Updated: April 2024
The following tables list current records for fish caught in different divisions in Maryland. Most records are divided into three major divisions: Atlantic, Chesapeake, and Nontidal.
The Chesapeake region includes some freshwater species found in tidal areas in and around tributaries as well as saltwater fisheries in the bay itself.
There’s also a small division for invasive species, including the large blue and flathead catfish, popular among anglers, as well as the dreaded northern snakehead.
Note that among native species, there are a few that are no longer permitted to be harvested. Those records were set prior to current conservation rules taking effect. As always with fishing, be sure to check regulations for today’s rules.
Speaking of rules, near the bottom of this article, you will find a link to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ fishing records information.
Atlantic Division
| Albacore (longfin) 77.0 lbs | Atlantic Ocean | Thomas “Tad” Bodmer Sep 23, 2022 |
| Atlantic Cod 24.0 lbs | 38 Miles S.E. Ocean City Inlet | Fred Brungart May 31, 2013 |
| Atlantic Spadefish 11.4 lbs | Triple Wrecks | Noel Lohr Sep 2, 2004 |
| Atlantic Tripletail 11.0 lbs | Baltimore Canyon | Don Whittington Oct 19, 2019 |
| Barracuda, Great 13.0 lbs | Washington Canyon | Stephen Humphrey Oct 6, 2023 |
| Big-Scale Pomfret 22.1 lbs | Norfolk Canyon | Jeff Rosenkilde Dec 28, 2019 |
| Black Seabass 8.0 lbs | Jackspot | Hayward Madison Jun 1, 1978 |
| Bluefish 23.5 lbs | Assateague Island | Lillian Morris Oct 30, 1974 |
| Cobia 94.6 lbs | Little Gull Shoal | Emma Zajdel Jun 30, 2016 |
| Dolphinfish, Common 74.5 lbs | Poor Man’s Canyon | Kristy Frashure Aug 16, 2019 |
| Dolphinfish, Pompano 2.0 lbs | Poor Man’s Canyon | Chris Stafford Sep 20, 2023 |
| Drum, Black 79.0 lbs | Bass Grounds | Stanley Ilyes Sep 7, 1985 |
| Drum, Red (Redfish) 70.0 lbs | Assateague Island | Robert Light Sep 24, 1977 |
| False Albacore 22.5 lbs | Third Lump | Kevin Sheckells Jun 25, 1995 |
| Florida Pompano No Record Listed | ||
| Flounder, Summer (Fluke) 17.0 lbs | Assateague Island | Anthony Vacari Oct 3, 1974 |
| Flounder, Winter 5.1 lbs | 26 miles east of Ocean City | Kevin Twilley Jun 23, 2015 |
| Gray Triggerfish 6.0 lbs | Ocean City | Logan Liddick Sep 25, 2020 |
| King Mackerel 47.0 lbs | Great Gull Shoals – “Big Gull” | Gerald Kauffman Oct 18, 1985 |
| Kingfish 2.5 lbs | Assateague Island | Grace Walker Oct 1, 1975 |
| Marlin, Blue 1,135.0 lbs | 70 miles offshore, near Washington Canyon | Billy Gerlach Aug 20, 2021 |
| Marlin, White 135.0 lbs | Poor Man’s Canyon | George Pierson Aug 29, 1980 |
| Porgy (Scup) 6.2 lbs | Fenwick Shoal | Pearl Hopple Jul 4, 1966 |
| Shark, Black Tip 193.0 lbs | Ocean City | Brian Zysk Aug 4, 1991 |
| Shark, Blue 280.0 lbs | Ocean City | Martin Waltman Sep 13, 1997 |
| Shark, Smooth Dogfish 18.0 lbs | Isle of Wight shoals, southeast of Ocean City | Fay Ganster Oct 22, 2022 |
| Shark, Spiny Dogfish 11.5 lbs | Ocean City | Meyels Sampson May 17, 1993 |
| Shark, Dusky 469.0 lbs | Ocean City | Jim Liberto Jul 1, 1982 |
| Shark, Great White 467.0 lbs | Ocean City | Jack Holmes Jun 11, 1992 |
| Shark, Hammerhead, Scalloped 266.5 lbs | Washington Canyon | Scott Cusick Aug 8, 2012 |
