Record fish caught in South Dakota

Written by:
October 21, 2022
Canva

Record fish caught in South Dakota

Anglers the world over gather regularly for fishing derbies to see who can land the biggest catch. But record-breaking fish can be caught at anytime, weighed on an International Game Fish Association-certified scale at any number of tackle shops or marinas, and compared to the IGFA's online records database. Sport-fishing enthusiasts can even have their own scales certified by the IGFA for a $40 fee.

Stacker compiled a list of record fish caught in South Dakota using data from Land Big Fish. Fish pictured are not the actual record catch. Keep reading to see which bodies of water in your state hold some of the most massive fish around.

You may also like: Highest-rated wineries in South Dakota, according to Yelp
1 / 52
Canva

American Eel

- Weight: 5 lbs 3 oz
- Location: Missouri River
- Record set by Velma Weverstad in 1969
2 / 52
Alus164 // Wikimedia Commons

Bigmouth Buffalo

- Weight: 51 lbs 9 oz
- Location: Mitchell Lake
- Record set by Reg Young in 1993
3 / 52
Rostislav Stefanek // Shutterstock

Black Bullhead

- Weight: 4 lbs 5 oz
- Location: Lake Poinsett
- Record set by Adam Arendsee in 2009
4 / 52
Steve Oehlenschlager // Shutterstock

Black Crappie

- Weight: 3 lbs 8 oz
- Location: SDSU pond
- Record set by Benjamin Wight in 2004
5 / 52
M Huston // Shutterstock

Blue Catfish

- Weight: 99 lbs 4 oz
- Location: Big Sioux River
- Record set by Steve Lemmon in 2012
You may also like: Counties with the worst droughts in South Dakota
6 / 52
USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Spencer Neuharth / USFWS // Wikimedia Commons

Blue Sucker

- Weight: 12 lbs 7 oz
- Location: Ft. Randall Tailrace
- Record set by Larry Peters in 1988
7 / 52
dcwcreations // Shutterstock

Bluegill Sunfish

- Weight: 3 lbs 4 oz
- Location: Stock Dam
- Record set by Scott Sanner in 1980
8 / 52
slowmotiongli // Shutterstock

Brook Trout

- Weight: 11 lbs 3 oz
- Location: Deerfield Lake
- Record set by Ryan Rempfer in 2007
9 / 52
slowmotiongli // Shutterstock

Brown Bullhead

- Weight: 3 lbs 11 oz
- Location: Big Stone Lake
- Record set by Mike Piechowski in 1993
10 / 52
Rostislav Stefanek // Shutterstock

Brown Trout

- Weight: 24 lbs 8 oz
- Location: Canyon Lake
- Record set by Wilfred H. Huether in 1990
You may also like: Best private colleges in South Dakota
11 / 52
Neon_TI // Shutterstock

Burbot

- Weight: 12 lbs 3 oz
- Location: Lake Sharpe
- Record set by Norman Sheldon in 1974
12 / 52
Aleron Val // Shutterstock

Channel Catfish

- Weight: 55 lbs 0 oz
- Location: James River
- Record set by Roy Groves in 1949
13 / 52
Kevin Cass // Shutterstock

Chinook (King) Salmon

- Weight: 23 lbs 14 oz
- Location: Lake Oahe
- Record set by Keith West in 2003
14 / 52
Michaela Holubova // Shutterstock

Cisco

- Weight: 4 lbs 3 oz
- Location: Lake Oahe
- Record set by Lee Delo in 1999
15 / 52
Troutnut // Shutterstock

Coho Salmon

- Weight: 3 lbs 5 oz
- Location: Missouri River - Oahe Tailwaters
- Record set by Barbara Poaches in 1974
You may also like: Cities with the most expensive homes in South Dakota
16 / 52
Vladimir Wrangel // Shutterstock

Common Carp

- Weight: 37 lbs 7 oz
- Location: Waubay Lake
- Record set by Stephen Wood in 2012
17 / 52
CSNafzger // Shutterstock

Cutthroat Trout

- Weight: 6 lbs 5 oz
- Location: Rapid Creek
- Record set by Dick Rossum in 1989
18 / 52
M Huston // Shutterstock

Flathead Catfish

- Weight: 60 lbs 8 oz
- Location: James River
- Record set by Roger Adam in 2004
19 / 52
Roxana Gonzalez // Shutterstock

Freshwater Drum

- Weight: 36 lbs 8 oz
- Location: Missouri River
- Record set by Alvin D. Williams in 1971
20 / 52
mujijoa79 // Shutterstock

Gizzard Shad

- Weight: 4 lbs 6 oz
- Location: Lake Sharpe
- Record set by Slim Rutschke in 1992
You may also like: Best public high schools in South Dakota
21 / 52
Jason Patrick Ross // Shutterstock

Golden Shiner

- Weight: 0 lbs 4 oz
- Location: private pond
- Record set by Vicki Raths in 1985
22 / 52
USFWS Mountain-Prairie // Wikimedia Commons

Goldeye

- Weight: 3 lbs 13 oz
- Location: Missouri River - Lake Oahe Tailrace
- Record set by Gary Heuer in 1987
23 / 52
M Huston // Shutterstock

Green Sunfish

- Weight: 1 lbs 5 oz
- Location: Minnehaha Co. Stock Pond
- Record set by Alex Meland in 2005
24 / 52
Ryan Cuddy // Shutterstock

Kokanee Salmon

- Weight: 2 lbs 11 oz
- Location: Pactola Reservoir
- Record set by Russ Backus in 1974
25 / 52
James.Pintar // Shutterstock

