New York Game Fish Records

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The following New York sport fishing records are maintained for freshwater catches, according to state fishing regulations.

See below the chart for some information about claiming a New York state fishing record.

Bass, Hybrid Striped
15 lbs, 5 oz
Lake Waccabuc,
Westchester County
Bryan Colley
Jul 30, 2004
Bass, Largemouth
11 lbs, 4 oz
Buckhorn Lake,
Otsego County
John Higbie
Sep 11, 1987
Bass, Rock
2 lbs, 0 oz
Port Bay (Lake Ontario),
Wayne County
Jason Leusch
May 24, 2020
Bass, Smallmouth
8 lbs, 6 oz
Cayuga Lake,
Seneca County
Thomas Russel Jr.
Jun 15, 2022
Bass, Striped
60 lbs, 0 oz
Hudson River,
Orange County
Eric Lester
May 14, 2014
Bass, White
3 lbs, 8 oz
Lower Niagara River,
Niagara County
Morgan Fonzi
May 6, 2020
Bluegill
2 lbs, 8 oz
Kohlbach Pond,
Broome County
Devin VanZandt
Aug 3, 1992
Bowfin
13 lbs, 8 oz
Yanty Creek,
Monroe County
Chase Soptelean
Jun 13, 2021
Burbot
16 lbs, 12 oz
Lake Ontario (Black River Bay),
Jefferson County
Terrance Colwell
Feb 14, 1991
Carp, Common
50 lbs, 6 oz
Tomhannock Reservoir,
Rensselaer County
Charles Primeau Sr.
May 12, 1995
Catfish, Black Bullhead
7 lbs, 7 oz
Mill Pond,
Naussau County
Kevin Kelly
Aug 25, 1993
Catfish, Brown Bullhead
7 lbs, 6 oz
Lake Mahopac,
Putnam County
Glenn Collacuro
Aug 1, 2009
Catfish, Channel
35 lbs, 12 oz
Black River,
Jefferson County
Bailey Williams,
May 8, 2022
Catfish, White
10 lbs, 5 oz
New Croton Reservoir,
Westchester County
Joe Silicato
May 17, 1998
Cisco (Lake Herring)
5 lbs, 7 oz
Lake Lauderdale,
Washington County
Albert Baratto
Jan 25, 1990
Crappie, Black
4 lbs, 1 oz.
Lake Flavia,
Cattaraugus County
William Wightman
May 6, 2018
Crappie, White
4 lbs, 7 oz
Sleepy Hollow Lake,
Greene County
Roy Isaac
Aug 21, 2021
Drum, Freshwater
36 lbs, 0 oz
Oneida Lake,
Oneida County
Jason Bair
Jun 16, 2017
Eel, American
7 lbs, 14 oz
Cayuga Lake,
Seneca County
Larry Manino
Jul 25, 1984
Fallfish
3 lbs, 9 oz
Susquehanna River,
Tioga County
Jonathan McNamara
Apr 15, 2009
Gar, Longnose
14 lbs, 10 oz
Lake Champlain,
Washington County
Michael Gatus
Aug 18, 2018
Muskellunge
69 lbs, 15 oz
St. Lawrence River,
Jefferson County
Arthur Lawton
Sep 22, 1957
Muskellunge, Tiger
35 lbs, 8 oz
Tioughnioga River,
Broome County
Brett Gofgosky
May 25, 1990
Perch, White
3 lbs, 1 oz
Lake Oscaletta,
Westchester County
Joseph Tansey
Sep 21, 1991
Perch, Yellow
3 lbs, 8 oz
Lake Erie,
Erie County
George Boice
Apr 28, 1982
Pickerel, Chain
8 lbs, 1 oz
Toronto Reservoir,
Sullivan County
John Bosland
Feb 13, 1965
Pickerel, Redfin
2 lbs, 1 oz
Lake Champlain,
Essex County
Duane Gillespie
Mar 5, 1989
Pike, Northern
46 lbs, 2 oz
Great Sacandaga Lake,
Fulton County
Peter Dubuc
Sep 15, 1940
Pumpkinseed
1 lbs, 9 oz
Indian Lake,
Hamilton County
R. Kennard Mosher
Jul 19, 1994
Pumpkinseed
1 lbs, 9 oz
Black River,
Jefferson County
Jordan Tontarski
Jan 26, 2020
Redhorse, Shorthead
(Retired Record)
11 lbs, 11 oz
Salmon River,
Oswego County
Joe Williams
May 26, 1996
Salmon, Atlantic
24 lbs, 15 oz
Lake Ontario,
Wayne County
Mike Dandino
Apr 5, 1997
Salmon, Chinook
47 lbs, 13 oz
Salmon River,
Oswego County
Kurtis Killian
Sep 7, 1991
Salmon, Coho
33 lbs, 7 oz
Lake Ontario,
Oswego County
Stephen Sheets Jr.
Aug 13, 1998
Salmon, Kokanee
3 lbs, 6 oz
Boy Scouts Clear Pond,
Franklin County
Kenneth Shear
Jun 14, 2002
Salmon, Pink
4 lbs, 15 oz
Lake Erie,
Chautauqua County
Randy Nyberg
Sep 16, 1985
Sauger (Retired Record)
4 lbs, 8 oz
Lower Niagara River,
Niagara County
Darrin Schwenkbeck
Sep 30, 1990
Shad, American
9 lbs, 4 oz
Hudson River,
Albany County
Robert Kubica
May 9, 2007
Splake
13 lbs, 8 oz
Limekiln Lake,
Herkimer County
Jonathan Simon
Jun 27, 2004
Sucker, White
5 lbs, 8 oz
Cold Brook,
Steuben County
Joshua Wegner
Apr 14, 2015
Trout, Brook
6 lbs, 0 oz
Silver Lake Wilderness Area,
Hamilton County
Richard Beauchamp
May 16, 2013
Trout, Brown
33 lbs, 2 oz
Lake Ontario,
Oswego County
Tony Brown
Jun 10, 1997
Trout, Lake
41 lbs, 8 oz
Lake Erie,
Chautauqua County
Jesse Wykstra
Aug 9, 2003
Trout, Rainbow
31 lbs, 3 oz
Lake Ontario,
Niagara County
Robert Wilson
Aug 14, 2004
Walleye
18 lbs, 2 oz
St. Lawrence River,
St. Lawrence County
Brian Hartman
May 5, 2018
Whitefish, Lake
10 lbs, 8 oz
Lake Pleasant,
Hamilton County
Randolph Smith
Aug 29, 1995
Source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

Setting a New York Fishing Record

It’s important to be prepared to claim your spot on the New York State Freshwater Fishing Records list.

And you’ll need to follow the right process to also be recognized for other Angler Achievement Awards, which honor exceptionally large fish that meet certain criteria, even if they aren’t the largest specimen ever recorded.

First of all, if you catch a potential record, make sure to get good photos, including a clear side view shot of you (or the lucky angler with you) holding the fish.

Also, you’ll need to locate a state-certified scale, which are most commonly found in grocery stores. Get the store owner, manager or other employee to weigh your catch. Have witnesses sign off on the accurate weight.

You’ll also need to have a Department of Environmental Conservation biologist or someone they designate to confirm the fish species, and you’ll need to fill out the official entry form.

If you’re going for a catch-and-release record, have a good tape measure and camera (or your smart phone) handy to capture the evidence before letting the fish go.

For the full set of rules and a link to the entry form, check the New York Angler Achievement Awards Program page.