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 Reservoir | Jim Piascik 2023 |
| Bass, Largemouth 10 lbs, 14 oz | Menantico Sand Wash Pond | Robert Eisele 1980 |
| Bass, Rock 1 lbs, 5 oz | Saddle River | Eric Avogardo 1982 |
| Bass, Smallmouth 7 lbs, 2 oz | Round Valley Reservoir | Carol Marciniak 1990 |
| Bass, Striped 51 lbs, 0 oz | Great Egg Harbor River | John Christian 2002 |
| Bowfin 11 lbs, 8.5 oz | Mantua Creek | Pierce Dopkin 2017 |
| Carp 47 lbs, 0 oz | South Branch of Raritan River | Billy Friedman 1995 |
| Carp (Archery) 45 lbs, 6 oz | Greenwood Lake | Adam Faatz 2014 |
| Carp, Grass 55 lbs, 8 oz | Curlis Lake | James Dempsey, Jr. 2011 |
| Carp, Grass (Archery) 76 lbs, 11 oz | Delaware River | Daniel 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 Hopatcong | Howard Hudson 1978 |
| Catfish, White 14 lbs, 4 oz | Dallenbach Pond | Timothy Jasko 2004 |
| Crappie, Black 4 lbs, 8 oz | Pompton Lake | Andy Tintle 1996 |
| Crappie, White 3 lbs, 11 oz | Mercer Lake | William Lewis 2009 |
| Eel, American 6 lbs, 13 oz | Round Valley Reservoir | David J. Payne 2005 |
| Muskellunge 42 lbs, 13 oz | Monksville Reservoir | Bob Neals 1997 |
| Muskie, Tiger 29 lbs, 0 oz | Delaware River | Larry Migliarese 1990 |
| Perch, White 3 lbs, 1 oz | Forest Hill Park Lake | Edward Tango 1989 |
| Perch, Yellow** 2 lbs, 6 oz | Holiday Lake | Gene Engels 1989 |
| Pickerel, Chain 9 lbs, 3 oz | Lower Aetna Lake | Frank McGovern 1957 |
| Pickerel, Redfin 1 lbs, 13 oz | Lake Assunpink | Gerald Humphrey 1982 |
| Pike, Northern 30 lbs, 8.5 oz | Pompton Lake | John Viglione 2009 |
| Salmon (Landlocked) 8 lbs, 10 oz | Merrill Creek Reservoir | Joe Satkowski 2021 |
Shad, American11 lbs, 1 oz | Delaware River | Charles Mower 1984 |
| Sunfish, Bluegill 3 lbs, 0 oz | Farm Pond in Pennington | Dom Santarelli 1990 |
| Sunfish, Pumpkinseed 1 lbs, 8 oz | Farm Pond, Burlington County | Daryl Donalson 1987 |
| Trout, Brook 7 lbs, 3 oz | Rockaway River | Andrew DuJack 1995 |
| Trout, Brown 21 lbs, 6 oz | Round Valley Reservoir | Lenny Saccente 1995 |
| Trout, Brown (Sea Run) No Record Listed | ||
| Trout, Lake 32 lbs, 8 oz | Round Valley Reservoir | Gregory Young 2002 |
| Trout, Rainbow 13 lbs, 0 oz | Lake Hopatcong | Gene Rutkoski 1988 |
| Walleye 13 lbs, 9 oz | Delaware River | George Fundell 1993 |
**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 May | Edwin Metzner 1993 |
| Bass, Black Sea 9 lbs, 0 oz | Atlantic Ocean | Steve Singler 2015 |
| Bluefish 27 lbs, 1 oz | Five Fathom Bank | Roger Kastorsky 1997 |
| Bonito, Atlantic 13 lbs, 8 oz | Off Sandy Hook | Frank Lykes, Jr. 1945 |
| Cobia 90 lbs, 6 oz | McCries Shoal | Len Andalis 2019 |
| Cod 81 lbs, 0 oz | Off Brielle | Joseph Chesla 1967 |
| Crab, Blue 8¾” pt. to pt. | Bayonne | Raymond Ponik 2008 |
| Croaker, Atlantic 5 lbs, 8 oz | Delaware Bay | Frederick Brown 1981 |
| Cunner 3 lbs, 8.8 oz | Atlantic Ocean | John Zema 2019 |
| Dogfish, Smooth 22 lbs, 0 oz | Strathmere (Beach) | Ed DiMarcantonio 2020 |
| Dogfish, Spiny 15 lbs, 12 oz | Off Cape May | Jeff Pennick 1990 |
| Dolphin 63 lbs, 3 oz | Baltimore Canyon | Scott Smith, Jr. 1974 |
| Drum, Black 109 lbs, 0 oz | Delaware Bay | Nick Henry 2008 |
