This article was updated in February 2024.
The following are records for fish caught in the state of Arizona and verified by the Arizona Game & Fish Department.
Arizona divides its records into multiple categories. For example, the state keeps records for Colorado River waterways separately from those not directly on the river system, described as inland waters.
We also have provided AZGFD’s records for catch and release fishing, which instead of state-certified weight, are determined by overall length. New C&R records must exceed previous records by at least an inch.
Inland Waters Fishing
Verified Weight Records
These fishing records are for gamefish caught in waters entirely located in the state of Arizona. These are harvested fish weighed on state-certified scales and meeting other requirements to be approved as records.
| Bass, Hybrid Striped 2 lbs, 13.76 oz | Lake Pleasant | Ray Gilmore Oct 29, 2013 |
| Bass, Largemouth 16 lbs, 7.68 oz | Canyon Lake | Randall E. White Apr 22, 1997 |
| Bass, Rock 0 lbs, 12.96 oz | Upper Verde River | Eric Woolsey Apr 6, 2006 |
| Bass, Smallmouth 7 lbs, 0.96 oz | Roosevelt Lake | Dennis K. Barnhill Mar 18, 1988 |
| Bass, Striped 29 lbs, 13.76 oz | Lake Pleasant | Bob Liddington Jul 13, 2010 |
| Bass, White 4 lbs, 11.7 oz | Upper Lake Pleasant | David Amburgey Apr 1972 |
| Bass, Yellow 2 lbs, 2.56 oz | Canyon Lake | Ron Johnson Feb 7, 2020 |
| Buffalo, Bigmouth 36 lbs, 6 oz | Roosevelt Lake | Leon Steward Mar 14, 1995 |
| Buffalo, Black 35 lbs, 6.72 oz | Canyon Lake | David Hoenshell May 24, 1995 |
| Buffalo, Smallmouth 42 lbs, 13.76 oz | Apache Lake | Gary Becko Feb 20, 2015 |
| Bullhead, Black 2 lbs, 6.1 oz | Parker Canyon Lake | Mikki St. George Sep 9, 2002 |
| Bullhead, Yellow 4 lbs, 8.1 oz | Mormon Lake | Patricia Simmon Jul 15, 1989 |
| Carp 37 lbs, 0.0 oz | Bartlett Lake | Jonathan Gardner Aug 8, 1987 |
| Catfish, Channel 33 lbs, 5.76 oz | Upper Lake Mary | Carson Pete Mar 26, 2017 |
| Catfish, Flathead 76 lbs, 8.64 oz | Bartlett Lake | Eddie Wilcoxson Apr 13, 2013 |
| Crappie, Black 4 lbs, 10.0 oz | San Carlos Lake | John Shadrick 1959 |
| Crappie, White 3 lbs, 5.28 oz | Lake Pleasant | Robert Schnell Feb 22, 1982 |
| Grayling, Arctic 1 lb, 9.76 oz | Lee Valley Lake | Glenn D. Davis III Jul 10, 1995 |
| Northern Pike 32 lbs, 5.6 oz | Ashurst Lake | Ronald Needs, Nov 5, 2004 |
| Roundtail Chub 3 lbs, 14.9 oz | Lower Salt River | Richard L. Walton Mar 3, 1984 |
| Striped Mullet 5 lbs, 2.24 oz | Fortuna Pond | Robert Bayles Apr 24, 2004 |
| Sucker, Desert 2 lbs, 10.75 oz | Verde River | Edith Toney Sep 20, 1992 |
| Sucker, Sonora 6 lbs. | Lower Salt River | Ronald Nuss Jr. Oct 20, 2020 |
| Sunfish, Bluegill 3 lbs, 15.68 oz | Goldwater Lake | Christopher Ray Mapes May 2, 2004 |
| Sunfish, Green 1 lb, 9 oz | Parker Canyon Lake | Paul Bennett Jul 27, 1996 |
| Sunfish, Hybrid 2 lbs, 2.22 oz | Patagonia Lake | Mikey Alan Porter Jun 5, 1998 |
| Sunfish, Redear 3 lbs, 9.0 oz | Goldwater Lake | Jay Adkins Aug 12, 1993 |
| Tilapia 7 lbs, 8.8 oz | Saguaro Lake | Tim Alan Schoenecker Mar 31, 2002 |
| Trout, Apache 5 lbs, 15.5 oz | Hurricane Lake | Lyle Hemphill Jun 10, 1993 |
| Trout, Brook 4 lbs, 15.2 oz | Sunrise Lake | Marshall Gregg Oct 20, 1995 |
| Trout, Brown 22 lbs, 14.5 oz | Reservation Lake | Bryce Sisson Aug 6, 1999 |
| Trout, Cutthroat 6 lbs, 5.0 oz | Luna Lake | Eric James Walter Oct 1976 |
| Trout, Gila 5 lbs, 1.92 oz | Goldwater Lake | David Worsham Jun 2, 2018 |
| Trout, Rainbow 15 lbs, 9.12 oz | Willow Springs Lake | Harold Wright Sep 29, 2006 |
| Trout, Tiger 5 lbs, 15.4 oz | Woods Canyon Lake | Carl Erickson June 22, 2023 |
| Walleye 16 lbs, 1.76 oz | Show Low Lake | Gregg Munck Nov 18, 2002 |
| White Amur 61 lbs, 1.92 oz | Red Mountain Park | Dennis Gleason Apr 2, 2019 |
| Yellow Perch 1 lb, 10.0 oz | Stoneman Lake | Art Ellico Mar 21, 1984 |
Inland Waters Fishing
Catch & Release
These fishing records are for gamefish caught and released in inland waters (not the Colorado River). These fish records are based on total length taken before release, as well as meeting other requirements.
