Overview
California angling and diving records
CDFW keeps one record table with three types: freshwater angling (42 records), ocean angling (71 records) and ocean diving (43 records).
The California record largemouth bass weighed 21 lbs., 12 oz. at Castaic Lake at the main boat ramp in 1991. The heaviest freshwater record is a 113 lbs., 5 oz. blue catfish; the oldest standing freshwater mark dates to 1911 (cutthroat, wild trout).
Freshwater
Freshwater angling records
| Species | Method | Weight | Where | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| sacramento pikeminnow | Lure | 13 lbs., 13 oz. | Pardee Reservoir | 2014 |
| largemouth bass | Lure | 21 lbs., 12 oz. | Castaic Lake at the main boat ramp | 1991 |
| smallmouth bass | Lure | 9 lbs., 13 oz. | Pardee Reservoir | 2007 |
| spotted/alabama bass | Lure | 11 lbs., 5 oz. | New Bullards Bar Reservoir | 2022 |
| striped bass | Lure | 67 lbs., 8 oz. | O'Neill Forebay | 1992 |
| white bass | Lure | 5 lbs., 5 oz. | Ferguson Lake | 1972 |
| blue catfish | Bait | 113 lbs., 5 oz. | San Vicente Reservoir | 2008 |
| bullhead, brown catfish | Lure | 4 lbs., 8 oz. | Trinity Lake | 1993 |
| channel catfish | Bait | 53 lbs., 8 oz. | San Joaquin River | 2008 |
| flathead catfish | Bait | 72 lbs., 14 oz. | Colorado River | 2003 |
| white catfish | Lure | 22 lbs., 0 oz. | Land Park pond | 1994 |
| black crappie | Lure | 4 lbs., 5 oz. | Clear Lake | 2021 |
| white crappie | Lure | 4 lbs., 8 oz. | Clear Lake | 1971 |
| corvina, orangemouth croaker | Lure | 37 lbs., 0 oz. | Salton Sea | 1988 |
| arctic grayling | Lure | 1 lbs., 12 oz. | Lobdell Lake | 1974 |
| carp minnow | Lure | 52 lbs., 0 oz. | Lake Nacimiento | 1968 |
| chinook salmon | Lure | 88 lbs., 0 oz. | Sacramento River | 1979 |
| chinook, inland salmon | Lure | 20 lbs., 15 oz. | Trinity Lake | 2013 |
| coho salmon | Lure | 22 lbs., 0 oz. | Paper Mill Creek | 1959 |
| coho, inland salmon | Lure | 8 lbs., 15 oz. | Oroville Diversion Pool | 2015 |
| kokanee salmon | Lure | 5 lbs., 2 oz. | Lake Tahoe | 2013 |
| pink salmon | Lure | 8 lbs., 11 oz. | Sacramento River | 2001 |
| sargo | Lure | 4 lbs., 1 oz. | Salton Sea | 1972 |
| american shad | Lure | 7 lbs., 5 oz. | West Branch of the Feather River | 1985 |
| sacramento sucker | Lure | 2 lbs., 9 oz. | Battle Creek | 2025 |
| (hybrid) sunfish | Bait | 1 lbs., 4 oz. | Rancho Seco Lake | 2015 |
| sacramento perch sunfish | Lure | 3 lbs., 10 oz. | Crowley Lake | 1979 |
| bluegill sunfish | Lure | 3 lbs., 14 oz. | Rancho Murieta Reservoir | 2008 |
| pumpkinseed sunfish | Lure | 1 lbs., 0 oz. | Mountain Meadows Reservoir | 1998 |
| redear sunfish | Bait | 5 lbs., 13 oz. | Lake Havasu | 2014 |
| warmouth sunfish | Bait | 0 lbs., 15 oz. | Hensley Lake | 2004 |
| tilapia | Bait | 6 lbs., 0 oz. | Palo Verde Lagoon | 2007 |
| brook trout | Lure | 9 lbs., 12 oz. | Silver Lake | 1932 |
| brown trout | Lure | 26 lbs., 8 oz. | Twin Lakes | 1987 |
| bull trout | Lure | 9 lbs., 11 oz. | Lake McCloud | 1968 |
| cutthroat, wild trout | Lure | 31 lbs., 8 oz. | Lake Tahoe | 1911 |
| golden trout | Lure | 9 lbs., 8 oz. | Virginia Lake | 1952 |
| lake trout | Lure | 37 lbs., 6 oz. | Lake Tahoe | 1974 |
| rainbow trout | Lure | 27 lbs., 0 oz. | Lake Natoma | 2005 |
| rainbow, domestic trout | Lure | 28 lbs., 5 oz. | Private lake | 2006 |
| steelhead rainbow trout | Lure | 27 lbs., 4 oz. | Smith River | 1976 |
| mountain whitefish | Bait | 3 lbs., 1 oz. | Lake Tahoe | 2004 |
CDFW records, checked October 2026. Angler names left out.