| Shark, Hammerhead, Smooth 375.0 lbs | Parking Lot | George Wilson Ford V Jun 17, 2004 |
| Shark, Mako 876.0 lbs | Poormans Canyon | Jim Hughes Jun 20, 2009 |
| Shark, Sand Tiger 334.0 lbs | Ocean City | Billy Leidner Sep 8, 1983 |
| Shark, Sandbar 235.0 lbs | Ocean City | Mark Sampson Jul 8, 1983 |
| Shark, Thresher 642.0 lbs | The Fingers | Brent Applegit Jun 19, 2009 |
| Shark, Tiger 1,210.0 lbs | Ocean City | Grace Czerniak Jul 9, 1983 |
| Sheepshead 18.0 lbs | South Jetty, Ocean City Inlet | Robert Martin Sep 22, 2017 |
| Snowy Grouper 66.0 lbs | Norfolk Canyon | Gregory Benn Jul 30, 2012 |
| Spotted Seatrout 13.0 lbs | Sinepuxent Bay | Jack Miller Aug 21, 1973 |
| Striped Bass 57.2 lbs | Assateague Island | Gary Smith May 6, 2006 |
| Swordfish 393.0 lbs | In the canyons off the coast of Ocean City | Jeff Jacobs Sep 23, 2022 |
| Tautog 28.8 lbs | Ocean City | Kenneth Westerfeld Jan 2, 2015 |
| Tilefish, Blueline 20.0 lbs | Norfolk Canyon | Robert Purcell Sep 12, 2012 |
| Tilefish, Golden 62.0 lbs | Baltimore Canyon | Steve Doctor Oct 22, 2009 |
| Tuna, Bigeye 375.5 lbs | Ocean City | Cecil Browne Aug 26, 1977 |
| Tuna, Blackfin 32.0 lbs | 30 Fathom Line | Bob Zang Sep 20, 1998 |
| Tuna, Bluefin 625.0 lbs | 45 Miles East Of Ocean City | James Daniels, IV Aug 3, 1975 |
| Tuna, Yellowfin 236.5 lbs | Washington Canyon | Mark Bennett Sep 22, 2002 |
| Wahoo 131.0 lbs | Rockpile | John Schaar Jun 30, 2014 |
| Weakfish 16.0 lbs | Ocean City Inlet | Donald Cannon Sep 11, 1976 |
| White Hake 16.7 lbs | Poor Man’s Canyon | Brian Gay May 16, 2019 |
| White Perch 1.85 lbs | Isle of Wight Bay, near Ocean City | Robert “Bob” Hudson Apr 28, 2022 |
Chesapeake Division
Check out our full guide to Chesapeake Bay Fishing. You might just find the tip that leads to your own record.
| Atlantic Spadefish 10.0 lbs | Buoy 72 | Charlie Barron Jul 15, 2007 |
| Largemouth Bass 11.2 lbs | Potomac River | Justin Riley Jan 26, 2008 |
| Bass, Rock 1.0 lb | Susquehanna River | Timothy A. Adams May 4, 1997 |
| Bass, Rock 1.0 lb | Susquehanna River, Lower | Thomas Over, Jr. Jan 6, 2024 |
| Bass, Smallmouth 6.0 lbs | Susquehanna River | Charles Janes Jul 23, 1979 |
| Bass, Striped 67.5 lbs | Bloody Point | Devin Nolan May 13, 1995 |
| Bluefish 22.0 lbs | Chesapeake Beach | Thomas R. Talbott May 8, 1991 |
| Bluefish 22.0 lbs | Hackett’s Point | Ronald Raffo May 31, 1986 |
| Bluefish 22.0 lbs | Off Queen Anne Marina | John Davidson Oct 18, 1979 |
| Carp 49.0 lbs | Susquehanna Flats | Logan Kuhrmann Jun 4, 2022 |
| Catfish, Channel 29.6 lbs | Mattawoman Creek | Kevin Kern Apr 26, 1997 |
| Catfish, White 9.6 lbs | Turkey Point, near the mouth of the Elk River | Brian Dvorak Jun 3, 2018 |
| Chain Pickerel 6.5 lbs | Susquehanna River | James Grant May 19, 1965 |
| Cobia 97.8 lbs | Middle Grounds | John Scheifele Sep 12, 1969 |
| Crappie 4.0 lbs | Dundee Creek | Sid Stollings Mar 30, 2007 |
| Croaker 6.5 lbs | Point Lookout | Russell Knapp Sep 4, 2006 |
| Drum, Black 103.5 lbs | Buoy 16 | Robert Messik Jr. Sep 23, 1973 |
| Drum, Red 74.4 lbs | Tangier Sound | Earnest Hutchinson May 15, 1977 |
| Florida Pompano 6.44 lbs | Bloodsworth Island | Bobby Graves Sep 17, 2023 |
| Flounder, Summer (Fluke) 15.0 lbs | Buoy 50 | Kenneth Grimes Oct 14, 1978 |
