This article was updated in March 2024.
Idaho keeps sport fishing records for both game and non-game species of fish, and for both weight (harvested) and catch and release divisions.
We cover each of the game fish categories below in separate tables.
Idaho Fish & Game only started recording catch-and-release records based on length in 2016, so those records are newer and have changed hands more frequently than the older catch-and-keep records based on weight.
Below all four of the record tables, we provide some additional information about setting game fish records in Idaho.
Idaho Fishing Records
Game Fish Species (Certified Weight)
| Bass, Largemouth 10.94 lbs | Anderson Lake | Mary Alice Hurt Taylor Oct 22, 1948 |
| Bass, Smallmouth 9.72 lbs | Dworshak Reservoir | Dan Steigers Oct 28, 2006 |
| Burbot (Ling) 14 lbs | Kootenai River | P.A. Dayton 1954 |
| Catfish, Bullhead 3.88 lbs | Brownlee Reservoir | James Winter May 25, 1986 |
| Catfish, Channel 32.9 lbs | C.J. Strike Reservoir | Cody Kastner June 6, 2022 |
| Catfish, Flathead 58.5 lbs | Brownlee Reservoir | J. Newberry/K. McCormick Aug 23, 1994 |
| Crappie, Black 3.56 lbs | Brownlee Reservoir | Jason Monson Jun 8, 2003 |
| Crappie, White 3.80 lbs | Crane Creek Reservoir | Trenten Smith Jul 16, 2012 |
| Grayling, Arctic 2.44 lbs | Nez Perce Lake | Velma Mahaffey Jun 21, 1992 |
| Muskie, Tiger 44.25 lbs | Little Payette Lake | Edward Kalinowski Aug 6, 2013 |
| Perch, Yellow 3.22 lbs | Cascade Reservoir | Adam Mann Mar 9, 2021 |
| Pike, Northern 40.76 lbs | Hayden Lake | Thomas Francis Mar 21, 2023 |
| Salmon, Atlantic 13.25 lbs | Deadwood Reservoir | Garrett Buffington Oct 15, 1995 |
| Salmon, Chinook (Freshwater) 42 lbs | Coeur d’ Alene Lake | Jane Clifford Sep 13, 1987 |
| Salmon, Chinook (Ocean Run) 54 lbs | Salmon River | Merrold Gold 1956 |
| Salmon, Coho (Freshwater) 6 lbs | Cascade Reservoir | Ted Bowers Sep 19, 1992 |
| Salmon, Coho (Ocean Run) 11.78 lbs | Clearwater River | Matt Hosking Oct 13, 2023 |
| Salmon, Kokanee 6.59 lbs | Priest Lake | Jerry Verge Jun 9, 1975 |
| Salmon, Sockeye* 5 lbs | Redfish Lake | June McCray Aug 8, 1970 |
| Splake 10.78 lbs | Ririe Reservoir | Brian Allison May 12, 2006 |
| Sunfish, Bluegill 3.5 lbs | C.J. Strike Reservoir | Darrell Grim 1966 |
| Sunfish, Green 0.67 lbs | Fernan Lake | John Moore Jun 25, 2019 |
| Sunfish, Hybrid (Bluegill x P-seed) 1.00 lbs | Star Lane Pond | Kevin Graveline May 8, 2001 |
| Sunfish, Pumpkinseed 0.93 lbs | Chase Lake | James Milton Jul 17, 2023 |
| Sturgeon, White* (Rod and Reel) 394 lbs | Snake River | Glenn Howard 1956 |
| Sturgeon, White* (Set Line) 675 lbs | Snake River | Unknown 1908 |
| Trout, Brook 7.06 lbs | Henrys Lake | DeVere Stratton Aug 16, 1978 |
| Trout, Brown 27.31 lbs | Ashton Reservoir | Wes Case Nov 6, 2007 |
| Trout, Bull* (Dolly Varden) 32 lbs | Pend Orielle Lake | Nelson Higgins 1949 |
| Trout, Cutthroat (Bonneville) 18.94 lbs | Bear Lake | Roger Grunig Apr 30, 1970 |
| Trout, Cutthroat (Lahontan) 3.14 lbs | Grasmere Reservoir | Hayleigh Urban Oct 5, 2022 |
| Trout, Cutthroat (Yellowstone) 2.88 lbs | Henrys Lake | Spencer Smith Jan 1, 2023 |
| Trout, Golden 5.13 lbs | White Sands Lake | George Wolverton 1958 |
| Trout, Lake (Mackinaw) 57.5 lbs | Priest Lake | Lyle McClure Nov 14, 1971 |
| Trout, Rainbow 20.00 lbs | Snake River | Michelle Larsen-Williams Jul 29, 2009 |
| Trout, Rainbow (Gerrard) 37 lbs | Pend Oreille Lake | Wes Hamlet 1947 |
| Trout, Rainbow-Cutthroat Hybrid 34.74 lbs | American Falls Reservoir | Mark Adams Jul 25, 2011 |
| Trout, Steelhead (Rainbow) 30.13 lbs | Clearwater River | Keith Powell Nov 23, 1973 |
| Trout, Tiger 4.8 lbs | Becker Pond | Gatlynn Mayes, Dec 16, 2020 |
| Walleye 17.88 lbs | Oakley Reservoir | Damon Rush Sep 10, 2011 |
| Warmouth 0.60 lbs | Snake River | Marvin Stevens Jun 23, 1988 |
| Whitefish, Bonneville 3.16 lbs | Bear Lake | Gaylon Newbold Dec 5, 2014 |
| Whitefish, Lake 6.5 lbs | Pend Oreille Lake | Dale Hofmann Aug 6, 2010 |
| Whitefish, Mountain 5.9 lbs | Island Park Reservoir | Robert Hall 1997 |
*These species may no longer be legally harvested and, therefore, cannot be considered for weight records.
