Updated: February 2024
The following table lists the current state fishing records that the Iowa Department of Natural Resources has certified for each species.
If you think you’ve just landed one of the following types of fish, only larger, be sure to check out the resources I’ve linked below to help you make your claim.
Iowa Fishing Records
| Bass, Largemouth 10.75 lbs | Lake Fisher | Patricia Zaerr May 1, 1984 |
| Bass, Ocean Striped 9.25 lbs | Rathbun Reservoir | Richard Pauley Jul 1, 1983 |
| Bass, Rock 1.50 lbs | Pool 11, Mississippi River | Jim Driscoll Jun 1, 1973 |
| Bass, Smallmouth 7.75 lbs | West Okoboji Lake | Rick Gray Sep 1, 1990 |
| Bass, Spotted 2.06 lbs | Lake Macbride | Davis Horton Jun 19, 2021 |
| Bass, White 5.11 lbs | East Okoboji Lake | Justin Sturtz Jun 3, 2019 |
| Bass, Yellow 1.75 lbs | Lake Manawa | Bill Campbell Apr 1, 1991 |
| Bowfin 11.69 lbs | Pool 10, Mississippi River | Bill Greten May 1, 1994 |
| Buffalo, Bigmouth 64.38 lbs | Lake Manawa | Ronald Anderson Apr 18, 2007 |
| Buffalo, Black 63.38 lbs | Pool 9, Mississippi River | Jim Winters Aug 14, 1999 |
| Buffalo, Smallmouth 43.00 lbs | Wapsipinicon River, Troy Mills to Oxford Jct. | John Dirks Dec 1, 2021 |
| Carp, Bighead 112.00 lbs | Des Moines River, Red Rock to Ottumwa | Randy Conover May 28, 2018 |
| Carp, Common 50.00 lbs | Glenwood Lake | Fred Hougland Apr 1, 1969 |
| Carp, Grass 85.50 lbs | Greenfield Lake | Jesse Lane May 1, 2007 |
| Carp, Silver 62.00 lbs | Des Moines River, Red Rock to Ottumwa | Billie Summers Jun 2, 2018 |
| Catfish, Black Bullhead 5.50 lbs | Farm pond | Michael Hurd Jun 1, 1986 |
| Catfish, Blue 101.00 lbs | Missouri River, Council Bluffs to state line | Mike Rush Jun 8, 2004 |
| Catfish, Brown Bullhead 1.25 lbs | Pool 9, Mississippi River | Dick Newcomer Aug 24, 2015 |
| Catfish, Channel 38.13 lbs | Missouri River, Little Sioux to Council Bluffs | Dustin Curtis Jun 11, 2005 |
| Catfish, Flathead 81.00 lbs | Ellis Lake | Joe Baze Jun 1, 1958 |
| Catfish, Yellow Bullhead 2.40 lbs | Little River Watershed Lake | Troy Dibbern Sep 28, 2018 |
| Crappie, Black 3.88 lbs | Three Mile Lake | Dale Klein Jun 5, 2013 |
| Crappie, White 4.56 lbs | Green Castle Lake | Ted Trowbridge May 1, 1981 |
| Drum, Freshwater 46.00 lbs | Spirit Lake | R. F. Farran Oct 1, 1962 |
| Gar, Longnose 22.20 lbs | Missouri River, Little Sioux to Council Bluffs | Lawrence Cates May 25, 2021 |
| Gar, Shortnose 8.05 lbs | Missouri River, Council Bluffs to state line | Jeremy Suiter Jul 16, 2020 |
| Goldeye 2.94 lbs | Pool 10, Mississippi River | Scott Kinkead Aug 20, 2004 |
| Mooneye 1.52 lbs | Pool 9, Mississippi River | Tricia Steines Oct 23, 2016 |
| Muskellunge 50.38 lbs | Spirit Lake | Kevin Cardwell Aug 21, 2000 |
| Muskie, Tiger 27.13 lbs | West Okoboji Lake | Shannon Green Aug 1, 1989 |
| Paddlefish 107.00 lbs | Missouri River, Sioux City to Little Sioux | Robert Pranschke Mar 1, 1981 |
| Perch, Yellow 2.79 lbs | Private Pond | Royce Krummen Feb 16, 2019 |
| Pike, Northern 25.31 lbs | West Okoboji Lake | Allen Forsberg Feb 1, 1977 |
| Pumpkinseed 0.96 lbs | Lake Petocka | Rick Olson Jun 5, 2020 |
| Redhorse, Golden 2.20 lbs | Wapsipinicon River, Troy Mills to Oxford Jct. | Rory Petersen Apr 23, 2020 |
| Redhorse, Greater 8.2 lbs | Cedar River, above Nashua | Marcus Majerczyk Jul 24, 2022 |
| Redhorse, River 7.48 lbs | Shell Rock River, Greene to Shell Rock | Todd Hardy Mar 28, 2020 |
| Redhorse, Shorthead 3.65 lbs | Wapsipinicon River, Troy Mills to Oxford Jct. | Rory Petersen Apr 05, 2020 |
| Redhorse, Silver 8.54 lbs | Wapsipinicon River, Oxford Jct. to Mississippi R | George Paulson Apr 24, 2018 |
| Sauger 6.50 lbs | Missouri River, Sioux City to Little Sioux | Mrs. W. Buser Oct 1, 1976 |
| Saugeye 12.25 lbs | Des Moines River, Saylorville to Red Rock | Don Ostergaard Mar 1, 2000 |
| Sturgeon, Shovelnose 12.00 lbs | Des Moines River, Ottumwa to Farmington | Randy Hemm Apr 1, 1974 |
| Sucker, Blue 15.38 lbs | Iowa River, Coralville Lake to River Jct. | Steven Jones Apr 11, 2011 |
| Sucker, Northern Hog 1.91 lbs | Des Moines River, Humboldt to Stratford | Ashley Robell May 16, 2019 |
| Sucker, White 5.06 lbs | Otter Creek | Austin Steffen Mar 22, 2016 |
| Sunfish, Bluegill 3.13 lbs | Farm pond | Phil Algreen Jul 1, 1986 |
| Sunfish, Green 2.06 lbs | Farm pond | Ralph Mayer Jul 29, 2000 |
| Sunfish, Orangespotted 0.12 lbs | Mississippi River, Pool 14 | Aven Monaghan Feb 7, 2023 |
| Sunfish, Redear 2.31 lbs | Farm pond | Elijah Parrett Oct 19, 2018 |
| Trout, Brook 7.00 lbs | Fountain Springs | Doug Korvarik Jul 1, 1996 |
| Trout, Brown 15.38 lbs | North Prairie Lake | Gerold Lewis Jun 1, 1995 |
| Trout, Rainbow 19.50 lbs | French Creek | Jack Renner Jul 1, 1984 |
| Walleye 14.50 lbs | Des Moines River, Saylorville to Red Rock | Gloria Eoriatti Sep 1, 1986 |
| Warmouth 1.13 lbs | Farm pond | Celsey Rynearson May 12, 2018 |
| Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) 19.63 lbs | Saylorville Reservoir | Youa Lovan Aug 29, 2006 |
Setting an Iowa Fishing Record
To stake your claim to a spot in Iowa fishing history, be sure to carefully read and follow the Iowa DNR’s process laid out on its State Record Fish page. That page also includes a link to the official entry form.