| Hickory Shad 4.0 lbs | Susquehanna River | John Schaeffer Jr. Jul 23, 1971 |
| Longnose Gar 18.3 lbs | Marshyhope Creek | Samson Matthews Mar 2, 2020 |
| Norfolk Spot 2.0 lbs | Tangier Sound | Parlett Moore Sep 5, 1978 |
| Sheepshead 16.6 lbs | Tangier Sound | Brian Summerlin Sep 17, 2023 |
| Spanish Mackerel 12.4 lbs | Middle Grounds | Dean Mitchell Oct 6, 2007 |
| Spotted Seatrout 16.4 lbs | Roaring Point | John Phillips May 15, 1977 |
| Tautog 9.0 lbs | Point Lookout | Gary Halbeisen Oct 29, 2005 |
| Weakfish 16.5 lbs | Nanticoke River | Wayne Lappe May 8, 1979 |
| White Shad 8.1 lbs | Wicomico River | Vance Carter May 3, 1975 |
| White Perch 2.6 lbs | Dundee Creek | Sid Stollings May 18, 1979 |
| Yellow Perch 2.2 lbs | Marsh Creek | Niles Pethel Nov 21, 1979 |
Invasive Division
| Catfish, Blue 84.0 lbs | Near Fort Washington, Potomac River | Ed Jones Aug 13, 2012 |
| Catfish, Flathead 57.0 lbs | Lapidum Boat Ramp, Susquehanna River | Joshua Dixon Dec 27, 2020 |
| Northern Snakehead 21.0 lbs | A Dorchester County river | Damien Cook Jul 5, 2023 |
Nontidal Division
| Bass, Largemouth 11.4 lbs | Huntingtown Farm Pond | Colton Lambert Jul 31, 2013 |
| Bass, Rock 1.5 lbs | Thurmont Farm Pond | Earl Jenkins IV Mar 22, 2010 |
| Bass, Smallmouth 8.2 lbs | Liberty Reservoir | Gary Peters Oct 4, 1974 |
| Bass, Striped 47.1 lbs | Liberty Reservoir | Robert Bruce Sep 14, 2000 |
| Carp 47.5 lbs | Frederick County Farm Pond | Wayne Longenecker Jun 11, 1997 |
| Catfish, Bullhead 4.9 lbs | Big Gunpowder Falls | Nick Palese May 18, 2019 |
| Catfish, Channel 27.9 lbs | Upper Potomac River | Steven Trent Abell Jul 5, 2004 |
| Catfish, White No Record Listed | ||
| Chain Pickerel 8.0 lbs | Salisbury | Lee Haile III Jan 2, 2015 |
| Crappie 4.4 lbs | Farm Pond | Jason D. Morrison May 30, 2004 |
| Fallfish 3.2 lbs | North Branch of Potomac, Westernport | Blake Cronk Apr 1, 2024 |
| Muskellunge 33.0 lbs | Upper Potomac River | Kyle Mullenix Mar 2, 2022 |
| Muskellunge, Tiger 29.3 lbs | Dam 5 | Kevin Conner Feb 14, 1997 |
| Northern Pike 24.8 lbs | Deep Creek Lake | Shawn Jacobson Oct 16, 1999 |
| Sunfish, Bluegill 3.4 lbs | Deep Creek Lake | Sarah Brenneman Aug 9, 1998 |
| Sunfish, Redbreast No Record Listed | ||
| Sunfish, Redear 2.3 lbs | Gilbert Run | Vittie Alkocius Jun 4, 1985 |
| Trout, Brook 6.1 lbs | North Branch of Potomac, Below Randolph Dam | Mike Fiorita, Jr. Apr 10, 1999 |
| Trout, Brown 18.2 lbs | North Branch of Potomac, At Barnum | Gary Kuhn Aug 3, 2001 |
| Trout, Cutthroat 7.6 lbs | North Branch of Potomac, At Barnum | David G. Martin May 20, 2000 |
| Trout, Rainbow 17.44 lbs | Antietam Creek | Jean-Philippe Lartigue Feb 10, 2024 |
| Walleye 14.3 lbs | Jennings Randolph Reservoir | John McCarley May 16, 1998 |
| Warmouth 0.7 lbs | Gilbert Run Lake | Dezi Collins Jun 11, 2018 |
| White Perch 1.9 lbs | Loch Raven Reservoir | George Venker Apr 7, 2017 |
| Yellow Perch 3.3 lbs | Harford County Farm Pond | Philip Deere IV Mar 12, 2006 |
Claim Your Fishing Record in Maryland
If you think you’ve just caught a record fish in Maryland (or better yet, want to check out the process before hooking your fame-making fish), check this link to the Maryland DNR’s State Records Rules and Procedures page.