Non-Game Fish (Certified Weight)
| Bridgelip Sucker 2.2 lbs | Lemhi River | Eric Geisthardt May 18, 2021 | |
| Chiselmouth 1.16 lbs | Salmon River | Justin Powell Apr 15, 2003 | |
| Common Carp (archery) 67.65 lbs | C.J. Strike Reservoir | Scott Frazier II Jul 23, 2011 | |
| Common Carp (rod/reel) 34 lbs | Snake River | Henry Charlier May 3, 2021 | |
| Goldfish (archery) 3.4 lbs | Snake River | Kyle Stevens Mar 13, 2021 | |
| Grass Carp (archery) 39.5 lbs | Snake River | Saige Wilkerson Jul 16, 2012 | |
| Grass Carp (rod/reel) 46.7 lbs | Snake River | Cris Endicott Oct 10, 2021 | |
| Largescale Sucker 9.04 lbs | Cascade Lake | Dave Gassel Dec 17, 2017 | |
| Northern Pikeminnow 7.89 lbs | Snake River | Emil Nowoj May 7, 2004 | |
| Peamouth Chub 1.14 lbs | Snake River | Benjamin Fahnholz Mar 8, 2021 | |
| Redside Shiner 0.08 lbs | Blackfoot River | Raiden Schneider July 23, 2022 | |
| Tench 5.32 lbs | Lake Pend Oreille | Phillip Biggerstaff Jun 19, 2022 | |
| Tilapia 4.28 lbs | Swan Falls Reservoir | Jason Arneson Aug 3, 2008 | |
| Utah Chub 2.81 lbs | Lake Walcott | Alfred E. Woolstenhulme Feb 7, 2010 | |
| Utah Sucker 7.86 lbs | South Fork Snake River | Rick Thompson Aug 20, 2011 |
Catch & Release Records
Game Fish (Length Records)
| Bass, Largemouth 25 in. | Cave Lake | JJ Schillinger Oct 19, 2019 |
| Bass, Smallmouth 23.75 in. | Dworshak Reservoir | Joey Walton Dec 16, 2022 |
| Burbot 15.75 in. | Kootenai River | Gary Hardesty Feb 11, 2023 |
| Catfish, Blue 42.5 in. | C.J. Strike Reservoir | Paul Newman Jul 20, 2022 |
| Catfish, Bullhead 16.0 in. | Cascade Reservoir | Tris Coffin May 28, 2023 |
| Catfish, Channel 42.5 in. | C.J. Strike Reservoir | Paul Newman Jul 20, 2022 |
| Catfish, Flathead 43 in. | Snake River | Jared Holt Jul 9, 2022 |
| Cisco, Bonneville 7.8 in. | Bear Lake | Afton Garren Jan 22, 2016 |
| Crappie, Black 17 in. | Crane Creek Reservoir | Jon Urban Jul 27, 2020 |
| Crappie, White 15.25 in. | Sawyers Pond | Joey Brandes Jul 9, 2021 |
| Grayling, Arctic 16.2 in. | Alpine Creek Lake #13 | Brian Brooks Jul 4, 2020 |
| Muskie, Tiger 40 in. | Lake Cascade | Nicholas Percy Aug 29, 2017 |
| Perch, Yellow 17 in. | Cascade Lake | David Ekmark May 5, 2018 |
| Pike, Northern 49 in. | Coeur d’Alene Lake | Scott Blahnik Oct 20, 2020 |
| Salmon, Chinook (Freshwater) 32.5 in. | Coeur d’Alene River | Austin Yarnell Sep 20, 2023 |
| Salmon, Chinook (Ocean Run) 41.5 in. | Salmon River | Michael Nicholson Jul 4, 2016 |
| Salmon, Coho 31.0 in. | Clearwater River | Jase Groesbeck Oct 28, 2023 |
| Salmon, Kokanee 22.8 in. | Big Elk Creek | Rob Mackesey Aug 29, 2020 |
| Sunfish, Bluegill 11.5 in. | Cave Lake | Elisa Rose Apr 10, 2016 |
| Sunfish, Green 8 in. | Boise River | Jon Urban Jun 6, 2022 |
| Sunfish, Green Hybrid (Bluegill x Sunfish) 8 in. | Eagle Island Park Pond | Hayleigh Urban Aug 28, 2020 |
| Sunfish, Pumpkinseed 9 in. | Chase Lake, Bonner County | Rick Poedtke May 31, 2018 |
| Sturgeon, White 124 in. | C.J. Strike Reservoir | Greg Poulsen Aug 5, 2022 |
| Trout, Brook 22 in. | Henrys Lake | Kazen Cromar Dec 11, 2016 |
| Trout, Brown 30 in. | Snake River | Chase Newton Oct 18, 2016 |
