A teenager recently caught the largest white perch ever recorded in Pennsylvania.
While a great achievement for the young man, this species is relatively small, and the record specimen is just a shade over 2 pounds.
That got us thinking: What are the Keystone State’s records for larger species of fish?
To find out, we went to our own simplified listing of Pennsylvania’s fishing records as well as double-checking for updates with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.
The following table includes only state records of fish species that tipped the scales at 20 pounds or more. It doesn’t include more than 20 additional species, including extremely popular ones like largemouth bass and walleye. (Although that last one was very close!)
For more details about all 32 state record fish, see our newly updated table of PA game fish records.
Largest Fishing Records in Pennsylvania
| 1 | Catfish, Flathead 66 lbs, 6 oz | Lake Aldred, 2023 |
| 2 | Muskellunge 54 lbs, 3 oz | Conneaut Lake, 1924 |
| 3 | Bass, Striped – Marine 53 lbs, 13 oz | Delaware River, 1989 |
| 4 | Bass, Striped – Inland 53 lbs, 12 oz | Raystown Lake, 1994 |
| 5 | Carp, Common 52 lbs | Juniata River, 1962 |
| 6 | Catfish, Channel 35 lbs, 3 oz | Lehigh Canal, 1991 |
| 7 | Pike, Northern 35 lbs | Allegheny Reservoir, 2003 |
| 8 | Trout, Lake 31 lbs, 13 oz | Lake Erie, 2019 |
| 9 | Salmon, Chinook 28 lbs, 15 oz | Lake Erie, 1990 |
| 10 | Trout, Brown 20 lbs, 9 oz | Lake Erie, 2020 |
| 11 | Trout, Steelhead 20 lbs, 3 oz | Walnut Creek, 2001 |