Ohio State Record Fish
The Outdoor Writers of Ohio records by weight, with angler, water and year.
For weighing a catchPiscifun Lip gripper with digital scale27% OFFSale $39.99 Photo of Hoover Reservoir: Kevin Payravi, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Ohio record fish caught on rod and reel
| Species | Weight | Length | Angler | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Catfish | 96 lb | 54-1/2" | Chris Rolph | Ohio River | 2009 |
| Flathead Catfish | 76 lb | 53" | Dale C. Yoho | Piedmont Lake | 1972 |
| Muskellunge | 55.13 lb | 50-1/4" | Joe D. Lykins | Piedmont Lake | 1972 |
| Buffalo Sucker | 50.9 lb | 39-3/4" | Andrew Peffly | Hoover Reservoir | 2023 |
| Carp (Common) | 50 lb | 40" | Judson Holton | Paint Creek | 1967 |
| Channel Catfish | 37.65 lb | 41-1/2" | Gus J Gronowski | LaDue Reservoir | 1992 |
| Striped Bass | 37.375 lb | 41.81" | George Bruggeman | Kiser Lake | 2025 |
| Tiger Muskellunge | 31.64 lb | 47" | Matt Amedeo | Turkeyfoot Lake | 2006 |
| Chinook Salmon | 29.5 lb | 42-7/8" | Walter Shumaker | Lake Erie | 1989 |
| Lake Trout | 26.63 lb | 38" | James J. Beres | Lake Erie | 2017 |
| Longnose Gar | 25 lb | 49" | Flora Irvin | Ohio River | 1966 |
| Freshwater (Sheepshead) Drum | 23.5 lb | 37-1/8" | James S. Williams | Sandusky River | 2001 |
| Northern Pike | 22.78 lb | 45" | Troy Klingler | McKarns Lake | 2016 |
| Rainbow Trout (Steelhead) | 21.3 lb | 38" | Jason Brooks | Lake Erie | 2010 |
| Hybrid Striped Bass | 20.83 lb | 32.5" | Larry C. Powers | Caesar Creek Lake headwaters | 2024 |
| Burbot | 17.33 lb | 36" | Bud Clute | Lake Erie | 1999 |
| Walleye | 16.19 lb | 33" | Tom Haberman | Lake Erie | 1999 |
| Brown Trout | 14.675 lb | 27-1/4" | Robert D. Campbell | Lake Erie | 2012 |
| Saugeye | 14.04 lb | 30-1/8" | Roger Sizemore | Antrim Lake | 2004 |
| Coho Salmon | 13.63 lb | 34-3/4" | Barney Freeman | Huron River | 1982 |
| Largemouth Bass | 13.13 lb | 25-1/16" | Roy Landsberger | Farm pond | 1976 |
| Sucker (other than buffalo) | 12.16 lb | 30-3/4" | Jonathan Hay | Huron River | 2022 |
| Bowfin | 11.69 lb | 33-1/4" | Christopher A. Boling | Nettle Lake | 1987 |
| Smallmouth Bass | 9.5 lb | 23-1/2" | Randy Van Dam | Lake Erie | 1993 |
| Sauger | 7.31 lb | 24-1/2" | Bryan Wicks | Maumee River | 1981 |
| Chain Pickerel | 6.25 lb | 26-1/4" | Ronald P. Kotch | Long Lake | 1961 |
| Spotted Bass | 5.25 lb | 21" | Roger Trainer | Lake White | 1967 |
| Black Crappie | 4.5 lb | 18-1/8" | Ronald Stone | Private lake | 1981 |
| Pink Salmon | 4.3 lb | 22.44" | Anthony Hyvarinen | Lake Erie | 2021 |
| Hybrid Crappie | 4.27 lb | 18.3" | Jesse L. Miller | Great Miami River | 2026 |
| Bullhead | 4.25 lb | 18-1/2" | Hugh Lawrence Jr. | Farm pond | 1986 |
| White Bass | 4 lb | 21" | Ira Sizemore | Gravel pit | 1983 |
| White Crappie | 3.91 lb | 18-1/2" | Teresa Croy | Glandorf Rod and Gun Club | 2024 |
| Redear Sunfish | 3.58 lb | 15" | Bert Redman | Licking County farm pond | 1998 |
| Bluegill | 3.28 lb | 12-3/4" | Willis D. Nicholes | Salt Fork Reservoir | 1990 |
| Yellow Perch | 2.86 lb | 15-3/4" | David Berg | Lake Erie | 2016 |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 2.03 lb | 12-1/4" | Ray Durham | Champaign County farm pond | 2003 |
| Rock Bass | 1.97 lb | 14-3/4" | George A Keller | Deer Creek near London | 1932 |
| White Perch | 1.72 lb | 14-1/8" | Terry R. Patton | Lake Erie | 2011 |
| Green Sunfish | 1.35 lb | 11.45" | Jaret Stevens | Williams County farm pond | 2026 |
| Warmouth Sunfish | 1.32 lb | 10-3/4" | Douglas Koenig | Mahoning County farm pond | 2009 |
| Pumpkinseed Sunfish | 1.10 lb | 10-1/2" | Scott Boykin | Portage County farm pond | 2009 |
| Longear Sunfish | 0.41 lb | 8.0" | Kevin Shanks | Greene County gravel pit | 2012 |
Outdoor Writers of Ohio record fish page, retrieved October 26, 2026.