| Drum, Red 55 lbs, 0 oz | Great Bay | Daniel Yanino 1985 |
| Eel, American 9 lbs, 13 oz | Atlantic City | Warren Campbell 1988 |
| Fluke 19 lbs, 12 oz | Off Cape May | Walter Lubin 1953 |
| Flounder, Winter 5 lbs, 11 oz | Off Barnegat Light | Jimmy Swanson 1993 |
| Hake, Red (Ling) 12 lbs, 13 oz | Off Manasqua | Billy Watson 2010 |
| Hake, White 41 lbs, 7 oz | Off Barnegat Light | Wayne Eble 1989 |
| Kingfish, Northern 2 lbs, 8 oz | Barnegat Bay | Chester Urbanski 2004 |
| Mackerel, Atlantic 4 lbs, 1 oz | Manasquan Ridge | Abe Elkin 1983 |
| Mackerel, King 67 lbs, 7.2 oz | Manasquan Inlet | Dominic Vricella 2023 |
| Mackerel, Spanish* 9 lbs, 12 oz | Off Cape May | Donald Kohler 1990 |
| Marlin, Blue 1,046 lbs, 0 oz | Hudson Canyon | Phil Infantolino 1986 |
| Marlin, White 137 lbs, 8 oz | Hudson Canyon | Mike Marchell 1980 |
| Perch, White 2 lbs, 12 oz | Little Beach Creek | Michael King 1998 |
| Pollock* 46 lbs, 7 oz | Off Brielle | John Holton 1975 |
| Porgy 5 lbs, 14 oz | Delaware Bay | Victor Rone 1976 |
| Sailfish 43 lbs, 4 oz | Linden Kohl Canyon | Dr. John Tallia 2006 |
| Seatrout, Spotted 11 lbs, 2 oz | Holgate Surf | Bert Harper 1974 |
| Shad, American 7 lbs, 0 oz | Great Bay | Rodger West 1967 |
| Shad, Hickory 2 lbs, 13 oz | Mantoloking | Robert Macejka 2011 |
| Shark, Blue 366 lbs, 0 oz | Mud Hole | William Young, Jr. 1996 |
| Shark, Bull No Record Listed | ||
| Shark, Dusky 530 lbs, 0 oz | Off Great Egg Inlet | Brian Dunlevy 1987 |
| Shark, Hammerhead 365 lbs, 0 oz | Mud Hole | Walter Thackara 1985 |
| Shark, Porbeagle No Record Listed | ||
| Shark, S-fin Mako 856 lbs, 0 oz | Wilmington Canyon | Christopher Palmer 1994 |
| Shark, Thresher 683 lbs, 0 oz | Fingers | Bennett Fogelberg 2009 |
| Shark, Tiger 880 lbs, 0 oz | Off Cape May | Billy DeJohn 1988 |
| Sheepshead 19 lbs, 3 oz | Longport | William Catino 2014 |
| Spadefish 11 lbs, 6 oz | Delaware Bay | Cliff Low 1998 |
| Spearfish, Longbill (tie) 42 lbs, 0 oz | Poor Man’s Canyon | George Algard 1989 |
| Spearfish, Longbill (tie) 42 lbs, 0 oz | Hudson Canyon | Joseph Natoli 1997 |
| Spot 0 lbs, 13 oz | Little Sheepshead Creek | Robert Belsky, Jr. 2003 |
| Swordfish 530 lbs, 0 oz | Wilmington Canyon | Edmund Levitt 1964 |
| Tautog 25 lbs, 13 oz | Atlantic Ocean, 20 miles off Cape May | Chris Sullivan 2020 |
| Tilefish, Golden 63 lbs, 8 oz | Lindenkohl Canyon | Dennis Muhlenforth 2009 |
| Tilefish, Blueline (Gray) 23 lbs, 8 oz | Wilmington Canyon | George Hanakis 2021 |
| Triggerfish, Gray 6 lbs, 11 oz | Sea Girt Reef | James Massimino 2016 |
| Tuna, Albacore 78 lbs, 2.4 oz | Hudson Canyon | Matthew Florio 2022 |
| Tuna, Big-Eye 364 lbs, 14 oz | Hudson Canyon | George Krenick 1984 |
| Tuna, Bluefin 1,030 lbs, 6 oz | Off Pt. Pleasant | Royal Parsons 1981 |
| Tuna, Skipjack 13 lbs, 4 oz | Wilmington Canyon | Craig Eberbach 1999 |
| Tuna, Yellowfin 290 lbs, 0 oz | Hudson Canyon | Wayne Brinkerhoff 1980 |
| Tunny, Little* 24 lbs, 15 oz | Off Sea Bright | Mark Niemczyk 1977 |
| Wahoo 123 lbs, 12 oz | 28-Mile Wreck | Robert Carr 1992 |
| Weakfish 18 lbs, 8 oz | Delaware Bay | Karl Jones 1986 |
| Whiting (Silver Hake) No Record Listed |
*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.