Updated: July 2024
The following are records and game and non-game fish tracked by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.
| Bass, Largemouth 9.58 lbs | Lake Elmo | Brandon Wright Apr 24, 2021 |
| Bass, Rock 1.31 lbs | Lower Crazy Head Springs Pond | Karson Campbell Apr 26, 2014 |
| Bass, Smallmouth 7.84 lbs | Fort Peck Reservoir | Theron Thompson Oct 3, 2020 |
| Bass, White 2.8 lbs | Missouri River, South of Bainville | Vernon Pacovsky Oct 12, 2007 |
| Buffalo, Big Mouth 57.75 lbs | Nelson Reservoir | Craig D. Grassel Jun 4, 1994 |
| Buffalo, Smallmouth 40 lbs | Nelson Reservoir | Deborah Henry May 27, 2023 |
| Burbot 17.08 lbs | Missouri River, Wolf Point | Jeff Eugene Iwen Apr 18, 1989 |
| Carp, Common 40.2 lbs | Nelson Reservoir | Jared S. Albus May 24, 1998 |
| Catfish, Black Bullhead 2.60 lbs | Smiley Slough | Birrell Jun 2, 2009 |
| Catfish, Channel 35.18 lbs | Colstrip Surge Pond | John D. Smith Jul 7, 2019 |
| Catfish, Stonecat 0.54 lbs | Milk River | Dale Bjerga Jun 16, 1996 |
| Catfish, Yellow Bullhead 1.910 lbs | Tongue River Reservoir | Roberta Legge Dec 17, 2020 |
| Chub, Creek 0.52 lbs | Harbaugh Bass Pond | William Bibeau May 12, 2013 |
| Chub, Flathead 0.59 lbs | Thornton Pond | Douglas Jordan Apr 29, 2001 |
| Chub, Lake 0.075 lbs | Corner Lake | James Cashell Jun 23, 2010 |
| Chub, Utah 2.39 lbs | Canyon Ferry Reservoir | Steve Hagen Mar 7, 2022 |
| Cisco 2.08 lbs | Missouri River | Troy Holstein Jun 2, 2014 |
| Crappie, Black 3.13 lbs | Tongue River Reservoir | Al Elser 1973 |
| Crappie, White 3.68 lbs | Tongue River | Gene Bassett May 10, 1996 |
| Drum, Freshwater 21.59 lbs | Fort Peck, Ghost Coulee | Matt Washut May 3, 2003 |
| Gar, Shortnose 7.41 lbs | Fort Peck Dredge Cuts | Brandon Hansard May 16, 2013 |
| Goldeye 3.18 lbs | Nelson Reservoir | Don Nevrivy Jul 4, 2000 |
| Grayling, Arctic 3.63 lbs | Washtub Lake | Glenn Owens Jun 28, 2003 |
| Minnow, Fathead 2.7 .01 lbs | Dollar Lake | Chris Gustine May 30, 2014 |
| Northern Pike 37.5 lbs | Tongue River Reservoir | Lance Moyer Aug 29, 1971 |
| Northern Pikeminnow 7.88 lbs | Noxon Rapids Reservoir | Darrel Torgrimson May 28, 1991 |
| Paddlefish 142.5 lbs | Missouri River, Near Kipp Park | Larry Branstetter May 20, 1973 |
| Peamouth 1.52 lbs | Clark Fork River | Mike Jensen Jul 29, 2007 |
| Rainbow Smelt 0.08 lbs | Fort Peck Dredge Cuts | Nathan Cooper Feb 18, 2020 |
| River Carpsucker 7.915 lbs | Yellowstone River | Jaxson Franklin Apr 16, 2022 |
| Salmon, Chinook 32.05 lbs | Fort Peck Reservoir | Greg Haug Aug 16, 2020 |
| Salmon, Coho 4.88 lbs | Fort Peck Reservoir, Face of Dam | Irven F. Stohl May 29, 1973 |
| Salmon, Kokanee 7.85 lbs | Hauser Lake | John Bomar Sep 23, 2003 |
| Sauger 8.805 lbs | Fort Peck Reservoir | Gene Moore Dec 12, 1994 |
| Saugeye 15.66 lbs | Fort Peck Reservoir, Squaw Creek | Myron Kibler Jan 11, 1995 |
| Sculpin, Rocky Mountain (a.k.a. Mottled Sculpin) 0.063 lbs | Yellowstone Co. Canal | Bridger Burrows Mar 15, 2022 |
| Shiner, Emerald 0.01 lbs | Park Grove Bridge | Ike Braaten Jun 9, 2006 |
