WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — There are 36 species of fish in Kansas that have a record holder.
According to the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks (KDWP), “All potential state record fish must be identified by a Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks district fisheries biologist or regional fisheries supervisor before being recorded. The fish must be weighed on a certified scale before it is frozen. And, a sharp, color photo must accompany the completed application. Only species listed on the Kansas State Record list will be accepted at this time.”
Below is a list of those 36 state record fish:
Americal Eel
The biggest American Eel was caught in the Kansas River by Ralph B. Westerman, of Manhattan, on June 23, 1987. Westerman used a rod and reel with a green worm to catch the 4.44-pound, 35 1/4-inch eel.
For more information on the American Eel, click here.
Bigmouth Buffalo
The biggest Bigmouth Buffalo was caught in the Cheney Reservoir by Trey Patterson, of Cheney, on June 8, 2019. Patterson used a rod and reel with a rattle trap to catch the 62.5-pound, 45 3/4-inch fish.
Black Crappie
The biggest Black Crappie was caught in the Woodson State Fishing Lake by Hazel Fey, of Toronto, on Oct. 21, 1957. Fey used a rod and reel with a live minnow to catch the 4.63-pound, 22-inch fish.
For more information on the Black Crappie, click here.
Blue Catfish
The biggest Blue Catfish was caught in the Missouri River by Robert Stanley, of Olathe, on Aug. 11, 2012. Stanley used a rod and reel with a cut bait to catch the 102.8-pound, 56.75-inch fish.
For more information on the Blue Catfish, click here.
Bluegill
The biggest Bluegill was caught in a Scott County farm pond by Robert Jefferies, of Modoc, on May 26, 1962. Jefferies used a rod and reel with a worm to catch the 2.31-pound, 11-inch fish.
For more information on the Bluegill, click here.
Brown Trout
The biggest Brown Trout was caught in a Kanopolis Reservoir seep stream by Walter Sharp, of Abilene, on March 28, 2018. Sharp used a rod and wheel with a berkley fat floating trout worm to catch the 4.62-pound, 21 1/2-inch fish.
Bullhead Catfish
The biggest Bullhead Catfish was caught in a farm pond in Montgomery County by David A. Tremain, of Havana, on May 15, 1985. Tremain used a rod and reel with a crayfish to catch the 7.33-pound, 14 1/2-inch fish.
For more information on the Bullhead Catfish, click here.
Carp
The biggest Carp was caught in Carey Park in Hutchinson by Phil McAmis, of Hutchinson, on June 10, 1997. McAmis used a rod and reel with corn to catch the 47.10-pound, 40 1/4-inch fish.
Channel Catfish
The biggest Channel Catfish was caught in a Mined Land Wildlife Area by Rick Barnow, of Humboldt, on June 3, 2003. Barnow used a rod and reel with fish entrails to catch the 36.5-pound, 38-inch fish.
Drum
The biggest Drum was caught in the Blue River in Riley County by Bill Hull, of Blue Rapids, on Sept. 2, 2008. Hull used a trotline with crayfish to catch the 31.50-pound, 40 1/8-inch fish.
For more information on the Drum, click here.
Flathead Catfish
The biggest Flathead Catfish was caught in the Elk City Reservoir by Ken Paulie, of Caney, on May 14, 1998. Paulie used a rod and reel with a jig and minnow to catch the 123-pound, 61-inch fish.
For more information on the Green Sunfish, click here.
Goldeye
The biggest Goldeye was caught in the Milford Reservoir by Mike Augustine, of Junction City, on June 19, 1980. Augustine used a rod and reel with a vibrotail to catch the 2.25-pound, 17 3/4-inch fish.
Grass Carp
The biggest Grass Carp was caught in the Atchison State Fishing Lake by Kenneth Mosby Jr., of Kansas City, Mo., on Sept. 30, 2012. Mosby used a rod and reel with a cricket to catch the 77.75-pound, 45.75-inch fish.
Green Sunfish
The biggest Green Sunfish was caught in a farm pond by Fae Vaupel, of Russell, on Sept. 26, 1982. Vaupel used a rod and reel with a grasshopper to catch the 2.36-pound, 11 1/2-inch fish.
For more information on the Green Sunfish, click here.
Hybrid (Bluegill/Green) Sunfish
The biggest Hybrid (Bluegill/Green) Sunfish was caught in a farm pond by Ron Fountain, of Paola, on May 17, 1999. Fountain used a rod and reel with a number three Mepps to catch the 2.65-pound, 13 3/8-inch fish.
Largemouth Bass
The biggest Largemouth Bass was caught in a private pit lake in Cherokee County by Tyson Hallam, of Scammon, on May 3, 2008. Hallam used a rod and reel with a jig and pig to catch the 11.8-pound, 28 1/2-inch fish.
For more information on the Largemouth Bass, click here.
Longnose Gar
The biggest Longnose Gar was caught in a Perry Reservoir outlet by Ray Schroeder, of Topeka, on May 21, 1974. Schroeder used a rod and reel with a yellow beetle to catch the 31.5-pound fish.
Northern Pike
The biggest Northern Pike was caught in the Council Grove Reservoir by Mr. and Mrs. H.A. Bowman, of Manhattan, on Aug. 28, 1971. They used a rod and reel with a silver spoon to catch the 24.75-pound, 44-inch fish.
