Updated: April 2024
The following table is a simplified listing of West Virginia’s current sport fishing records.
The reason that so many West Virginia records are tied is that the West Virginia DNR considers both weight and length in their records. So anglers might catch a longer fish that weighs less than the current record and still get into the record books. Or vice-versa. Or a tie.
Because West Virginia considers both, we’ve taken the added step of including both weights in pounds (lbs) and lengths in inches (in).
If you think you’ve landed your own record-setting game fish in the state, even if it’s a bit lighter than the weights below, be sure to see the resources I’ve included at the bottom of this article.
| Bass, Hybrid Striped (tie) 14.0 lbs 32.1 in | Kanawha River | Frankie Harris 2000 |
| Bass, Hybrid Striped (tie) 16.75 lbs 31.5 in | Kanawha River | Robert Honaker 1985 |
| Bass, Largemouth (tie) 9.62 lbs 25.75 in | Dog Run Lake | Eli Gain 2001 |
| Bass, Largemouth (tie) 12.28 lbs 24.8 in | Pond, Grant County | David W. Heeter 1994 |
| Bass, Smallmouth (tie) 7.5 lbs 25.5 in | New River | Franklin J. Elliott 1976 |
| Bass, Smallmouth (tie) 9.75 lbs 24.25 in | South Branch | David Lindsay 1971 |
| Bass, Rock 1.75 lbs 13.8 in | Big Sandy Creek | Warren Ryan 1964 |
| Bass, Spotted (tie) 4.77 lbs 19.0 in | R. D. Bailey Lake | Kevin Dameron 2000 |
| Bass, Spotted (tie) 3.82 lbs 19.0 in | R. D. Bailey Lake | Leonard Blankenship 1988 |
| Bass, Striped 45.70 lbs 47.16 in | Bluestone Lake | James Brooks 2010 |
| Bass, White 4.56 lbs 20.0 in | New River | Louis Puskas 1985 |
| Bowfin (tie) 7.54 lbs 32.25 in | Pond, Berkeley County | Donald E. Newcomb III 1994 |
| Bowfin (tie) 10.6 lbs 30.2 in | Ohio River, Mason County | Lauren Noble March 12, 2014 |
| Buffalo 38.0 lbs 41.0 in | Little Kanawha River | Hobert Null 1976 |
| Carp, Common (tie) 47.0 lbs 39.3 in | Farm Pond, Preston County | Gary Johnson 1998 |
| Carp, Common (tie) 45.2 lbs 41.2 in | Summersville Lake | Ayden Minick 2022 |
| Carp, Grass (tie) 71.69 lbs 50.75 in | Warden Lake | William R. Taucher 2005 |
| Carp, Grass (tie) 67.4 lbs 54.75 in | Warden Lake, Hardy County | John Miller 2020 |
| Catfish, Blue 69.45 lbs 50.51 in | Ohio River (R.C. Byrd Pool) | Michael John Drake Dec 8, 2023 |
| Catfish, Bullhead 6.1 lbs 22.75 in | Tygart Lake Headwaters | Gary R. Freeman 1977 |
| Catfish, Channel 36.96 lbs 40.59 in | South Mill Creek Lake | Allen Burkett 2022 |
| Catfish, Channel 37.5 lbs 40.43 in | South Mill Creek Lake | Allen Burkett 2023 |
| Catfish, Flathead 70.0 lbs 52.0 in | Little Kanawha River | L. L. McClung 1956 |
| Crappie 4.05 lbs 19.75 in | Meathouse Fork | Leonard Edgell 1971 |
| Drum, Freshwater (tie) 27.88 lbs 35.59 in | Kanawha River | John A. Gibson 2021 |
| Drum, Freshwater (tie) 25.0 lbs 37.0 in | Little Kanawha River | Bill Dawkins 1954 |
