Updated: July 2024
The following New York sport fishing records are maintained for freshwater catches according to state fishing regulations.
See the chart below 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 12 lbs, 6 oz | Cayuga Lake, Cayuga County | James Britenbaugh Jul 11, 2024 |
| 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 15 lbs, 14 oz | Butterfield Lake, Jefferson County | Chuck Zimmerman Jun 21, 2024 |
| 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 |
*Both the black and brown bullheads listed above also are world records for their species.
| Atlantic Bonito 13.45 lbs | Matthew P. Kessinger Nov 8, 2020 |
| Atlantic Cod 85.00 lbs | Fred Shay, Jr. Feb 25, 1984 |
| Blackfish (Tautog) 22.53 lbs | Bill Taylor Nov 14, 2014 |
| Black Sea Bass 9.00 lbs | Sal Vicari Oct 10, 1993 |
| Bluefish 25.00 lbs | Peter Weber Oct 30, 1998 |
| Dolphinfish (Mahi-Mahi) 56.50 lbs | Joe Mole Jul 26, 2015 |
| False Albacore 18.05 lbs | Jason Fassino Jun 15, 2021 |
| Golden Tilefish 68.25 lbs | Robert Foley Jul 11, 2021 |
| Northern Puffer 1.34 lbs | Matt Warshaw, New York, NY Oct 3, 2020 |
| Marlin, Blue * 1,174.00 lbs | Bill Sweedler Jul 20, 1986 |
| Marlin, White * 130.00 lbs | Mrs. P. Dater Aug 13, 1951 |
| Pollock 45.94 lbs | Bruce Morabito Aug 26, 1988 |
| Porgy (Scup) 6.25 lbs | Samuel Warren Oct 1, 1978 |
| Shark, Blue ** 528.00 lbs | Joe Seidel Aug 9, 2001 |
| Shark, Mako * 1,080.00 lbs | James Melanson Aug 26, 1979 |
| Shark, Porbeagle 393.00 lbs | Robert Bruno Aug 23, 2014 |
| Shark, Thresher 707.00 lbs | William Dittenhoefer Jr. Jun 16, 2023 |
| Shark, Tiger 1,087.00 lbs | Ken Rafferty Jul 23, 1986 |
| Shark, White * 3,450.00 lbs | Don Braddick Aug 6, 1986 |
| Sheepshead 13.90 lbs | James Torborg Sep 22, 2020 |
| Striped Bass * 76.00 lbs | Bob Rocchetta Jul 17, 1981 |
| Striped Sea Robin 3.17 lbs | Shawn Viniotis Aug 12, 2023 |
| Summer Flounder (Fluke)** 22.44 lbs | Charles Nappi Sep 15, 1975 |
| Swordfish 540.00 lbs | Dean Delle Donne Sep 8, 2006 |
| Triggerfish 7.63 lbs | Steven Newman Oct 3, 1999 |
| Tuna, Albacore 81.15 lbs | Billy Turnbull Oct 8, 2011 |
| Tuna, Bigeye 355.00 lbs | Richard Buechmann Sep 27, 1981 |
| Tuna, Bluefin * 1,071.00 lbs | Larry Thompson Aug 21, 1977 |
| Tuna, Yellowfin 248.50 lbs | Bruce Weisinger Sep 9, 2002 |
| Wahoo 117.00 lbs | Jonathan Stabe Aug 17, 2013 |
| Weakfish 19.13 lbs | Dennis Rooney Oct 11, 1984 |
| White Perch 3.06 lbs | Jeffrey Butta Feb 11, 2023 |
| Winter Flounder 7.22 lbs | Jack Cohen Jun 29, 1997 |
* New records are not being accepted
** All tackle world record
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.