New York State Freshwater Fishing Records (Per DEC)
IntroductionThese are the current official freshwater state records recognized by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation under the Angler Achievement Awards Program. If you want to know the biggest bass, catfish, trout, or sunfish in NY's inland waters, this is your list. Updated as of September 2025 with the latest record catches.
Department of Environmental Conservation
2025 New Record Holders
Dylan Kampnich made history on May 3, 2025, landing a massive 37 lb 9 oz Channel Catfish from Black River Bay, Jefferson County - shattering the previous record.Alex Pidhorodeckyj set the new Fallfish record at 4 lb 1 oz on May 13, 2025, from the St. Lawrence River using a soft plastic paddletail.
Benjamin Ferguson caught the new state record Brook Trout weighing 6 lb 3 oz on July 5, 2025, from St. Regis Canoe Area using a Lake Clear Wabbler.
Freshwater Record Directory (By Species)
| Largemouth Bass | 12 lb 6 oz | 25 in | James Britenbaugh | Cayuga Lake, Cayuga Co. | 7/11/2024 |
| Smallmouth Bass | 9 lb 0 oz | 23.125 in | Dante Piraino | St. Lawrence River, St. Lawrence Co. | 9/22/2024 |
| Rock Bass | 2 lb 0 oz | 14.5 in | Jason Leusch | Port Bay (Lake Ontario), Wayne Co. | 5/24/2020 |
| White Bass | 3 lb 8 oz | 18 in | Morgan Fonzi | Lower Niagara River, Niagara Co. | 5/6/2020 |
| Bluegill (Sunfish) | 2 lb 8 oz | 12 in | Devin VanZandt | Kohlbach Pond, Broome Co. | 8/3/1992 |
| Bowfin | 13 lb 8 oz | 30.5 in | Chase Soptelean | Yanty Creek, Monroe Co. | 6/13/2021 |
| Black Bullhead | 7 lb 7 oz | 26 in | Kevin Kelly | Mill Pond, Nassau Co. | 8/25/1993 |
| Brown Bullhead | 7 lb 6 oz | 22.2 in | Glenn Collacuro | Lake Mahopac, Putnam Co. | 8/1/2009 |
| Burbot | 16 lb 12 oz | 34.75 in | Terrance Colwell | Lake Ontario (Black River Bay), Jefferson Co. | 2/14/1991 |
| Common Carp | 50 lb 6 oz | 44.5 in | Charles Primeau Sr. | Tomhannock Reservoir, Rensselaer Co. | 5/12/1995 |
| Channel Catfish | 37 lb 9 oz | 40 in | Dylan Kampnich | Black River Bay, Jefferson County | 5/3/2025 |
| White Catfish | 10 lb 5 oz | 25.5 in | Joe Silicato | New Croton Reservoir, Westchester Co. | 5/17/1998 |
| Cisco (Lake Herring) | 5 lb 7 oz | — | Albert Baratto | Lake Lauderdale, Washington Co. | 1/25/1990 |
| Black Crappie | 4 lb 1 oz | 18.5 in | William Wightman | Lake Flavia, Cattaraugus Co. | 5/6/2018 |
| White Crappie | 4 lb 7 oz | 19 in | Roy Isaac | Sleepy Hollow Lake, Greene Co. | 8/21/2021 |
| Freshwater Drum | 36 lb 0 oz | 42.75 in | Jason Bair | Oneida Lake, Oneida Co. | 6/16/2017 |
| Fallfish | 4 lb 1 oz | 20.25 in | Alex Pidhorodeckyj | St. Lawrence River, St. Lawrence County | 5/13/2025 |
| Longnose Gar | 15 lb 14 oz | 53.25 in | Chuck Zimmerman | Butterfield Lake, Jefferson Co. | 6/21/2024 |
| Muskellunge | 69 lb 15 oz | 64.5 in | Arthur Lawton | St. Lawrence River, Jefferson Co. | 9/22/1957 |
| Tiger Muskellunge | 35 lb 8 oz | 50 in | Brett Gofgosky | Tioughnioga River, Broome Co. | 5/25/1990 |
| White Perch | 3 lb 1 oz | 17.5 in | Joseph Tansey | Lake Oscaletta, Westchester Co. | 9/21/1991 |
| Yellow Perch | 3 lb 8 oz | — | George Boice | Lake Erie, Erie Co. | 4/28/1982 |
| Chain Pickerel | 8 lb 1 oz | — | John Bosland | Toronto Reservoir, Sullivan Co. | 2/13/1965 |
| Northern Pike | 46 lb 2 oz | — | Peter Dubuc | Great Sacandaga Lake, Fulton Co. | 9/15/1940 |
| Pumpkinseed (Sunfish) | 1 lb 9 oz | 11.5 in | R. Kennard Mosher / Jordan Tontarski | Indian Lake, Hamilton Co. / Black River, Jefferson Co. | 7/19/1994 / 1/26/2020 |
| Atlantic Salmon | 24 lb 15 oz | 35 in | Mike Dandino | Lake Ontario, Wayne Co. | 4/5/1997 |
| Chinook Salmon | 47 lb 13 oz | 48 in | Kurtis Killian | Salmon River, Oswego Co. | 9/7/1991 |
| Coho Salmon | 33 lb 7 oz | 41.9 in | Stephen Sheets Jr. | Lake Ontario, Oswego Co. | 8/13/1998 |
| American Shad | 9 lb 4 oz | 28 in | Robert Kubica | Hudson River, Albany Co. | 5/9/2007 |
| Shorthead Redhorse Sucker | 11 lb 11 oz | — | Joe Williams | Salmon River, Oswego Co. | 5/26/1996 |
| White Sucker | 5 lb 8 oz | 24 in | Joshua Wegner | Cold Brook, Steuben Co. | 4/14/2015 |
| Brook Trout | 6 lb 3 oz | 22 in | Benjamin Ferguson | St. Regis Canoe Area, Franklin County | 7/5/2025 |
| Brown Trout | 33 lb 2 oz | 38 in | Tony Brown | Lake Ontario, Oswego Co. | 6/10/1997 |
| Lake Trout | 41 lb 8 oz | 42.75 in | Jesse Wykstra | Lake Erie, Chautauqua Co. | 8/9/2003 |
| Rainbow Trout | 31 lb 3 oz | 39 in | Robert Wilson | Lake Ontario, Niagara Co. | 8/14/2004 |
| Splake Trout | 13 lb 8 oz | 31 in | Jonathan Simon | Limekiln Lake, Herkimer Co. | 6/27/2004 |
| Walleye | 18 lb 2 oz | 32 in | Brian Hartman | St. Lawrence River, St. Lawrence Co. | 5/5/2018 |
| Lake Whitefish | 10 lb 8 oz | 27.87 in | Randolph Smith | Lake Pleasant, Hamilton Co. | 8/29/1995 |
[th]
Species
[/th][th]Weight / Size
[/th][th]Length (if listed)
[/th][th]Angler
[/th][th]Waterbody / Location
[/th][th]Date / Year
[/th]Note: DEC's "Current State Records" page holds additional species beyond what's in the table above.
Notes & References
All weights, lengths, angler names, waterbodies, and dates are drawn directly from DEC's Angler Achievement Awards Program official page as of September 2025.Department of Environmental Conservation
These records are periodically updated; always cross-check with DEC's current list.
Some older records (for less popular species) may not have updated angler names or precise measurements readily published.
Senior Fishing License Discount: George, as you're turning 70 this year, remember that New York offers discounted hunting and fishing licenses for $5 to seniors 70 and older!
