1,039 Lakes · 625 Rivers · 83 Counties · 745 TownsMichigan state record fish
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Michigan reference

Michigan State Record Fish

Hook and line and bow or spear records from the MDNR table, with Master Angler minimums.

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Photo of Platte River: NPS, Public domain

Hook and line

Michigan hook and line state records

SpeciesWeight (lb)LengthWaterCountyYearBait or method
Lake Sturgeon19388 inMullett LakeCheboygan1974
Lake Trout61.549 inLake Superior1997Jig
MUSKELLUNGE Great Lakes5859 inLake BellaireAntrim2012Minnow
Black Buffalo54.342.6 inGrand RiverOttawa2020Hot 'N' Tot
Tiger Muskellunge51.1954 inLac Vieux DesertGogebic1919
MUSKELLUNGE Northern49.7551 inThornapple LakeBarry2000Crankbait
Chinook Salmon47.8647.5 inLake MichiganMason2021Moonshine spoon
Brown Trout41.4543.75 inManistee RiverManistee2009Rapala Shad Rap
Channel Catfish4041.5 inHoughton LakeRoscommon1964
Channel Catfish40Houghton LakeRoscommon1960
Atlantic Salmon32.6241 inLake MichiganMason1981Lucky Lure
Coho Salmon30.5640 inPlatte RiverBenzie1976Spawn Sack
Freshwater Drum28.6134.02 inMuskegon LakeMuskegon2015
RAINBOW TROUT (Steelhead)26.539.5 inLake Michigan1975Trolling
Burbot18.2540 inSt. Marys River – Munuscong BayChippewa1980Cleo
Longnose Gar1853 inWilliamsville LakeLivingston1995Green Rattle Trap
Splake17.534.5 inLake Michigan – Big Bay De NocDelta2004Kast Master
Walleye17.1935 inPine River, Lake CountyManistee1951Live Minnow
Lake Whitefish14.2831.75 inLake SuperiorOntonagon1993Rebel
Bowfin1435 inCrooked LakeLivingston1981Spinner
Redhorse Sucker12.8929.25 inMuskegon RiverNewaygo1991Night Crawler
Largemouth Bass11.9427 inBig Pine Island LakeKent1934
Largemouth Bass11.9426 inAlcona Dam PondOscoda1959
WHITE BASS Hybrid10.7527.5 inKalamazoo RiverAllegan1996Steelhead Spawn
Quillback Carpsucker9.9824.75 inMuskegon RiverMecosta2020Rapala
Smallmouth Bass9.9823.1 inIndian River, Cheboygan CountyCheboygan2016Crawler
Brook Trout9.528.1 inClear Lake, Houghton CountyHoughton1996Minnow
Pink Salmon8.5628 inCarp River, Mackinac CountyMackinac1987Mepps Spinner #2
American Eel7.4443 inLake St. ClairMacomb1990Live Shad
White Sucker7.1928 inAu Sable RiverIosco1982Rubber Egg
Longnose Sucker6.8822.5 inSt. Joseph River, Berrien CountyBerrien1986Spawn Bag
Sauger6.5625.5 inTorch LakeHoughton1976Minnow
White Bass6.4421.9 inSaginaw BayArenac1989Hot 'N' Tot
Cisco6.3621.8 inLake OttawaIron2017Jig
Gizzard Shad4.4520.3 inGrand RiverKent2026Spincasting
Black Crappie4.12Lincoln Lake, Kent CountyKent1947
Menominee Whitefish4.0621.5 inLake MichiganOttawa1992Salmon Egg
Yellow Perch3.7521 inLake IndependenceMarquette1947
Rock Bass3.6220 inHolloway Reservoir, Genesee CountyGenesee1965
Yellow Bullhead3.616.8 inLake SixteenOakland2003Night Crawler
Black Bullhead3.4417 inMagician LakeCass1999Plastic Zoom Lizard
White Crappie3.3919.5 inStony Creek LakeMacomb2000Warden's Rooster Tail
Bluegill2.7513.75 inVaughn LakeAlcona1983Spinner
Northern Hog Sucker2.5419 inSt. Joseph River, Berrien CountyBerrien1994Worm
Redear Sunfish2.3612.6 inLyon LakeCalhoun2010Worm
Pumpkinseed2.1512.6 inLake NepessingLapeer2009Live Leaf Worm
White Perch213.57 inBear LakeMuskegon2015Spinner
Kokanee Salmon1.9418 inClinton RiverOakland1978Single Egg
Hybrid Sunfish1.811.75 inLake AnneBerrien2018Crawler
Green Sunfish1.5310 inKirkwood LakeOakland1990Mama's Cat
Warmouth1.3811 inGreat Bear LakeVan Buren2001Live Crawler
Smelt12 inHoughton1996Dip Net

MDNR State Record Fish table, retrieved October 22, 2026; no angler names or full dates are printed.

