Montana Fishing Records

Pablo, Mont., angler Dick Zimmer  with a catch of yellow perch.

Montana Living

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks state fishing records.

The largest fish caught in Montana (on record, at least) is a 75-inch long, 96-pound white sturgeon caught in 1968. The shortest is a 3-inch spottail shiner caught in 2010, and the lightest is a 1.6-ounce mountain sucker caught in 2001.

Two anglers made the record books twice — Brady Miller and Ray Quigley. The Fort Peck Reservoir had the most records at nine, followed by Nelson Reservoir with five and the Tongue River Reservoir with four.

The largest cutthroat trout was a 16-pounder caught in Red Eagle Lake, Glacier National Park, in 1955. The largest bull trout was a 25.63-pounder caught somewhere in Montana in 1916.

Following are the Montana state fishing records as of August 2015:

Arctic grayling — 20-inch, 3.63-pound caught by Glenn Owens in Washtub Lake on June 28, 2003.

Bigmouth bass — 40.7-inch, 57.75-pound caught by Craig Grassel in Nelson Reservoir on June 4, 1994.

Black bullhead — 14.37-inch, 2.6-pound caught by Birrell White in Smiley Slough on June 20, 2009.

Black crappie — 16.7-inch, 3.13-pound caught by Al Elser in Tongue River Reservoir in 1973.

Bluegill — 11-inch, 2.64-pound caught by Brent Fladmo in Peterson’s Stock Dam on June 3, 1983.

Blue sucker — 32.56-inch, 11.56-pound caught by Dean Ambrister in Milk River on May 14, 2014.

Brook trout — 9.06-pound caught by John Cook in Lower Two Medicine Lake in 1940.

Brown trout — 29-pound caught by E.H. “Peck” Bacon in Wade Lake in 1966.

Bull trout (dolly varden) — 37-inch, 25.63-pound caught by James Hyer in 1916.

Burbot — 39-inch, 17.08-pound caught by Jeff Iwen in the Missouri River near Wolf Point on April 18, 1989.

Channel catfish — 41.75-inch, 34.8-pound caught by Dan Davenport in Fort Peck Reservoir on July 26, 2013.

Chinook salmon — 38-inch, 31.13-pound caught by Carl Niles in Fort Peck Reservoir on Oct. 2, 1991.

Cisco — 18.2-inch, 2.08-pound caught by Troy Holstein in Missouri River on June 2, 2014.

Creek chub — 11-inch, 0.52-pound caught by William Bibeau in Harbaugh Bass Pond on May 12, 2013.

Coho salmon — 25.5-inch, 4.88-pound caught by Irven Stohl in Fort Peck Reservoir on May 29, 1973.

Common carp — 38-inch, 40.2-pound caught by Jared Albus in Nelson Reservoir on May 24, 1998.

Cutthroat trout — 16-pound caught by William Sands in Red Eagle Lake in 1955.

Emerald shiner — 3.43-inch, 0.01-pound caught by Ike Braaten at Park Grove Bridge on June 9, 2006.

Flathead chub — 11.2-inch, 0.59-pound caught by Douglas Jordan in Thornton Pond on April 29, 2001.

Freshwater drum — 29.5-inch, 21.59-pound caught by Matt Washut in Ghost Coulee near Fort Peck on May 3, 2003.

Golden trout — 23.5-inch, 5.43-pound caught by Mike Malixi ini Cave Lake on July 16, 2000.

Goldeye — 3.18-pound caught by Don Nevrivy in Nelson Reservoir on July 4, 2000.

Green sunfish — 9-inch, 0.84-pound caught by Bette Schmieding in Hickson’s Pond on May 25, 2009.

Kokanee salmon — 26.8-inch, 7.85-pound caught by John Bomar in Hauser Lake on Sept. 23, 2003.

Lake chub — 3.9-inch, 0.02-pound caught by Joe Hagengruber in Teton River on Aug. 22, 2010.

Lake trout — 42.5-inch, 42.69-pound caught by Ruth Barber in Flathead Lake on June 23, 2004.

Lake whitefish — 27-inch, 10.46-pound caught by Swan McDonald V in Flathead Lake on Aug. 26, 2006.

Largemouth bass — 22.5-inch, 8.8-pound caught by Darin Williams in Noxon Rapids Reservoir on May 2, 2009.

Largescale sucker — 23.1-inch, 6.16-pound caught by Kevin Fraley in Woodland Pond on June 27, 2008.

Longnose sucker — 3.27-pound caught by Ray Quigley in Marias River near Loma on May 8, 1988.

