New Jersey Game Fish Records

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Updated: November 2023

The following tables list the New Jersey Fish & Wildlife’s current game fish records caught in state waters.

At this writing, New Jersey can lay claim to three world-record gamefish in its saltwater category. It also has a historical record for yellow perch that remains atop the IGFA’s all-tackle records for that fish species.

If you hope to set a fishing record in New Jersey, be sure to follow the link below to find everything you’ll need to make it official. Other than catching the fish, that is!

Freshwater Fishing Records

Bass, Hybrid Striped
17 lbs, 12 oz
Monksville ReservoirJim Piascik
2023
Bass, Largemouth
10 lbs, 14 oz
Menantico Sand Wash PondRobert Eisele
1980
Bass, Rock
1 lbs, 5 oz
Saddle RiverEric Avogardo
1982
Bass, Smallmouth
7 lbs, 2 oz
Round Valley ReservoirCarol Marciniak
1990
Bass, Striped
51 lbs, 0 oz
Great Egg Harbor RiverJohn Christian
2002
Bowfin
11 lbs, 8.5 oz
Mantua CreekPierce Dopkin
2017
Carp
47 lbs, 0 oz
South Branch of Raritan RiverBilly Friedman
1995
Carp (Archery)
45 lbs, 6 oz
Greenwood LakeAdam Faatz
2014
Carp, Grass
55 lbs, 8 oz
Curlis LakeJames Dempsey, Jr.
2011
Carp, Grass (Archery)
76 lbs, 11 oz
Delaware RiverDaniel E. Sandorff
2020
Catfish, Brown Bullhead
4 lbs, 8 oz
Lake of the Woods (Fort Dix)Gary Schmidt
1997
Catfish, Channel
33 lbs, 3 oz
Lake HopatcongHoward Hudson
1978
Catfish, White
14 lbs, 4 oz
Dallenbach PondTimothy Jasko
2004
Crappie, Black
4 lbs, 8 oz
Pompton LakeAndy Tintle
1996
Crappie, White
3 lbs, 11 oz
Mercer LakeWilliam Lewis
2009
Eel, American
6 lbs, 13 oz
Round Valley ReservoirDavid J. Payne
2005
Muskellunge
42 lbs, 13 oz
Monksville ReservoirBob Neals
1997
Muskie, Tiger
29 lbs, 0 oz
Delaware RiverLarry Migliarese
1990
Perch, White
3 lbs, 1 oz
Forest Hill Park LakeEdward Tango
1989
Perch, Yellow**
2 lbs, 6 oz
Holiday LakeGene Engels
1989
Pickerel, Chain
9 lbs, 3 oz
Lower Aetna LakeFrank McGovern
1957
Pickerel, Redfin
1 lbs, 13 oz
Lake AssunpinkGerald Humphrey
1982
Pike, Northern
30 lbs, 8.5 oz
Pompton LakeJohn Viglione
2009
Salmon (Landlocked)
8 lbs, 10 oz
Merrill Creek ReservoirJoe Satkowski
2021
Shad, American
11 lbs, 1 oz
Delaware RiverCharles Mower
1984
Sunfish, Bluegill
3 lbs, 0 oz
Farm Pond in PenningtonDom Santarelli
1990
Sunfish, Pumpkinseed
1 lbs, 8 oz
Farm Pond,
Burlington County
Daryl Donalson
1987
Trout, Brook
7 lbs, 3 oz
Rockaway RiverAndrew DuJack
1995
Trout, Brown
21 lbs, 6 oz
Round Valley ReservoirLenny Saccente
1995
Trout, Brown (Sea Run)
No Record Listed
Trout, Lake
32 lbs, 8 oz
Round Valley ReservoirGregory Young
2002
Trout, Rainbow
13 lbs, 0 oz
Lake HopatcongGene Rutkoski
1988
Walleye
13 lbs, 9 oz
Delaware RiverGeorge Fundell
1993
Source: New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife

**New Jersey retired a record listed for a 4 lb, 3 oz yellow perch caught in 1865. That’s nearly 2 pounds larger than the current record and continues to be listed by the IGFA as the world record for this species.