| Eel (tie) 6.27 lbs 44.25 in | Elk River | Steve Woods 1983 |
| Eel (tie) 7.25 lbs 44.0 in | Bunker Hill Quarry | Arlie R. Ruble 1977 |
| Fallfish 3.5 lbs 21.25 in | North Fork of South Branch | James Blackwell 1970 |
| Gar, Longnose (tie) 15.0 lbs 53.62 in | Ohio River | Rich Chapman 2023 |
| Gar, Longnose (tie) 19.08 lbs 50.5 in | Kanawha River | Michael Shan Casey 1993 |
| Goldeye 3.0 lbs 18.5 in | Ohio River | Delbert McWilliams 1983 |
| Muskellunge 51.0 lbs 55.0625 in | Little Kanawha River | Lucas King 2022 |
| Musky, Tiger 36.5 lbs 49.25 in | Mountwood Lake | Clyde E. Beckett 1994 |
| Perch, Yellow (tie) 2.04 lbs 14.5 in | Summersville Lake | Clinton Mills 2018 |
| Perch, Yellow (tie) 1.20 lbs 15.44 in | Summersville Lake | Craig Hollandsworth 2010 |
| Pickerel, Chain (tie) 6.19 lbs 27.75 in | Tuckahoe Lake | Steven Demma 2001 |
| Pickerel, Chain (tie) 4.0 lbs 27.87 in | Upper Deckers Lake | Matt Born 2019 |
| Pike, Northern 22.06 lbs 42.6 in | Dog Run Lake | Boyd O. Pratt, Sr. 1989 |
| Sauger (tie) 4.75 lbs 23.0 in | Ohio River | Steve Powell 1985 |
| Sauger (tie) 5.06 lbs 22.50 in | Ohio River | David L. Vance 2012 |
| Saugeye 8.73 lbs 27.68 in | East Lynn Lake | Everett Chapman 2006 |
| Skipjack 3.1 lbs 20.15 in | Ohio River | Ethan Moss 2021 |
| Sunfish, Bluegill (tie) 2.75 lbs 11.7 in | Pond, Randolph County | Mark Allen Lewis 1986 |
| Sunfish, Bluegill (tie) 2.25 lbs 13.75 in | Pond, Fayette County | Dennis Criss 1964 |
| Sunfish, Redbreast 9.1 oz 9.29 in | New Creek Lake (Dam 14) | Zach Adkins Feb 19, 2024 |
| Trout, Brook (tie) 7.64 lbs 22.25 in | Shavers Fork | Gary M. Chapman 2004 |
| Trout, Brook (tie) 4.78 lbs 23.5 in | Lost River | Jack E. Foltz 1981 |
| Trout, Brown 16.0 lbs 32.0 in | South Branch | Paul Barker 1968 |
| Trout, Golden Rainbow (tie) 9.72 lbs 26.25 in | Little Beaver Lake | Charles Lilly, Jr. 2023 |
| Trout, Golden Rainbow (tie) 8.63 lbs 27.5 in | Stonecoal Lake | Gerald Estep 1987 |
| Trout, Rainbow 19.40 lbs 33.11 in | Pond, Berkeley County | Eric Files, Sr. 2014 |
| Trout, Tiger 10.65 lbs 28.7 in | Krodel Lake | Mike Connolly 2011 |
| Trout, Tiger 11.98 lbs 26.73 in | New Creek Lake (Dam 14) | Nathaniel Smith Feb 24, 2024 |
| Walleye (tie) 18.97 lbs 30.87 in | Elk River | Jerry Rose 2004 |
| Walleye (tie) 15.0 lbs 35.0 in | Kanawha Falls | Fred Cline 1976 |
Setting a West Virginia Fishing Record
If you think you’ve set (or at least tied) a West Virginia game fish record, either by weight or length, be sure to check out their process for claiming that spot in Mountain State fishing lore.
You’ll find all of the rules and a link to download the official reporting form at the West Virginia DNR’s State Records page. Note that the fishing records listings are published in the annual regulations listing, linked from the DNR home page under Fishing.