| Bass, Largemouth 28 inches | Lake Pleasant | Bill Wilson Mar 12, 2005 |
| Bass, Smallmouth 23 inches | Roosevelt Lake | Ginger Wright June 18, 2006 |
| Bass, Striped 34.25 inches | Lake Pleasant | Eric Martinez Jr. Apr 11, 2021 |
| Bass, White 18 inches | Lake Pleasant | Bradley Garraway Mar 24, 2005 |
| Bass, Yellow 13 inches | Roosevelt Lake | Tom Simpson Dec 10, 2008 |
| Buffalo, Black 41 inches | Apache Lake | Bill Groseclose Apr 23, 2003 |
| Carp 37 inches | McKellops Lake | Mack Hollen Jr. May 6, 2006 |
| Catfish, Channel 37 inches | Upper Lake Mary | Carson Pete May 3, 2020 |
| Catfish, Flathead 53 inches | Roosevelt Lake | Andrew Srejic Sep 23, 2006 |
| Crappie, Black 16 inches | Apache Lake | Ron Robinson Apr 6, 1998 |
| Crappie, White 16 inches | San Carlos Reservoir | Matthew Rokusek Mar 31, 2018 |
| Northern Pike 44 inches | Upper Lake Mary | Scott A. Webster Apr 26, 2013 |
| Perch, Yellow 12.25 inches | Upper Lake Mary | Larry Larsen May 30, 2020 |
| Roundtail Chub 19 inches | Verde River | Rudolph Hoffman Jul 12, 2015 |
| Sucker, Desert 18 inches | Lower Salt River | Kendra Loubere Jan 17, 2022 |
| Sucker, Sonora 25 inches | Lower Salt River | Alex Loubere Mar 21, 2022 |
| Sunfish, Bluegill 13 inches | Mohawk Wellton Canal | Bob A. Dippery Sr. Apr 15, 2011 |
| Sunfish, Green 13 inches | Lake Pleasant | Tyler Johnson Apr 10, 2017 |
| Sunfish, Hybrid 10 inches | Papago Ponds #2 | Mack Hollen Jr. Jun 19, 2004 |
| Sunfish, Redear 13 inches | Peña Blanca Lake | Colin Parish Jun 19, 2022 |
| Tilapia 18 inches | Tempe Town Lake | Brandon Williams Apr 29, 2009 |
| Trout, Apache 27 inches | Silver Creek | Tim McGough Oct 2, 2009 |
| Trout, Brook 15 inches | Perkins Tank | Rob Gerlak Apr 9, 2015 |
| Trout, Brown 23 inches | Black River | Benjamin A. Payne Jun 23, 2007 |
| Trout, Cutthroat 19 inches | Big Lake | David Michael Ruiz Nov 13, 2020 |
| Trout, Gila 16 inches | Green Valley Park | Zachary Young Nov 14, 2021 |
| Trout, Rainbow 32 inches | Silver Creek | Ben Sandall Jun 30, 2010 |
| Trout, Tiger 20 inches | Becker Lake | Reese McFarland Oct 19, 2019 |
| Walleye 33 inches | Fool Hollow Lake | Gregg Munck Jun 27, 2004 |
| White Amur (Trip.) 47 inches | Encanto Park Lake | Denny Noel Oct 18, 2006 |
Colorado River Fishing
Verified Weight Records
These fishing records are for gamefish caught on the Colorado River system bordering another state. Weight records must be taken on state-certified scales and meet other criteria from AZFGD.