| Trout, Bull 39 in. | Lake Pend Oreille | Matthew Lutzke Jan 19, 2021 |
| Trout, Cutthroat (Bonneville) 28.5 in. | Bear Lake | Gaylon Newbold Apr 21, 2016 |
| Trout, Cutthroat (Lahontan) 21.75 in. | Grasmere Reservoir | Jordan Rodriguez Dec 17, 2022 |
| Trout, Cutthroat (Westslope) 24 in. | Priest Lake | Madison Nackos May 29, 2021 |
| Trout, Cutthroat (Yellowstone) 31 in. | Snake River | Nate Burr Sep 8, 2020 |
| Trout, Golden 21.3 in. | Pass Lake | James Taylor Aug 29, 2020 |
| Trout, Lake (Mackinaw) 41.5 in. | Payette Lake | Dylan Smith Jul 21, 2018 |
| Trout, Rainbow 31.25 in. | American Falls Reservoir | Brett Jones May 25, 2020 |
| Trout, Rainbow (Gerrard) 36.5 in. | Lake Pend Oreille | Sophie Egizi Oct 11, 2019 |
| Trout, Rainbow-Cutthroat Hybrid 36 in. | Henrys Lake | Hailey Thomas Oct 4, 2022 |
| Trout, Steelhead (Rainbow) 41 in. | Clearwater River | Kyriacos Panayiotou Oct 6, 2023 |
| Trout, Sunapee 10 in. | Sawtooth Lake #1 | Grady Prairie Jul 18, 2021 |
| Trout, Tiger 26 in. | Lehman Pond | Chandra Jensen June 9, 2023 |
| Walleye 31.5 in. | Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir | Russell Isaak Sep 16, 2016 |
| Warmouth 7.5 in. | CJ Strike Reservoir | Tyler Urban May 26, 2021 |
| Whitefish, Bonneville 21 in. | Bear Lake | Gaylon Newbold Dec 10, 2019 |
| Whitefish, Lake 24.5 in. | Lake Pend Oreille | Corey Comstock May 11, 2020 |
| Whitefish, Mountain 21.5 in. | Salmon River | Tyler Coleman Aug 27, 2022 |
Non-Game Fish (Length Records)
| Bridgelip Sucker 17 in. | Lemhi River | Eric Geisthardt May 18, 2021 |
| Common Carp 38 in. | American Falls Reservoir | Dayton Schild Jun 15, 2022 |
| Dace 4 in. | Boise River | Jon Urban Jul 27, 2023 |
| Grass Carp 40 in. | Marsing Pond | Joe Bonawitz Aug 25, 2019 |
| Largescale Sucker 27.7 in. | Cascade Reservoir | Gary Hardesty Apr 9, 2016 |
| Northern Pikeminnow 27 in. | Snake River | Kaden Hammer Aug 4, 2022 |
| Peamouth Chub 14.125 in. | Snake River | Akeley Fahnholz Feb 25, 2023 |
| Redside Shiner 6 in. | Boise River | Jon Urban Sep 11, 2023 |
| Tench 19 in. | Coeur d’Alene Lake | Mike Nunemacher May 31, 2020 |
| Tench 18.7 in. | Coeur d’Alene Lake | Avery Arrhenius Aug 3, 2018 |
| Tilapia 15 in. | Snake River | Dave Gassel Feb 21, 2017 |
| Utah Sucker 25 in. | Snake River | Rick Thompson Mar 19, 2021 |
| Utah Chub 18 in. | American Falls Reservoir | Kaden Hammer Jan 29, 2022 |
Setting a Fishing Record in Idaho
Official weight records must be established using a certified scales, which are typically available where costs are determined by weight (such as a grocery store or Post Office).
Game fish species must be taken by legal rod and reel methods. Only non-game species may be taken by spear- or bow-fishing to set a record.
You’ll also need a good photo of the fish and verification of species from a state fish biologist.
All catch-and-release species must be photographed from nose to tips of tail (while pinched). Some protected species must be left in water to get these proofs, so be prepared to work quickly and have your measuring tape and camera (smart phone) handy.
You’ll want to read up carefully on the full rules and find the official applications at the Record Fish in Idaho page.