| Shiner, Golden 0.18 lbs | Gardner Reservoir | Kelson Hickman July 29, 2022 |
| Shiner, Redside 0.10 lbs | Lost Lake | Josh Ahles Aug 21, 2001 |
| Shiner, Spottail 0.02 lbs | Tiber Reservoir | Joe Hagengruber Aug 14, 2010 |
| Shorthead Redhorse 4.68 lbs | Marias River, Near Loma | Ray Quigley Apr 14, 1985 |
| Sturgeon, Pallid 60 lbs | Yellowstone River, Near Sidney | Gene Sattler May 13, 1979 |
| Sturgeon, Shovelnose 14.125 lbs | Missouri River | Chad Buck May 21, 2010 |
| Sturgeon, White 96 lbs | Kootenai River | Herb Stout 1968 |
| Sucker, Blue 13.29 lbs | Marias River | Jason Karls Apr 19, 2019 |
| Sucker, Largescale 6.72 lbs | Noxon Rapids Reservoir | Wade Merschat Jun 19, 2024 |
| Sucker, Longnose 4.78 lbs | Hauser Reservoir | Jonathan Miller May 10, 2022 |
| Sucker, Mountain 1.60 oz | Beaver Creek Reservoir | Robert Garwood Apr 23, 2001 |
| Sucker, White 5.33 lbs | Nelson Reservoir | Fred Perry Feb 10, 1983 |
| Sunfish, Bluegill 2.64 lbs | Peterson’s Stock Dam | Brent Fladmo Jun 3, 1983 |
| Sunfish, Green 0.85 lbs | Gartside Reservoir | Garin Hicks May 27, 2023 |
| Sunfish, Pumpkinseed 0.995 lbs | Fennon Slough | Pete Jellar April 26, 2022 |
| Tiger Muskellunge 38.75 lbs | Deadman’s Basin Reservoir | Leo Cantin Sep 2, 2011 |
| Trout, Brook 9.06 lbs | Two Medicine Lake, Lower | John R. Cook 1940 |
| Trout, Brown 32.42 lbs | Marias River | Robbie Dockter Mar 3, 2021 |
| Trout, Bull 25.63 lbs | Not Specified | James Hyer 1916 |
| Trout, Cutthroat 16 lbs | Red Eagle Lake | Wm. D. Sands 1955 |
| Trout, Golden 5.43 lbs | Cave Lake | Mike Malixi Jul 16, 2000 |
| Trout, Lake 42.69 lbs | Flathead Lake | Ruth Barber Jun 23, 2004 |
| Trout, Rainbow 33.1 lbs | Kootenai River, David Thompson Bridge | Jack G. Housel, Jr. Aug 11, 1997 |
| Trout, Rainbow-Cutthroat (Hybrid) 30.25 lbs | Ashely Lake | Pat Kelley May 16, 1982 |
| Trout, Tiger 4.04 lbs | Bear Lake | Joe Sobczak Feb 9, 1997 |
| Walleye 18.02 lbs | Holter Lake | Trevor Johnson May 10, 2021 |
| Whitefish, Lake 10.46 lbs | Flathead Lake | Swan T. McDonald V Aug 26, 2006 |
| Whitefish, Mountain 5.11 lbs | Hauser Reservoir | Walt Goodman Oct 10, 2007 |
| Whitefish, Pygmy 0.36 lbs | Little Bitterroot Lake | Richard Geldrich Feb 13, 2010 |
| Yellow Perch 2.39 lbs | Lower Stillwater Lake | Josh Emmert Feb 19, 2006 |
If you think you might have just broken a state record listed above, be sure to do the following:
- Act quickly so your catch doesn’t lose weight. Definitely don’t clean it. Keep it cool, preferably on ice, but don’t freeze it or let it dry out.
- Take a photograph of the fish.
- Weigh your fish on a certified scale. Your best bet at finding one is at a grocery store, or maybe a hardware store. Have a store employee sign an affidavit that the weight you submit is accurate.
- Contact your nearest FWP office so a biologist or other qualified employee can positively identify the species. Find your nearest FWP office.
- Fill out and submit the Montana Fish Record Form, available on the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ Fish Records page.