Bow and spear

Michigan bow and spear records

SpeciesWeight (lb)MethodWaterCountyYear
Flathead Catfish64.46BowfishingPlum CreekMonroe2025
Common Carp61.5SpearWolf Lake, Jackson CountyJackson1974
Northern Pike39SpearDodge LakeSchoolcraft1961
Bigmouth Buffalo33BowfishingLake ErieMonroe2020
Brown Bullhead3.77BowfishingAlcona Dam PondAlcona2014
Master Angler

Michigan Master Angler minimum lengths

SpeciesMaster Angler minimumCurrent record
Bass, Largemouth21″11.94
Bass, Rock12″3.62
Bass, Smallmouth21″9.98
Bass, White16″6.44
Bluegill10″2.75
Buffalo, Bigmouth30″33
Buffalo, Black30″54.3
Bullhead, Black14″3.44
Bullhead, Brown14″3.77
Bullhead, Yellow14″3.6
Bowfin27″14
Burbot26″18.25
Carp, Common (Note 1)33″61.5
Carpsucker, Quillback19″9.98
Catfish, Channel30″40
Catfish, Flathead35″64.46
Cisco (Lake Herring)20″6.36
Crappie, Black14″4.12
Crappie, White14″3.39
Freshwater Drum27″28.61
Lake Sturgeon60″193
Longnose Gar32″18
Muskellunge, Great Lks.46″58
Muskellunge, Northern46″49.75
Northern Pike36″39
Perch, White11″2
Perch, Yellow14″3.75
Salmon, Atlantic28″32.62
Salmon, Chinook39″47.86
Salmon, Coho28″30.56
Salmon, Pink21″8.56
Smelt10″(12" length)
Splake25″17.5
Sucker, Longnose17″6.88
Sucker, N. Hog13″2.54
Sucker, Redhorse22″12.89
Sucker, White21″7.19
Sunfish, Green9″1.53
Sunfish, Hybrid10″1.8
Sunfish, Pumpkinseed9″2.15
Sunfish, Redear10″2.36
Sunfish, Warmouth9″1.38
Trout, Brook14″9.5
Trout, Brown24″41.45
Trout, Lake34″61.5
Trout, Rainbow (Steelhead)32″26.5
Walleye29″17.19
Whitefish, Lake23″14.28
Whitefish, Menominee15″4.06
Submitting

How a Michigan record is confirmed

Contact a DNR fisheries biologist to verify identification; state record application form MI-State-Record-FORM.pdf on the Master Angler page.

State Record Fish are recognized by weight only; a new record must exceed the current listed weight and be verified by a DNR fisheries biologist (digest p. 34). Master Angler entries use minimum lengths.

Photographs

Michigan water in pictures

Manistee River, Michigan
Manistee River
Photo: CHRIS BROWN, CC BY 3.0
Platte River, Michigan
Platte River
Photo: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, CC BY 2.0
Mullett Lake, Michigan
Mullett Lake
Photo: Cbower729, CC BY-SA 4.0
Houghton Lake, Michigan
Houghton Lake
Photo: Notorious4life ( Uploads ), CC0 1.0
Answers

Michigan state record questions

What is the heaviest Michigan state record fish?

Lake Sturgeon at 193 pounds from Mullett Lake (1974).

How many Michigan state records are listed?

52 hook and line and 5 bow or spear records.

How heavy is the Michigan state record muskellunge?

See the table.

How heavy is the Michigan state record walleye?

17.19 pounds from Pine River in 1951.

What is the Michigan record Chinook salmon?

47.86 pounds from Lake Michigan in 2021.

Which Michigan record is the oldest?

Tiger Muskellunge, 51.19 pounds from Lac Vieux Desert, set in 1919.

How are Michigan records judged?

By weight only; a new fish must beat the listed weight and be verified by a DNR fisheries biologist.

Why are no angler names shown?

The MDNR table prints species, weight, length, year, method, water and county but no names.