State record fish: Catch and release

Records

18 additional fish species records now offer records

Applications now are being accepted so fish listed below can join flathead catfish, lake sturgeon, muskellunge and northern pike on the catch and release records list.

  • Bigmouth buffalo
  • Blue sucker
  • Bowfin
  • Brook trout
  • Brown trout
  • Channel catfish
  • Freshwater drum
  • Lake trout
  • Largemouth bass
  • Longnose gar
  • Rainbow trout
  • Sauger
  • Shortnose gar
  • Shovelnose sturgeon
  • Smallmouth bass
  • Smallmouth buffalo
  • Tiger muskellunge
  • Walleye

Fish listed below were documented using catch and release application materials submitted by the anglers who caught them. See the rules section to submit an application for a catch and release record.

Use show entries, search and sort to locate and list record fish

Last update: Wednesday, September 10, 2025 @ 04:29 pm CDT
FishLength 1Girth 1CaughtPlace caughtCountyAngler
Catfish, Flathead52½28/2/2017St. Croix RiverWashingtonMark Mosby, St. Anthony
Muskellunge58¼N/P6/11/2022Mille Lacs LakeMille LacsEric Bakke, Princeton
Sturgeon,, Lake7829½2/9/2019St. Croix RiverWashingtonDarren Troseth, Jordan
Northern Pike - tie46¼23⅔1/22/2023Mille Lacs LakeAitkinBrad Lila, Hudson, Wis.
Northern Pike - tie46¼N/P6/19/2021Basswood LakeLakeBrecken Kobylecky, Geneva, Ill
Sturgeon, Shovelnose35N/P3/12/2024Minnesota RiverScottElliot Feldman, Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
Trout, Brown30N/P4/15/2024Lake SuperiorSt. LouisDan Zeleznikar, Duluth
Trout, Lake43.25N/P3/12/2025Lake SuperiorSt. LouisIsaiah Bartlett, Culver
Bass, Smallmoth22.75N/P6/25/2024Basswood LakeLakeXavier Bradley-Rael, Omaha, Neb.
Gar, Longnose51N/P9/13/2024Mississippi RiverHoustonAdam Atkins, Blaine
Trout, Brook19N/P1/3/2025Alruss LakeSt. LouisJustin Hindler, Babbit
Trout, Rainbow28.5N/P4/26/2025Stewart RiverLakeLucy Spatafore, Maple Grove
Buffalo, Bigmouth34N/P4/26/2005Otter Tail RiverOtter TailEthan Rasset, Fergus Falls
Buffalo, Smallmouth32.5N/P3/28/2005St. Croix RiverWashingtonAndrew Nicholson, Hugo
Bowfin31N/P8/2/2025Mississippi RiverBeltramiBenjamin Erb, Farmington

1 Listed in inches • 2 N/P: Not provided

Rules

Download, review, save and print the complete rules and application package before you go fishing.

If you catch a fish that you think could be a record, follow these steps:

  • To ensure your catch qualifies:
    1. For a catch and release record that exists, find and review the listing in the table above to ensure your fish is at least ¼-inch longer than the existing record.
    2. For a new record, .

      FishMinimum length
      Bigmouth buffalo32 inches
      Blue sucker 28 inches
      Bowfin 31 inches
      Brook trout 18 inches
      Brown trout 24 inches
      Channel catfish 38 inches
      Freshwater drum 31 inches
      Lake trout 4o inches.
      Largemouth bass 22 inches
      Longnose gar 46 inches
      Rainbow trout 23 inches
      Sauger 22 inches
      Shortnose gar 3o inches
      Shovelnose sturgeon 32 inches
      Snallmouth bass 22 inches
      Smallmouth buffalo 31 inches
      Tiger musskellunge 44 inches
      Walleye 32 inches
  • Download the catch and release record fish application.
  • An observer must witness your catch and release and is required to sign and date your application in the appropriate area.
  • Complete the application, follow the application's detailed instructions on taking photographs and send all application materials to the address listed on the application.
  • Fish may not be caught using any methods other than angling and may not be snagged.
  • Fish caught from any fish hatchery (private, club or government) are not eligible to be considered for a state record.
  • Fish caught on a body of water without a public access are not eligible to be considered for a state record.
  • Fish must be caught during the legal open season and hours in Minnesota waters, including those boundary waters where a Minnesota fishing license is valid, by a person licensed or otherwise legally entitled to angle in Minnesota.
  • The girth of the fish, measured around the thickest portion of the body, is desired but optional.
  • Applications must be submited within 90 days of the date on which the fish was caught.

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