Saltwater Fishing Records

Amberjack, Greater
85 lbs, 0 oz
Off Cape MayEdwin Metzner
1993
Bass, Black Sea
9 lbs, 0 oz
Atlantic OceanSteve Singler
2015
Bluefish
27 lbs, 1 oz
Five Fathom BankRoger Kastorsky
1997
Bonito, Atlantic
13 lbs, 8 oz
Off Sandy HookFrank Lykes, Jr.
1945
Cobia
90 lbs, 6 oz
McCries ShoalLen Andalis
2019
Cod
81 lbs, 0 oz
Off BrielleJoseph Chesla
1967
Crab, Blue
8¾” pt. to pt.
BayonneRaymond Ponik
2008
Croaker, Atlantic
5 lbs, 8 oz
Delaware BayFrederick Brown
1981
Cunner
3 lbs, 8.8 oz
Atlantic OceanJohn Zema
2019
Dogfish, Smooth
22 lbs, 0 oz
Strathmere (Beach)Ed DiMarcantonio
2020
Dogfish, Spiny
15 lbs, 12 oz
Off Cape MayJeff Pennick
1990
Dolphin
63 lbs, 3 oz
Baltimore CanyonScott Smith, Jr.
1974
Drum, Black
109 lbs, 0 oz
Delaware BayNick Henry
2008
Drum, Red
55 lbs, 0 oz
Great BayDaniel Yanino
1985
Eel, American
9 lbs, 13 oz
Atlantic CityWarren Campbell
1988
Fluke
19 lbs, 12 oz
Off Cape MayWalter Lubin
1953
Flounder, Winter
5 lbs, 11 oz
Off Barnegat LightJimmy Swanson
1993
Hake, Red (Ling)
12 lbs, 13 oz
Off ManasquaBilly Watson
2010
Hake, White
41 lbs, 7 oz
Off Barnegat LightWayne Eble
1989
Kingfish, Northern
2 lbs, 8 oz
Barnegat BayChester Urbanski
2004
Mackerel, Atlantic
4 lbs, 1 oz
Manasquan RidgeAbe Elkin
1983
Mackerel, King
67 lbs, 7.2 oz
Manasquan InletDominic Vricella
2023
Mackerel, Spanish*
9 lbs, 12 oz
Off Cape MayDonald Kohler
1990
Marlin, Blue
1,046 lbs, 0 oz
Hudson CanyonPhil Infantolino
1986
Marlin, White
137 lbs, 8 oz
Hudson CanyonMike Marchell
1980
Perch, White
2 lbs, 12 oz
Little Beach CreekMichael King
1998
Pollock*
46 lbs, 7 oz
Off BrielleJohn Holton
1975
Porgy
5 lbs, 14 oz
Delaware BayVictor Rone
1976
Sailfish
43 lbs, 4 oz
Linden Kohl CanyonDr. John Tallia
2006
Seatrout, Spotted
11 lbs, 2 oz
Holgate SurfBert Harper
1974
Shad, American
7 lbs, 0 oz
Great BayRodger West
1967
Shad, Hickory
2 lbs, 13 oz
MantolokingRobert Macejka
2011
Shark, Blue
366 lbs, 0 oz
Mud HoleWilliam Young, Jr.
1996
Shark, Bull
No Record Listed
Shark, Dusky
530 lbs, 0 oz
Off Great Egg InletBrian Dunlevy
1987
Shark, Hammerhead
365 lbs, 0 oz
Mud HoleWalter Thackara
1985
Shark, Porbeagle
No Record Listed
Shark, S-fin Mako
856 lbs, 0 oz
Wilmington CanyonChristopher Palmer
1994
Shark, Thresher
683 lbs, 0 oz
FingersBennett Fogelberg
2009
Shark, Tiger
880 lbs, 0 oz
Off Cape MayBilly DeJohn
1988
Sheepshead
19 lbs, 3 oz
LongportWilliam Catino
2014
Spadefish
11 lbs, 6 oz
Delaware BayCliff Low
1998
Spearfish, Longbill (tie)
42 lbs, 0 oz
Poor Man’s CanyonGeorge Algard
1989
Spearfish, Longbill (tie)
42 lbs, 0 oz
Hudson CanyonJoseph Natoli
1997
Spot
0 lbs, 13 oz
Little Sheepshead CreekRobert Belsky, Jr.
2003
Swordfish
530 lbs, 0 oz
Wilmington CanyonEdmund Levitt
1964
Tautog
25 lbs, 13 oz
Atlantic Ocean,
20 miles off Cape May
Chris Sullivan
2020
Tilefish, Golden
63 lbs, 8 oz
Lindenkohl CanyonDennis Muhlenforth
2009
Tilefish, Blueline (Gray)
23 lbs, 8 oz
Wilmington CanyonGeorge Hanakis
2021
Triggerfish, Gray
6 lbs, 11 oz
Sea Girt ReefJames Massimino
2016
Tuna, Albacore
78 lbs, 2.4 oz
Hudson CanyonMatthew Florio
2022
Tuna, Big-Eye
364 lbs, 14 oz
Hudson CanyonGeorge Krenick
1984
Tuna, Bluefin
1,030 lbs, 6 oz
Off Pt. PleasantRoyal Parsons
1981
Tuna, Skipjack
13 lbs, 4 oz
Wilmington CanyonCraig Eberbach
1999
Tuna, Yellowfin
290 lbs, 0 oz
Hudson CanyonWayne Brinkerhoff
1980
Tunny, Little*
24 lbs, 15 oz
Off Sea BrightMark Niemczyk
1977
Wahoo
123 lbs, 12 oz
28-Mile WreckRobert Carr
1992
Weakfish
18 lbs, 8 oz
Delaware BayKarl Jones
1986
Whiting (Silver Hake)
No Record Listed
Source: New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife

*These are world-record fish.

Set a New Jersey Fishing Record

To claim your place in the record books for catching a fish, find the rules and applications on the New Jersey State Record Fish Program page.