Montana's Fish Records

Fishing Montana's waters is enjoyed by many, but only a few anglers catch a record fish. Montana Fish Wildlife, & Parks recognizes these anglers.

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 or hardware stores, etc.), witnessed by an observer. Get an affidavit from the store if no FWP official is present. Measure the length.
  • Contact the nearest FWP office to have the fish positively identified and to determine if it is a state record.
  • Fill out the Fish Record Form and send it to:
    • Beth Giddings
    • Fisheries Bureau
    • Montana Fish, Wildlife & Park
    • PO Box 200701
    • Helena, MT 59620-0701

Montana Record Table

  • To view the girth and bait tackle columns, please download the Montana Fish Records
    (Montana Fish Records 87 KB).
  • For more information contact the FWP Fisheries Bureau at: (406) 444-7815 or
    e-mail Beth Giddings
  • The * denotes Montana native fish.
Montana Fish Records as of October 13, 2011
Fish Length (inches) Weight Date Site Angler
Artic 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
29.75
11.46 lbs.
10/7/89
Yellowstone River Miles City
 Doug Askin
Brook Trout  
9.06 lbs.
1940
Lower Two Medicine Lake
  John R. Cook
Brown Trout  
29 lbs.
1966
Wade Lake
 E.H. Peck Bacon
Bull Trout *
37
25.63 lbs.
1916
   James Hyer
Burbot *
39
17.08 lbs.
4/18/89
Missouri River Wolf Point
 Jeff Eugene Iwen
Common Carp
38
40.2 lbs.
5/24/98
Nelson Reservoir
 Jared S. Albus
Channel Catfish*
37.6
30.12 lbs.
5/8/09
Missouri River/
Fred Robinson Bridge
 Jessey Perry
Chinook Salmon 38 31.13 lbs. 10/2/91 Fort Peck Reservoir Face of Dam Carl L. Niles
Cisco 17.2 1.75 lbs. 5/19/01 Below Fort Peck Powerhouse Curt Zimmerman
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
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
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 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 9.0 0.84 lbs. 5/25/09 Hickson's Pond Bette Schmieding
Kokanee Salmon 26.8 7.85 lbs.  9/23/03  Hauser Lake John Bomar
Lake Chub* 3.9 0.02 lbs. 8/22/10 Teton River Joe Hagengruber
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 8.80 lbs. 5/2/09 Noxon Rapids Reservoir Darin Williams
Largescale Sucker * 23.1 6.16 lbs. 6/27/08 Woodland Pond Kevin Fraley
Longnose Sucker *   3.27 lbs. 5/8/88 Marias River Loma Ray Quigley
Mottled Sculpin *   0.05 lbs. 7/30/01 Belt Creek Brad Sullivan
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. 1972 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   0.96 lbs. 7/30/06 Upper Thompson Lake Nathan Bache
Pygmy Whitefish 9.84 0.36 lbs. 2/13/10 Little Bitterroot Lake Richard Geldrich
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 * 24 6.95 lbs 8/15/08 Fort Peck Reservoir Brady Miller
Rock Bass 9.88 0.82 lbs. 5/14/10 Lower Crazy Head Springs Reservoir Lance Dennis
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 * 34 7.02 lbs. 12/22/03 Fort Peck Dredge Cuts Ron Gulbertson
Shovelnose Sturgeon * 39.75 14.125 lbs. 5/21/10 Missouri River Chad Buck
Smallmouth Bass 21 6.66 lbs. 7/30/02 Fort Peck Reservoir Mike Otten
Smallmouth Buffalo * 38 38 lbs. 4/28/07 Nelson Reservoir Brady Miller
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 49 31.3 lbs. 7/6/11 Deadman's Basin Reservoir Dan Weil
Tiger Trout 20.6 4.04 lbs. 2/9/97 Bear Lake Joe Sobczak
Utah Chub   1.81 lbs. 2/5/92 Canyon Ferry Reservoir Eugene Bastian
Walleye 35 17.75 lbs. 11/18/07 Tiber Reservoir Robert Bob Hart
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 12.2 1.01 lbs. 7/19/11 Ninepipe Reservoir Max Bernt
Yellow Perch 14.375 2.39 lbs. 2/19/06 Lower Stillwater Lake Josh Emmert