Ocean angling
Ocean angling records
| Species | Method | Weight | Where | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| pacific (california) barracuda | Lure | 15 lbs., 15 oz. | San Onofre | 1957 |
| barred sand bass | Lure | 13 lbs., 3 oz. | Huntington Flats | 1988 |
| giant sea bass | Lure | 563 lbs., 8 oz. | Anacapa Island | 1968 |
| kelp bass | Lure | 14 lbs., 7 oz. | San Clemente Island | 1958 |
| spotted sand bass | Lure | 6 lbs., 12 oz. | Newport Bay | 1994 |
| pacific bonito | Lure | 21 lbs., 5 oz. | 181 Spot | 2003 |
| cabezon | Lure | 23 lbs., 4 oz. | Los Angeles | 1958 |
| california corbina | Lure | 7 lbs., 1 oz. | Newport Harbor | 2005 |
| spotfin croaker | Lure | 14 lbs., 0 oz. | Playa del Rey | 1951 |
| yellowfin croaker | Lure | 3 lbs., 14 oz. | Santa Monica Beach | 2000 |
| dolphinfish | Lure | 66 lbs., 0 oz. | 209 Spot | 1990 |
| starry flounder | Lure | 11 lbs., 4 oz. | San Simeon | 1993 |
| kelp greenling | Lure | 3 lbs., 4 oz. | Carmel | 2014 |
| california halibut | Lure | 67 lbs., 4 oz. | Santa Rosa Island | 2011 |
| jacksmelt | Lure | 1 lbs., 8 oz. | San Nicholas Island | 1998 |
| lingcod | Lure | 56 lbs., 0 oz. | Crescent City | 1992 |
| pacific (chub) mackerel | Lure | 2 lbs., 8 oz. | Horseshoe Kelp | 1995 |
| pacific (chub) mackerel | Lure | 2 lbs., 8 oz. | Mission Beach | 2005 |
| jack mackerel | Lure | 5 lbs., 8 oz. | Huntington Beach | 1988 |
| blue marlin | Lure | 692 lbs., 0 oz. | Balboa | 1931 |
| striped marlin | Lure | 339 lbs., 0 oz. | Catalina Island | 1985 |
| opah | Lure | 163 lbs., 0 oz. | Port San Luis | 1998 |
| opaleye | Lure | 6 lbs., 4 oz. | Los Flores Creek | 1956 |
| black perch | Lure | 2 lbs., 9 oz. | Pacific Grove | 2011 |
| pile perch | Bait | 2 lbs., 14 oz. | Monterey | 2025 |
| monkeyface prickleback | Bait | 7 lbs., 8 oz. | Pescadero | 2019 |
| bat ray | Lure | 181 lbs., 0 oz. | Huntington Beach | 1978 |
| china rockfish | Lure | 4 lbs., 1 oz. | Point Saint George | 2021 |
| black rockfish | Lure | 9 lbs., 2 oz. | S.F. Light Station | 1988 |
| blue rockfish | Lure | 3 lbs., 14 oz. | San Carpoforo Creek | 1993 |
| bocaccio rockfish | Lure | 17 lbs., 8 oz. | Point St Georges Reef | 1987 |
| bronzespotted rockfish | Lure | 14 lbs., 8 oz. | Cherry Bank | 1997 |
| brown rockfish | Lure | 7 lbs., 6 oz. | Sister's Rock | 2023 |
| canary rockfish | Lure | 10 lbs., 4 oz. | Albion | 2025 |
| copper rockfish | Lure | 8 lbs., 5 oz. | Pigeon Point | 1985 |
| cowcod rockfish | Lure | 21 lbs., 14 oz. | Hidden Reef | 1998 |
| grass rockfish | Lure | 6 lbs., 7 oz. | Bean Hollow State Beach | 2012 |
| greenspotted rockfish | Lure | 3 lbs., 5 oz. | 9 Mile Bank | 2024 |
| olive rockfish | Lure | 7 lbs., 4 oz. | Morro Bay | 2014 |
| treefish rockfish | Lure | 4 lbs., 3 oz. | Malibu | 2003 |
| vermilion rockfish | Lure | 14 lbs., 9 oz. | Morro Bay | 1996 |