| Bass, Largemouth 16 lbs, 14 oz | Colorado River | Dale Uden Mar 8, 1996 |
| Bass, Smallmouth 6 lbs, 4.48 oz | Lake Havasu | Sue Nowak Feb 23, 2017 |
| Bass, Striped 67 lbs, 1.0 oz | Colorado River, Willow Beach | Jeff Smith Aug 15, 1997 |
| Bass, White 5 lbs, 5.0 oz | Imperial Reservoir | Norman Mize Mar 1972 |
| Bullhead, Yellow 2 lbs, 8.8 oz | Colorado River, Bullhead City | Douglas R. Pinotti Mar 24, 1986 |
| Carp 42 lbs, 0 oz | Lake Havasu | Gary Ramsfield Mar 1979 |
| Catfish, Channel 35 lbs, 4.0 oz | Topock Marsh | Wando L. Tull 1952 |
| Catfish, Flathead 74 lbs, 0.0 oz | Colorado River, Laguna Dam | Walter Wilson May 11, 1998 |
| Crappie, Black 2 lbs, 12.0 oz | Havasu Springs | Julia Grammer Mar 11, 1996 |
| Pacific Tenpounder 12.6 oz | Near Pilot Knob | Charles Reel Jr. Jun 13, 1981 |
| Striped Mullet 9 lbs, 8.0 oz | Colorado/Gila River, confluence | Buddy E. Fike March 1976 |
| Sucker, Razorback 9 lbs, 13.0 oz | Colorado River, Lake Havasu | Freeman Summers Jan 23, 1978 |
| Bluegill 3 lbs, 10.4 oz | Colorado River, Laughlin Lake | Michael Tahash Sep 14, 2010 |
| Sunfish, Green 1 lbs, 5.28 oz | Lake Havasu | Jose Orozco Jul 16, 1997 |
| Sunfish, Hybrid 3 lbs, 1.28 oz | Colorado River, Parker | Rob Woodford Oct 12, 2000 |
| Sunfish, Redear 6 lbs, 0 oz | Lake Havasu | Thomas M. Farchione May 4, 2021 |
| Tilapia 6 lbs, 2.72 oz | Colorado River | A. Clark Wellard Jan 27, 2006 |
| Trout, Brook 5 lbs, 4.0 oz | Lee’s Ferry | Moe Beck Mar 6, 1982 |
| Trout, Brown 17 lbs, 0 oz | Last Chance Bay, Powell | Chuck Holland May 1, 1971 |
| Trout, Cutthroat 9 lbs, 8.0 oz | South of Davis Dam | Jeff Vincent Aug 1979 |
| Trout, Rainbow 21 lbs, 5.5 oz | Willow Beach | John Reid Sep 1966 |
| Walleye 8 lbs, 1.0 oz | Lake Powell | Bud Clifford May 1977 |
| Warmouth 0 lbs, 12.0 oz | Senator Lake | Patrick Ferguson Mar 1974 |
Colorado River Fishing
Catch & Release
These fishing records are for gamefish caught and released in the Colorado River and its reservoirs. Catch & Release records are based on total length and other requirements from AZGFD.
| Bass, Largemouth 28 inches | Lower Colorado River | David Percell Feb 17, 2004 |
| Bass, Smallmouth 23.5 inches | Colorado River | Mark Hill Jan 2, 2023 |
| Bass, Striped 45 inches | Colorado River, Bullhead City | Kenan Guleryuz Oct 4, 2010 |
| Carp 48 inches | Lake Mohave | Gary Sweet Oct 20, 2007 |
| Catfish, Channel 35 inches | Colorado River | George S. Terro Jr Apr 28, 2018 |
| Catfish, Flathead 50.75 inches | Colorado River | Robert Wright Feb 14, 2020 |
| Sunfish, Redear 14.25 inches | Colorado River, Lake Havasu | Darren Van Houten Apr 25, 2019 |
| Tilapia 17 inches | Colorado River | Barbara Harp Feb 10, 2012 |
| Trout, Rainbow 22 inches | Colorado River, Bullhead City | Kenan Guleryuz Nov 5, 2010 |
| Warmouth 10 inches | Colorado River, Imperial Dam | Barbara Harp Mar 26, 2006 |
| White Amur (Trip.) 44 inches | Colorado River, Yuma | Richard Halliwill Apr 9, 2009 |
Did You Catch a Record?
Find the entry form, locations of fish-weighing scales, and other requirements to set a new sport fishing record in Arizona at AZGFD’s Fish Records page in the current regulations.