Mottled sculpin — 0.05-pound caught by Brad Sullilvan in Belt Creek north of Neihart on July 30, 2001.

Mountain sucker — 6.2-inch, 1.6-ounce caught by Robert Garwood in Beaver Creek Reservoir on April 23, 2001.

Mountain whitefish — 23-inch, 5.11-pound caught by Walt Goodman in Hauser Reservoir on Oct. 10, 2007.

Northern pikeminnow — 27.125-inch, 7.88-pound caught by Darrel Torgrimson in Noxon Rapids Reservoir on May 28, 1991.

Northern pike — 37.5-pound caught by Lance Moyer in Tongue River Reservoir in 1972.

Paddlefish — 77-inch, 142.5-pound caught by Larry Branstetter in Missouri River near Kipp Park on May 20, 1973.

Pallid sturgeon — 60-pound caught by Gene Sattler in Yellowstone River near Sidney on May 13, 1979.

Peamouth — 16.125-inch, 1.52-pound caught by Mike Jensen in Clark Fork River on July 29, 2007.

Pumpkinseed — 9.5-inch, 0.95-pound caught by Nathan Bache in Upper Thompson Lake on July 30, 2006.

Pygmy whitefish — 9.84-inch, 0.36-pound caught by Richard Geldrich in Little Bitterroot Lake on Feb. 13, 2010.

Rainbow trout — 38.62-inch, 33.1-pound caught by Jack Housel Jr. in Kootenai River near David Thompson Bridge on Aug. 11, 1997.

Rainbow-cutthroat hybrid trout — 35.75-inch, 30.25-pound caught by Pat Kelley in Ashley Lake on May 16, 1982.

Redside shiner — 6.5-inch, 0.1-pound caught by Josh Ahles in Lost Lake on Aug. 21, 2001.

River carpsucker — 24-inch, 6.95-pound caught by Brady Miller in Fort Peck Reservoir on Aug. 15, 2008.

Rock bass — 10.8-inch, 1.31-pound caught by Karson Campbell in Lower Crazy Head Springs Pond on April 26, 2014.

Sauger — 28.2-inch, 8.805-pound caught by Gene Moore in Fort Peck Reservoir on Dec. 12, 1994.

Saugeye — 15.66-pound caught by Myron Kibler in Fort Peck Reservoir near Squaw Creek on Jan. 11, 1995.

Shorthead redhorse — 20.25-inch, 4.68-pound caught by Ray Quigley in Marias River near Loma on April 14, 1985.

Shortnose gar — 35-inch, 7.41-pound caught by Brandon Hansard in Fort Peck Dredge Cuts on May 16, 2013.

Shovelnose sturgeon — 39.75-inch, 14.125-pound caught by Chad Buck in Missouri River on May 21, 2010.

Smallmouth bass — 22.5-inch, 6.7-pound caught by Melvin McDonald in Fort Peck Reservoir on Aug. 30, 2013.

Smallmouth buffalo — 38-inch, 38-pound caught by Brady Miller in Nelson Reservoir on April 28, 2007.

Spottail shiner — 3-inch, 0.02-pound caught by Joe Hagengruber in Tiber Reservoir on Aug. 14, 2010.

Stonecat — 10-inch, 0.54-pound caught by Dale Bjerga in Milk River on June 16, 1996.

Tiger muskellunge — 50-inch, 38.75-pound caught by Lon Cantin in Deadman’s Basin Reservoir on Sept. 2, 2012.

Tiger trout — 20.6-inch, 4.04-pound caught by Joe Sobczak in Bear Lake on Feb. 9, 1997.

Utah chub — 1.81-pound caught by Eugene Bastian in Canyon Ferry Reservoir on Feb. 5, 1992.

Walleye — 35-inch, 17.75-pound caught by Robert Hart in Tiber Reservoir on Nov. 18, 2007.

White bass — 17-inch, 2.8-pound caught by Vernon Pacovsky in Missouri River south of Bainville on Oct. 13, 2007.

White crappie — 18.5-inch, 3.68-pound caught by Gene Bassett in Tongue Reservoir on May 10, 1996.

White sturgeon — 75-inch, 96-pound caught by Herb Stout in Kootenai River in 1968.

White sucker — 21.625-inch, 5.33-pound caught by Fred Perry in Nelson Reservoir on Feb. 10, 1983.

Yellow bullhead — 13.75-inch, 1.19-pound caught by Jordan Van Haele in Tongue River Reservoir on Aug. 18, 2013.

Yellow perch — 14.375-inch, 2.39-pound caught by Josh Emmert in Lower Stillwater Lake on Feb. 19, 2006.