| yelloweye rockfish | Lure | 18 lbs., 3 oz. | Piedras Blancas | 1994 |
| yellowtail rockfish | Lure | 6 lbs., 8 oz. | Morro Bay | 2020 |
| chinook (king) salmon | Lure | 65 lbs., 4 oz. | Crescent City | 2002 |
| sargo | Lure | 5 lbs., 15 oz. | Belmont Pier | 2023 |
| california scorpionfish | Bait | 3 lbs., 10 oz. | San Diego Bay | 2024 |
| white seabass | Lure | 79 lbs., 0 oz. | Pajaro River Mouth | 2011 |
| rubberlip seaperch | Lure | 5 lbs., 0 oz. | Monterey Bay | 2009 |
| striped seaperch | Bait | 2 lbs., 14 oz. | Trinidad | 2025 |
| blue shark | Lure | 258 lbs., 8 oz. | Channel Islands | 2008 |
| leopard shark | Lure | 47 lbs., 1 oz. | Palos Verdes | 2007 |
| sevengill shark | Lure | 276 lbs., 0 oz. | Humboldt Bay | 1996 |
| shortfin mako shark | Lure | 1098 lbs., 12 oz. | Anacapa Island | 2010 |
| soupfin (tope) shark | Bait | 38 lbs., 4 oz. | Torrey Pines | 2017 |
| thresher shark | Lure | 575 lbs., 0 oz. | Carlsbad Canyon | 2007 |
| california sheephead | Lure | 30 lbs., 8 oz. | Newport Beach | 2009 |
| fantail sole | Lure | 8 lbs., 8 oz. | San Clemente Island | 2001 |
| white sturgeon | Lure | 468 lbs., 0 oz. | San Pablo Bay | 1983 |
| barred surfperch | Lure | 4 lbs., 2 oz. | Morro Bay | 1995 |
| barred surfperch | Lure | 4 lbs., 2 oz. | Oxnard | 1996 |
| calico surfperch | Bait | 2 lbs., 4 oz. | Santa Cruz | 2023 |
| redtail surfperch | Lure | 3 lbs., 7 oz. | Kellogg Beach | 2012 |
| swordfish | Bait | 663 lbs., 12 oz. | Nine Mile Bank | 2024 |
| albacore tuna | Lure | 90 lbs., 0 oz. | Santa Cruz | 1997 |
| bigeye tuna | Lure | 240 lbs., 0 oz. | Butterfly Bank | 1987 |
| bluefin tuna | Bait | 395 lbs., 6 oz. | Tanner Bank | 2021 |
| skipjack tuna | Lure | 26 lbs., 0 oz. | San Diego | 1970 |
| yellowfin tuna | Lure | 265 lbs., 0 oz. | Oceanside | 2017 |
| ocean whitefish | Lure | 13 lbs., 12 oz. | Cortez Bank | 1988 |
| ocean whitefish | Lure | 13 lbs., 12 oz. | San Nicholas Island | 2010 |
| yellowtail | Lure | 63 lbs., 1 oz. | Santa Barbara Island | 2000 |
Diving
Ocean diving records
| Species | Method | Weight or length | Where | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| flat abalone | Free | 6.88 in | Stewarts Point | 1994 |
| green abalone | Scuba | 8.25 in | San Clemente Island | 1986 |
| red abalone | Free | 12.33 in | Humboldt | 1993 |
| pacific (california) barracuda | Free | 14 lbs., 7 oz. | Catalina Island | 1957 |
| barred sand bass | Free | 12 lbs., 12 oz. | Long Beach | 2004 |
| giant sea bass | Free | 545 lbs., 0 oz. | Santa Cruz Island | 1968 |
| kelp bass | Free | 12 lbs., 6 oz. | San Clemente | 2012 |
| pacific bonito | Free | 12 lbs., 3 oz. | Tanner Bank | 2026 |
| cabezon | Free | 18 lbs., 6 oz. | Pedotti Ranch | 1984 |
| pismo clam | Free | 6.75 in | Coronado | 2010 |
| pismo clam | Free | 6.75 in | Rincon | 2014 |
| pismo clam | Free | 6.75 in | Coronado Beach | 2025 |