Ohio bowfishing and trotline records
| Species | Weight | Length | Angler | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carp (Common) | 53.65 lb | 45" | Patrick Johnson | Lake Erie | 2013 |
| Buffalo Sucker | 45.85 lb | 37-3/4" | Brent McGlone | Lake Erie | 2023 |
| Longnose Gar | 19.21 lb | 53.1" | Zachary Jared | Turkeyfoot Lake | 2011 |
| Sucker (other than buffalo) | 11.21 lb | 31-1/2" | Brent McGlone | Maumee River | 2007 |
| Bowfin | 9.20 lb | 31" | Tim Makowski | Mogadore Reservoir | 2016 |
| Blue Catfish | 101.11 lb | 56-1/2" | Jaylynn Parker | Twelve Mile Creek, Ohio River | 2024 |
| Flathead Catfish | 76.5 lb | 58-5/8" | Richard Affolter | Clendening Lake | 1979 |
- Bullhead: 2 lb. minimum entrytrotline, bankline or floatline
- Carp (Common): 25 lb. minimum entrytrotline, bankline or floatline
- Channel Catfish: 20 lb. minimum entrytrotline, bankline or floatline
When the Ohio rod and reel records were set
Ohio waters holding the most rod and reel records
10 rod and reel records came from farm ponds, private lakes or gravel pits rather than public water.
How a new Ohio record is checked
Potential state record fish are evaluated and certified by the Record Fish Committee of the Outdoor Writers of Ohio. Among other criteria, potential record fish are weighed on a certified scale and identified by Ohio Division of Wildlife fisheries biologists (ODNR booklet p.19). Application: Ohio Record Fish Application form on the OWO page; photographs, a certified weight slip and a statement from a Division of Wildlife fisheries biologist are required (OWO page, page-reader summary).
Fish pictures for Ohio State Record Fish
Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain
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Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain
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Photo: Dezidor, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, CC BY 2.0
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Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain
Photo: Amada44, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: (c) Quinn, some rights reserved (CC BY), CC BY 4.0
Questions on Ohio record fish
What is the heaviest fish in the Ohio record book?
A blue catfish of 96 lb from Ohio River in 2009.
How many rod and reel records does Ohio list?
43, plus separate bowfishing and trotline divisions.
How big is the Ohio record walleye?
16.19 lb from Lake Erie in 1999, caught by Tom Haberman.
Where did the record muskellunge come from?
Piedmont Lake, 1972 at 55.13 lb.
Was the Ohio record largemouth caught in a public lake?
No; it came from a farm pond in 1976 at 13.13 lb.
Which Ohio record is the oldest still standing?
The rock bass, 1.97 lb from Deer Creek near London in 1932.
What is the newest Ohio record?
The green sunfish, 1.35 lb from Williams County farm pond in 2026.
How many Ohio records came from Lake Erie?
10 of the rod and reel records name Lake Erie as the water.
Who keeps the Ohio record list?
The Record Fish Committee of the Outdoor Writers of Ohio, with Division of Wildlife biologists confirming the species.