For more information on the Northern Pike, click here.
Paddlefish
The biggest Paddlefish was caught in an Atchinson County pond by Clinton Boldridge, of Riley, on May 5, 2004. Boldridge used a rod and reel to catch the 144-pound, 54 1/4-inch fish.
For more information on the Paddlefish, click here.
Rainbow Trout
The biggest Rainbow Trout was caught in Kill Creek Park Lake by Josh McCullough, of Spring Hill, on Feb. 23, 2014. McCullough used a rod and reel with berkley gulp corn to catch the 15.72-pound, 28.5-inch fish.
For more information on the KDWP Trout Fishing Program, click here.
Redear Sunfish
The biggest Redear Sunfish was caught in the Finney Wildlife Area by Larry Fox, of Scott City, on July 4, 1995. Fox used a rod and reel with a jig to catch the 1.69-pound, 11 3/4-inch fish.
For more information on the Redear Sunfish, click here.
Sauger
The biggest Sauger was caught in the Melvern Reservoir by Jimmy Barnes, of Kansas City, on Nov. 29, 1996. Barnes used a rod and reel with a jig and minnow to catch the 4.8-pound, 23.75-inch fish.
For more information on the Sauger, click here.
Saugeye
The biggest Saugeye was caught in the Sebelius Reservoir by Raymond Wait, of Norton, on Nov. 13, 1998. Wait used a rod and reel with a lure to catch the 9.81-pound, 28 1/2-inch fish.
For more information on the Saugeye, click here.
Shortnose Gar
The biggest Shortnose Gar was caught in the Delaware River above Perry Lake by Kevin Dishong, of Archie, Mo., on July 1, 2017. Dishong used bow fishing gear to catch the 9.64-pound, 35 1/2-inch fish.
Shovelnose Sturgeon
The biggest Shovelnose Sturgeon was caught in the Lovewell Reservoir by Edwin P. Hood, of Mankato, on July 4, 1999. Hood used a trotline with a night crawler to catch the 5.23-pound, 35 1/2-inch fish.
Smallmouth Bass
The biggest Smallmouth Bass was caught in Milford Reservoir by Frank Evans Jr., of Salina, on April 4, 2010. Evans used a rod and reel with jerk bait to catch the 6.88-pound, 21 1/2-inch fish.
For more information on the Smallmouth Bass, click here.
Smallmouth Buffalo
The biggest Smallmouth Buffalo was caught in a farm pond in Douglas County by Scott Butler, of Lawrence, on May 2, 1979. Butler used a rod and reel to catch the 51-pound, 41-inch fish.
Spotted (Kentucky) Bass
The biggest Spotted (Kentucky) Bass was caught in Marion County Lake by Clarence E. McCarter, of Wichita, on April 16, 1977. McCarter used a fly rod with a medium popper to catch the 4.44-pound, 18 1/2-inch fish.
For more information on the Spotted (Kentucky) Bass, click here.
Spotted Gar
The biggest Spotted Gar was caught in the Chetopa Dam by Charles Harbert, of Arma, on May 13, 1983. Harbert used a bow and arrow to catch the 7.75-pound, 33 1/2-inch fish.
Striped Bass
The biggest Striped Bass was caught in the Wilson Reservoir by Paul Bahr, of Ellsworth, on May 14, 2010. Bahr used a rod and reel with a live shad to catch the 44-pound, 44-inch fish.
For more information on the Striped Bass, click here.
Walleye
The biggest Walleye was caught in the Wilson Reservoir by Dustin Ritter, of Hoisington, on April 17, 1996. Ritter used a rod and reel with a rapala to catch the 13.16-pound, 29-inch fish.
For more information on the Walleye, click here.
Warmouth Bass
The biggest Warmouth Bass was caught in a Mined Land Wildlife Area by Vivian A. Bradley, of Pittsburg, on April 30, 1988. Bradley used a rod and reel with worms to catch the 1.11-pound, 10 1/2-inch fish.
White Bass
The biggest White Bass was caught in the river above John Redmond by Marvin W. Gary, of Peculiar, Mo., on April 11, 2002. Gary used a rod and reel with a roadrunner to catch the 5.67-pound, 20 3/8-inch fish.
For more information on the White Bass, click here.
White Crappie
The biggest White Crappie was caught in the Pottawatomie State Fishing Lake No. 2 by Bobby Parkhurst, of Topeka, on March 5, 2024. Parkhurst used a rod and reel with a minnow to catch the 4.07-pound, 18-inch fish.
For more information on the White Crappie, click here.
Wiper
The biggest Wiper was caught in the Perry Reservoir Outlet by James M. Moore, of Fort Riley, on Aug. 8, 2010. Moore used a rod and reel with a zara spook to catch the 25-pound, 20 3/8-inch fish.
For more information on the Wiper, click here.
Yellow Perch
The biggest Yellow Perch was caught in a farm pond in Sherman County by Tami Sanderson, of Goodland, on Feb. 20, 2022. Sanderson used a rod and reel with a minnow to catch the 1.46-pound, 13.66 fish.
For more information on the Yellow Perch, click here.
The complete list of State Record Fish can be found here. A fish identification gallery can be found here.