| california corbina | Free | 5 lbs., 15 oz. | Corona Del Mar | 1982 |
| spotfin croaker | Free | 8 lbs., 12 oz. | Corona Del Mar | 1968 |
| dolphinfish | Free | 28 lbs., 0 oz. | 2018 | |
| starry flounder | Free | 8 lbs., 6 oz. | Pacifica State Beach | 2025 |
| california halibut | Scuba | 72 lbs., 8 oz. | Santa Cruz Island | 1982 |
| lingcod | Free | 37 lbs., 0 oz. | Mendocino | 2012 |
| california spiny lobster | Scuba | 16 lbs., 1 oz. | Catalina Island | 1968 |
| opaleye | Free | 13 lbs., 7 oz. | Laguna Beach | 1964 |
| black perch | Free | 2 lbs., 10 oz. | Big Sur | 2020 |
| pile perch | Free | 2 lbs., 8 oz. | Stillwater Cove | 2011 |
| monkeyface prickleback | Free | 7 lbs., 5 oz. | Carmel | 2013 |
| china rockfish | Free | 3 lbs., 2 oz. | Fort Ross | 2021 |
| black rockfish | Free | 8 lbs., 3 oz. | Shell Beach | 2008 |
| blue rockfish | Free | 5 lbs., 4.35 oz. | Humboldt Bay | 2023 |
| bocaccio rockfish | Free | 4 lbs., 9 oz. | Carmel | 2017 |
| canary rockfish | Free | 3 lbs., 4 oz. | Gualala | 2018 |
| copper rockfish | Free | 9 lbs., 5 oz. | Mendocino | 1972 |
| grass rockfish | Free | 6 lbs., 7 oz. | Big Sur | 2018 |
| olive rockfish | Free | 6 lbs., 1 oz. | Carmel | 2012 |
| vermilion rockfish | Free | 10 lbs., 10 oz. | Fort Ross | 2018 |
| sargo | Free | 3 lbs., 8 oz. | Long Beach | 2019 |
| rock scallop | Scuba | 11.12 in | Catalina Island | 1972 |
| white seabass | Free | 94 lbs., 6 oz. | Santa Barbara | 2023 |
| rubberlip seaperch | Free | 4 lbs., 12 oz. | Gorda | 2024 |
| blue shark | Free | 231 lbs., 0 oz. | Santa Cruz Island | 1974 |
| shortfin mako shark | Free | 484 lbs., 4 oz. | San Diego | 2017 |
| california sheephead | Scuba | 40 lbs., 7 oz. | San Miguel Island | 1992 |
| albacore tuna | Free | 30 lbs., 11 oz. | Outer Monterey Bay | 1998 |
| bluefin tuna | Free | 294 lbs., 6 oz. | 43 Fathom Spot | 2019 |
| yellowfin tuna | Free | 66 lbs., 0 oz. | 43 Fathom Bank | 2016 |
| yellowtail | Free | 65 lbs., 0 oz. | Cortez Bank | 1988 |
Some diving records are for species CDFW no longer allows anyone to take, such as abalone.
Answers
California record questions
What is the California record largemouth bass?
21 lbs., 12 oz. from Castaic Lake at the main boat ramp, 1991.
How many state records does CDFW keep?
156 across the three tables.
What is the heaviest freshwater record in California?
A 113 lbs., 5 oz. blue catfish.
How do I submit a California record?
Through CDFW, with a certified scale weight, a witness and species identification.
Are spearfishing records kept?
Yes, as ocean diving records, split by free and scuba.
Why are angler names missing?
The pages record the fish and where it was caught, without the angler.
Are there records for prohibited species?
Yes; some diving records are for species that may no longer be taken.
Where are the records from?
The CDFW angling and diving records table, checked October 2026.