Lake Sturgeon

- Weight: 40 lbs 0 oz
- Location: Missouri River
- Record set by Daniel Bouza in 1990
You may also like: Counties with the most tornadoes in South Dakota
26 / 52
Pi-Lens // Shutterstock

Lake Trout

- Weight: 28 lbs 5 oz
- Location: Pactola Reservoir
- Record set by Steve Matheny in 2009
27 / 52
Pierre Rebollar // Shutterstock

Largemouth Bass

- Weight: 9 lbs 3 oz
- Location: gravel pit
- Record set by Richard Viereck in 1999
28 / 52
Mikhail Blajenov // Shutterstock

Longnose Gar

- Weight: 16 lbs 12 oz
- Location: Missouri River
- Record set by Curt Larseon in 1996
29 / 52
NOAA // Wikimedia Commons

Mooneye

- Weight: 1 lbs 7 oz
- Location: Missouri River - Lake Oahe Tailwaters
- Record set by Roe Gifford in 1967
30 / 52
M Huston // Shutterstock

Muskellunge

- Weight: 40 lbs 0 oz
- Location: Amsden Dam
- Record set by Daniel B. Krueger in 1991
You may also like: Seniors in these South Dakota counties have the highest Alzheimer's rates
31 / 52
FedBul // Shutterstock

Northern Pike

- Weight: 36 lbs 3 oz
- Location: Lake Oahe
- Record set by Jeff Case in 1993
32 / 52
Saran Jantraurai // Shutterstock

Paddlefish

- Weight: 120 lbs 12 oz
- Location: Missouri River - Ft. Randall Dam Tailwaters
- Record set by Don Gregg in 1979
33 / 52
Glass and Nature // Shutterstock

Pumpkinseed Sunfish

- Weight: 0 lbs 12 oz
- Location: Lake Carthage
- Record set by Pat McCart in 1970
34 / 52
Canva

Rainbow Trout

- Weight: 19 lbs 4 oz
- Location: Missouri River - Oahe Tailwaters
- Record set by Rom Moore in 1980
35 / 52
Duane Raver // Wikimedia Commons

River Carpsucker

- Weight: 7 lbs 15 oz
- Location: Lake Sharpe
- Record set by Paulette H. Gun in 1999
You may also like: States sending the most people to South Dakota
36 / 52
Steve Brigman // Shutterstock

Rock Bass

- Weight: 2 lbs 0 oz
- Location: Lewis & Clark Lake
- Record set by Joe A. Kippes in 1990
37 / 52
Steve Oehlenschlager // Shutterstock

Sauger

- Weight: 7 lbs 7 oz
- Location: Missouri River - Oahe Tailwaters
- Record set by Harvey Holzworth in 1960
38 / 52
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center // Wikimedia Commons

Shorthead Redhorse

- Weight: 3 lbs 11 oz
- Location: Missouri River - Oahe Tailwaters
- Record set by Phil Laumeyer in 1997
39 / 52
GUNAWAN SIDIK // Shutterstock

Shortnose Gar

- Weight: 5 lbs 10 oz
- Location: Ft. Randall Tailrace
- Record set by Leo Hopkins Jr. in 1998
40 / 52
Andrea Izzotti // Shutterstock

Shovelnose Sturgeon

- Weight: 6 lbs 10 oz
- Location: Lake Sharpe
- Record set by Don McMullen in 1987
You may also like: How drunk driving fatalities in South Dakota compare to the rest of the US
41 / 52
CSNafzger // Shutterstock

Smallmouth Bass

- Weight: 6 lbs 9 oz
- Location: Lake Poinsett
- Record set by Darin Laue in 2008
42 / 52
Ohio DNR // Wikimedia Commons

Smallmouth Buffalo

- Weight: 30 lbs 0 oz
- Location: Missouri River
- Record set by Bill Lynch in 1986
43 / 52
Matt Jeppson // Shutterstock

Splake

- Weight: 10 lbs 13 oz
- Location: Deerfield Lake
- Record set by Dennis Larive in 2005
44 / 52
Jennifer de Graaf // Shutterstock

Tiger Muskellunge

- Weight: 37 lbs 7 oz
- Location: Lake Sharpe-Stilling Basin
- Record set by Jason Besmer in 2003
45 / 52
Matt Jeppson // Shutterstock

Tiger Trout

- Weight: 1 lbs 2 oz
- Location: Center Lake
- Record set by Tom Reeve in 2012
You may also like: South Dakota ranks #1 in mental health care deserts
46 / 52
wwwarjag //Shutterstock

Walleye

- Weight: 15 lbs 3 oz
- Location: Lake Sharpe
- Record set by George Heyde in 1979
47 / 52
Apostrophe // Shutterstock

White Bass

- Weight: 4 lbs 12 oz
- Location: North Rush Lake
- Record set by Steve Kennedy in 2011
48 / 52
Jennifer White Maxwell // Shutterstock

White Crappie

- Weight: 3 lbs 9 oz
- Location: private pond
- Record set by Gary Ernst in 1974
49 / 52
RLS Photo // Shutterstock

White Sucker

- Weight: 9 lbs 5 oz
- Location: Rush Lake
- Record set by Domanic Heim in 2012
50 / 52
Canva

Whitefish

- Weight: 7 lbs 9 oz
- Location: Missouri River - Oahe Tailwaters
- Record set by Clinton Woody in 1988
You may also like: South Dakota small businesses thrive in these counties
51 / 52
jpreat // Shutterstock

Yellow Bullhead

- Weight: 2 lbs 11 oz
- Location: Big Stone Lake
- Record set by Robert Adams in 1980
52 / 52
John Piekos // Shutterstock

Yellow Perch

- Weight: 2 lbs 12 oz
- Location: Bitter Lake
- Record set by Dave Engels in 2004

Trending Now