Think you’ve caught a big one? Montana keeps track of the state’s record fish, from tiny minnows to massive sturgeons, and now you can check them out! The Montana Fish Records list includes everything from length and weight to the angler and the lake or river where they landed their prize. Want the full details, including girth and bait tackle? You’ll need to download the official record table below. Native Montana fish are marked with an asterisk, and if you have questions, the FWP Fisheries Division is just a call or email away.
Good luck, and here is what to do if you do catch a record breaker:
I caught a record-breaker! What now?
- To prevent loss of weight, do not clean or freeze the fish. Keep the fish cool—preferably on ice.
- Take a picture of the fish.
- Weigh the fish on a certified scale (found in grocery store or hardware store, etc.), witnessed by a store employee or other observer. Obtain a weight receipt and an affidavit from the store personnel if no FWP official is present. Measure the length and girth.
- Contact the nearest FWP office to have the fish positively identified by a Fisheries Biologist or Manager.
- Fill out the Fish Record Form and send it to:
Attn: State Records
Fisheries Division
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
PO Box 200701
Helena, MT 59620-0701
Montana Record Table
- To view the girth and bait tackle columns, please download Montana Fish Records
- For more information contact the FWP Fisheries Division at: (406) 444-2449 or email FWPFishAdmin@mt.gov
- The * denotes Montana native fish.
| Fish | Length (inches) | Weight | Date | Site | Angler |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arctic Grayling | 20 | 3.63 lbs. | 6/28/03 | Washtub Lake | Glenn Owens |
| * Big Mouth Buffalo | 40.7 | 57.75 lbs. | 6/4/94 | Nelson Reservoir | Craig D. Grassel |
| Black Bullhead | 14.37 | 2.60 lbs. | 6/2/09 | Smiley Slough | Birrell |
| Black Crappie | 16.7 | 3.13 lbs. | 1973 | Tongue River Reservoir | Al Elser |
| Bluegill | 11 | 2.64 lbs. | 6/3/83 | Peterson’s Stock Dam | Brent Fladmo |
| Blue Sucker | 34.56 | 13.29 lbs. | 4/19/19 | Marias River | Jason Karls |
| Brook Trout | 9.06 lbs. | 1940 | Lower Two Medicine Lake | John R. Cook | |
| Brown Trout | 37 | 32.42 lbs. | 3/3/21 | Marias River | Robbie Dockter |
| * Bull Trout | 37 | 25.63 lbs. | 1916 | James Hyer | |
| * Burbot | 39 | 17.08 lbs. | 4/18/89 | Missouri River Wolf Point | Jeff Eugene Iwen |
| * Channel Catfish | 38.75 | 35.18 lbs. | 7/7/19 | Colstrip Surge Pond | John D. Smith |
| Chinook Salmon | 38 | 32.65 lbs. | 08/08/24 | Fort Peck Reservoir | Jim Fauth |
| Cisco | 18.2 | 2.08 lbs. | 6/2/14 | Missouri River | Troy Holstein |
| Coho Salmon | 25.5 | 4.88 lbs. | 5/29/73 | Fort Peck Reservoir Face of Dam | Irven F. Stohl |
| Common Carp | 38 | 40.2 lbs. | 5/24/98 | Nelson Reservoir | Jared S. Albus |
| Creek Chub | 11 | 0.52 lbs. | 5/12/13 | Harbaugh Bass Pond | William Bibeau |
| * Cutthroat Trout | 16 lbs | 1955 | Red Eagle Lake | Wm. D. Sands | |
| Emerald Shiner | 3.43 | 0.01 lbs. | 6/9/06 | Park Grove Bridge | Ike Braaten |
| Fathead Minnow | 2.7 .01 lbs. | 5/30/14 | Dollar Lake | Chris Gustine | |
| * Flathead Chub | 11.2 | 0.59 lbs. | 4/29/01 | Thornton Pond | Douglas Jordan |
| * Freshwater Drum | 29.5 | 21.59 lbs. | 5/3/03 | Fort Peck- Ghost Coulee | Matt Washut |
| Golden Shiner | 8.875 | 0.39 lbs. | 4/28/2025 | Lake Josephine | Jimmy Lee Boles III |
| Golden Trout | 23.5 | 5.43 lbs. | 7/16/00 | Cave Lake | Mike Malixi |
| * Goldeye | 3.18 lbs. | 7/4/00 | Nelson Reservoir | Don Nevrivy | |
| Green Sunfish | 10.0 | 0.85 lbs. | 5/27/23 | Gartside Reservoir | Garin Hicks |
| Kokanee Salmon | 26.8 | 7.85 lbs. | 9/23/03 | Hauser Lake | John Bomar |
