List of West Virginia State Fishing Records

This list of West Virginia State Fishing Records includes all major records of the largest fish of each species taken by hook and line in West Virginia waters. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]}

Records

Species	Year	Total Length (Inches)	Total Weight (Pounds)	Location	Angler	Record	Reference
Largemouth bass	1994	24.8	12.28	Grant County	David W. Heeter	Weight
Largemouth bass	2001	25.75	9.62	Dog Run Lake	Eli Gain	Length
Smallmouth bass	1971	24.25	9.75	South Branch	David Lindsay	Weight
Smallmouth bass	1976	25.5	7.5	New River	Franklin J. Elliott	Length
Rock bass	1964	13.8	1.75	Big Sandy Creek	Warren Ryan
Spotted bass	1988	19	3.82	RD Bailey Lake	Leonard Blankenship
Spotted bass	2000	19	4.77	RD Bailey Lake	Kevin Dameron
Striped bass	2000	47.16	45.69	Bluestone Lake	James Brooks
Hybrid striped bass	1985	31.5	16.75	Kanawha River	Robert Honaker	Weight
Hybrid striped bass	2000	32.1	14	Kanawha River	Frankie Harris	Length
White bass	1985	20	4.56	New River	Louis Puskas
Bluegill	1964	13.75	2.25	Fayette County	Dennis Criss	Length
Bluegill	1986	11.7	2.75	Randolph County	Mark Allan Lewis	Weight
Bowfin	1994	32.25	7.54	Berkeley County	Donald E. Newcomb, III	Length	[6]
Bowfin	2024	30.20	10.60	Ohio River	Lauren Noble	Weight	[6] [7]
Buffalo	1976	41	38	Little Kanawha River	Hobert Null
Common carp	1988	41	41.5	Stonecoal Lake	Charles J. Cook	Length
Common carp	1998	39.3	47	Preston County	Gary Johnson	Weight
Grass carp	2002	50.75	71.69	Warden Lake	William R. Taucher
Blue catfish	2023	50.51	69.45	Ohio River	Michael John Drake		[8] [7]
Bullhead catfish	1977	22.75	6.1	Tygart Lake Headwaters	Gary R. Freeman
Channel catfish	2005	40.3	33.38	Patterson Creek	Michael Sears
Flathead catfish	1956	52	70	Little Kanawha River	L.L. McClung
Chain pickerel	2001	27.75	6.19	Tuckahoe Lake	Steven Demma
Black crappie	2024	17.36	2.85	Woodrum Lake	Craig Webb		[9] [10]
Crappie	1971	19.75	4.05	Meathouse Fork	Leonard Edgell
Eel	1977	44	7.25	Bunker Hill Quarry	Arlie R. Ruble	Weight
Eel	1983	44.25	6.27	Elk River	Steve Woods	Length
Fallfish	1970	21.25	3.5	North Fork of South Branch	James Blackwell
Freshwater drum	1954	37	25	Little Kanawha River	Bill Dawkins	Length
Freshwater drum	1989	35.5	27	South Fork Hughes River	Charles Mickel Lott	Weight
Longnose gar	1993	50.5	19.08	Kanawha River	Michael Shan Casey	Weight
Longnose gar	2003	50.63	16.75	Fish Creek	Brian Klug	Length
Goldeye	1983	18.5	3	Ohio River	Delbert McWilliams
Muskellunge	1997	50.37	49.75	Stonecoal Lake	Anna Marsh	Weight
Muskellunge	2003	52.7	38.5	Stonecoal Lake	Glenn Boyd	Length
Northern pike	1989	42.6	22.06	Dog Run Lake	Boyd O. Pratt Sr
Redbreast sunfish	2024	9.29	.57	New Creek Dam	Zach Adkins		[11] [7]
Sauger	1985	23	4.75	Ohio River	Steve Powell
Saugeye	2000	26.0	7.25	Ohio River	Dru Beck	Weight
Saugeye	2000	27.1	6.13	East Lynn Lake	Wendell Williamson	Length
Skipjack herring	2000	18.9	2	Ohio River	Christian Pyles	Length
Skipjack herring	2002	18.4	2.61	Kanawha River	Steve Skeens	Weight
Tiger muskie	1994	49.25	36.5	Mountwood Lake	Clyde E. Beckett
Trout	1981	23.5	4.78	Lost River	Jack E. Foltz
Brook trout	2004	22.25	7.64	Shavers Fork of Cheat River	Gary M. Chapman
Brown trout	1968	32	16	South Branch	Paul Barker
Golden rainbow trout	1987	27.5	8.63	Stonecoal Lake	Gerald Estep	Length
Golden rainbow trout	1998	26.4	9.31	Brushy Fork Lake	Danny Crider	Weight
Rainbow trout	1993	31.7	11.74	Stonecoal Lake	John P. Arnett
Tiger trout	2010	28.7	10.63	Krodel Lake	Mike Connolly	Length	[11]
Tiger trout	2024	26.3	11.98	New Creek Dam	Nathaniel Smith	Weight	[11] [7]
Walleye	1976	35	15	Kanawha Falls	Fred Cline	Length
Walleye	2003	32.0	17.82	Kanawha River	Steve Skeens	Weight
Yellow perch	2008	15.25	1		Joshua D. Carr	Length
Yellow perch	1985	14.5	1.83	Tygart Lake	Charles Mayle	Weight

References

1. "West Virginia State Fishing Records". WVSportsmen.com. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
2. "Record fish caught in West Virginia". WBOY. October 22, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
3. "West Virginia Fishing Records". West Virginia DNR . Retrieved August 25, 2024.
4. "West Virginia Fishing Records". Land Big Fish. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
5. Kirk, Sam (January 10, 2024). "West Virginia DNR creates 5 new state fishing record categories". WBOY . Retrieved August 25, 2024.
6. Kirk, Sam (March 20, 2024). "West Virginia woman catches state record bowfin". WBOY . Retrieved August 25, 2024.
7. Nolef, George (March 28, 2024). "Four new record fish in three months caught in West Virginia". WBOY . Retrieved August 25, 2024.
8. "Blue catfish state record broken for fourth straight year in West Virginia". WDTV. December 21, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
9. Lynch, John (August 23, 2024). "Two West Virginia fishermen catch record-breaking fish the same day within hours of each other". WBOY . Retrieved August 25, 2024.
10. Lynch, John (August 23, 2024). "Two West Virginia anglers catch record-breaking fish in same morning". WOWK . Retrieved August 25, 2024.
11. Kirk, Sam (March 19, 2024). "Two West Virginia anglers catch record-breaking fish in same morning". WTRF. Retrieved August 25, 2024.