gar – 254 pounds 12 ounces – Lake Texoma – 2015
Texas – alligator gar – 283 pounds – Sam Rayburn Reservoir – 2023
Mississippi – alligator gar – 327 pounds – Chotard Lake – 2011
Idaho – white sturgeon – estimated 500 pounds – Snake River – 2019
Washington – white sturgeon – estimated 670 pounds – Lake Washington – 1987
Oregon – white sturgeon – 1500 pounds – Columbia River 1890
It is the list of legend! Our ancestors foretold the catching…