| Lake Chub* | 5.9 | 0.075 lbs. | 7/23/10 | Corner Lake | James Cashell |
| Lake Trout | 42.5 | 42.69 lbs. | 6/23/04 | Flathead Lake | Ruth Barber |
| Lake Whitefish | 27 | 10.46 lbs. | 8/26/06 | Flathead Lake | Swan T. McDonald V |
| Largemouth Bass | 22.5 | 9.58 lbs. | 4/24/21 | Lake Elmo | Brandon Wright |
| * Largescale Sucker | 25.25 | 6.72 lbs. | 6/19/24 | Noxon Rapids Reservoir | Wade Merschat |
| Longnose Dace | 2.1 | 0.01 lbs | 6/29/25 | Prickly Pear Creek | Carson Beckman |
| * Longnose Sucker | 22.25 | 4.78 lbs. | 5/10/22 | Hauser Reservoir | Jonathan Miller |
| Mottled Sculpin — See Rocky Mountain Sculpin | |||||
| * Mountain Sucker | 6.2 | 1.60 oz. | 4/23/01 | Beaver Creek Reservoir | Robert Garwood |
| * Mountain Whitefish | 23 | 5.11 lbs. | 10/10/07 | Hauser Reservoir | Walt Goodman |
| Northern Pike | 37.5 lbs. | 8/29/1971 | Tongue River Reservoir | Lance Moyer | |
| * Northern Pikeminnow | 27.125 | 7.88 lbs. | 5/28/91 | Noxon Rapids Reservoir | Darrel Torgrimson |
| * Paddlefish | 77 | 142.5 lbs. | 5/20/73 | Missouri River Near Kipp Park | Larry Branstetter |
| * Pallid Sturgeon | 60 lbs. | 5/13/79 | Yellowstone River Near Sidney | Gene Sattler | |
| * Peamouth | 16 1/8 | 1.52 lbs. | 7/29/07 | Clark Fork River | Mike Jensen |
| Pumpkinseed | 10 | 0.995 lbs. | 4/26/22 | Fennon Slough | Pete Jellar |
| Pygmy Whitefish | 9.84 | 0.36 lbs. | 2/13/10 | Little Bitterroot Lake | Richard Geldrich |
| Rainbow Smelt | 7.1 | 0.08 lbs. | 2/18/20 | Fort Peck Dredge Cuts | Nathan Cooper |
| Rainbow Trout | 38.62 | 33.1 lbs. | 8/11/97 | Kootenai River David Thompson Bridge | Jack G. Housel, Jr. |
| Rainbow-Cutthroat Hybrid Trout | 35.75 | 30.25 lbs. | 5/16/82 | Ashely Lake | Pat Kelley |
| * Redside Shiner | 6.5 | 0.10 lbs. | 8/21/01 | Lost Lake | Josh Ahles |
| * River Carpsucker | 26.1875 | 7.915 lbs | 4/16/22 | Yellowstone River | Jaxson Franklin |
| Rock Bass | 10.8 | 1.31 lbs. | 4/26/14 | Lower Crazy Head Springs Pond | Karson Campbell |
| * Rocky Mountain Sculpin | 5.0 | 0.063 lbs. | 3/15/22 | Yellowstone Co. Canal | Bridger Burrows |
| * Sauger | 28.2 | 8.805 lbs. | 12/12/94 | Fort Peck Reservoir | Gene Moore |
| Saugeye | 15.66 lbs. | 1/11/95 | Fort Peck Reservoir Squaw Creek | Myron Kibler | |
| * Shorthead Redhorse | 20.25 | 4.68 lbs. | 4/14/85 | Marias River Near Loma | Ray Quigley |
| * Shortnose Gar | 35 | 7.41 lbs. | 5/16/13 | Fort Peck Dredge Cuts | Brandon Hansard |
| * Shovelnose Sturgeon | 39.75 | 14.125 lbs. | 5/21/10 | Missouri River | Chad Buck |
| Smallmouth Bass | 22.4 | 8.4 lbs. | 9/24/24 | Fort Peck Reservoir | Joshua Johnson |
| * Smallmouth Buffalo | 42-2/8 | 40 lbs. | 5/27/23 | Nelson Reservoir | Deborah Henry |
| Spottail Shiner | 3 | 0.02 lbs. | 8/14/10 | Tiber Reservoir | Joe Hagengruber |
| * Stonecat | 10 | 0.54 lbs. | 6/16/96 | Milk River | Dale Bjerga |
| Tiger Muskellunge | 50 | 38.75 lbs. | 9/2/11 | Deadman’s Basin Reservoir | Leo Cantin |
| Tiger Trout | 20.6 | 4.04 lbs. | 2/9/97 | Bear Lake | Joe Sobczak |
| Utah Chub | 15.9 | 2.39 lbs. | 3/7/2022 | Canyon Ferry Reservoir | Steve Hagen |
| Walleye | 32.25 | 18.02 lbs. | 5/10/21 | Holter Lake | Trevor Johnson |
| White Bass | 17 | 2.8 lbs. | 10/13/07 | Missouri River South of Bainville | Vernon Pacovsky |
| White Crappie | 18.5 | 3.68 lbs. | 5/10/96 | Tongue River | Gene Bassett |
| * White Sturgeon | 96 lbs. | 1968 | Kootenai River | Herb Stout | |
| * White Sucker | 21.625 | 5.33 lbs. | 2/10/83 | Nelson Reservoir | Fred Perry |
| Yellow Bullhead | 15.5 | 1.910 lbs. | 12/17/20 | Tongue River Reservoir | Roberta Legge |
| Yellow Perch | 14.375 | 2.39 lbs. | 2/19/06 | Lower Stillwater Lake | Josh Emmert |
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