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Record fish caught in Illinois

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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 Illinois 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.

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Atlantic Salmon

Ilya Marchenko // Shutterstock

1 / 48

Atlantic Salmon

- Weight: 18 lbs 11.25 oz
- Location: Lake Michigan
- Record set by Robert Lueckhoff in 1979
Bighead Carp

Rostislav Stefanek // Shutterstock

2 / 48

Bighead Carp

- Weight: 43 lbs 3 oz
- Location: Lyerla Lake
- Record set by Larry Hileman in 1995
Black Buffalo

USFWS National Image Library // Wikimedia Commons

3 / 48

Black Buffalo

- Weight: 23 lbs 12 oz
- Location: Rock River
- Record set by Ron Smith in 1984
Black Bullhead

Rostislav Stefanek // Shutterstock

4 / 48

Black Bullhead

- Weight: 5 lbs 6 oz
- Location: strip mine lake
- Record set by Justin White in 1988
Blue Catfish

M Huston // Shutterstock

6 / 48

Blue Catfish

- Weight: 124 lbs 4 oz
- Location: Mississippi River
- Record set by Tim Pruitt in 2005
Bluegill Sunfish

dcwcreations // Shutterstock

7 / 48

Bluegill Sunfish

- Weight: 3 lbs 8 oz
- Location: private pond
- Record set by Darren May in 1987
Bowfin

Miroslav Halama // Shutterstock

8 / 48

Bowfin

- Weight: 16 lbs 6 oz
- Location: Rend Lake
- Record set by Charles R. Keller in 1984
Brook Trout

slowmotiongli // Shutterstock

9 / 48

Brook Trout

- Weight: 7 lbs 5 oz
- Location: Lake Michigan
- Record set by Daniel Frazier in 1998
Brown Trout

Rostislav Stefanek // Shutterstock

11 / 48

Brown Trout

- Weight: 36 lbs 11.5 oz
- Location: Lake Michigan
- Record set by Deva Vranek in 1997
Buffalo

Eden, Janine and Jim // Wikimedia Commons

12 / 48

Buffalo

- Weight: 48 lbs 0 oz
- Location: Mississippi River
- Record set by C.B. Merritt in 1936
Carp

Rostislav Stefanek // Shutterstock

13 / 48

Carp

- Weight: 51 lbs 0 oz
- Location: Lake Hillcrest
- Record set by Steve K. Davis in 1994
Channel Catfish

Aleron Val // Shutterstock

14 / 48

Channel Catfish

- Weight: 45 lbs 4 oz
- Location: Baldwin Lake
- Record set by Todd Baumeyer in 1987
Chinook (King) Salmon

Kevin Cass // Shutterstock

15 / 48

Chinook (King) Salmon

- Weight: 37 lbs 0 oz
- Location: Lake Michigan
- Record set by Marge Landeen in 1976

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Coho Salmon

Troutnut // Shutterstock

16 / 48

Coho Salmon

- Weight: 20 lbs 9 oz
- Location: Lake Michigan
- Record set by Carry VandeVusse in 1972
Flathead Catfish

M Huston // Shutterstock

17 / 48

Flathead Catfish

- Weight: 78 lbs 0 oz
- Location: Carlyle Lake
- Record set by Jody Harris in 1995
Freshwater Drum

Roxana Gonzalez // Shutterstock

18 / 48

Freshwater Drum

- Weight: 35 lbs 0 oz
- Location: DuQuoin City Lake
- Record set by Joe Rinella in 1960
Goldeye

USFWS Mountain-Prairie // Wikimedia Commons

19 / 48

Goldeye

- Weight: 2 lbs 1 oz
- Location: Embarras River
- Record set by Steven D. Unzicker in 1998
Green Sunfish

M Huston // Shutterstock

21 / 48

Green Sunfish

- Weight: 2 lbs 1 oz
- Location: private pond
- Record set by John Stein in 1981
Hybrid Bass

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22 / 48

Hybrid Bass

- Weight: 20 lbs 0.32 oz
- Location: Lake of Egypt
- Record set by David B. Gjelsvik in 1993
Hybrid Sunfish

M Huston // Shutterstock

23 / 48

Hybrid Sunfish

- Weight: 2 lbs 4.48 oz
- Location: private pond
- Record set by Georgia M. Holland in 1990
Lake Trout

Pi-Lens // Shutterstock

24 / 48

Lake Trout

- Weight: 38 lbs 4 oz
- Location: Lake Michigan
- Record set by Theodore W. Rullman in 1999
Muskellunge

M Huston // Shutterstock

26 / 48

Muskellunge

- Weight: 37 lbs 13 oz
- Location: Shabbona Lake
- Record set by Chris Kim in 1997
Northern Pike

FedBul // Shutterstock

27 / 48

Northern Pike

- Weight: 26 lbs 15 oz
- Location: strip mine lake
- Record set by Walter Klenzak in 1989
Pink (Humpback) Salmon

SnapTPhotography // Shutterstock

28 / 48

Pink (Humpback) Salmon

- Weight: 3 lbs 4 oz
- Location: Lake Michigan
- Record set by Neil J. Duba in 1992
Rainbow Trout

Canva

29 / 48

Rainbow Trout

- Weight: 31 lbs 6.72 oz
- Location: Lake Michigan
- Record set by Kyle C. Johnson in 1993
Rock Bass

Steve Brigman // Shutterstock

31 / 48

Rock Bass

- Weight: 1 lbs 10 oz
- Location: Aux Sable Creek
- Record set by George Nielson in 1987
Sauger

Steve Oehlenschlager // Shutterstock

32 / 48

Sauger

- Weight: 5 lbs 12.5 oz
- Location: Mississippi River
- Record set by Bill Rolando in 1967
Saugeye

RLS Photo // Shutterstock

33 / 48

Saugeye

- Weight: 8 lbs 7.68 oz
- Location: Mississippi River
- Record set by Thomas Drovesky in 1998
Shortnose Gar

GUNAWAN SIDIK // Shutterstock

34 / 48

Shortnose Gar

- Weight: 5 lbs 1 oz
- Location: Vermilion River
- Record set by William Meyer in 1999
Smallmouth Bass

CSNafzger // Shutterstock

36 / 48

Smallmouth Bass

- Weight: 6 lbs 7 oz
- Location: strip mine lake
- Record set by Mark Samp in 1985
Spotted Bass

Sean McVey // Shutterstock

37 / 48

Spotted Bass

- Weight: 7 lbs 3.12 oz
- Location: strip mine lake
- Record set by Richard Leonard in 1992
Spotted Gar

Vladimir Wrangel // Shutterstock

38 / 48

Spotted Gar

- Weight: 7 lbs 13.4 oz
- Location: Horseshoe Lake
- Record set by Danny Peters in 2004
Striped Bass

slowmotiongli // Shutterstock

39 / 48

Striped Bass

- Weight: 31 lbs 7 oz
- Location: Sangchris Lake
- Record set by Eric Shivers in 1994
Tiger Muskellunge

Jennifer de Graaf // Shutterstock

40 / 48

Tiger Muskellunge

- Weight: 26 lbs 9 oz
- Location: private pond
- Record set by Joseph Veronda in 1999

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Tiger Trout

Matt Jeppson // Shutterstock

41 / 48

Tiger Trout

- Weight: 8 lbs 12.5 oz
- Location: Lake Michigan
- Record set by Robert W. Zimmy in 1977
Walleye

wwwarjag //Shutterstock

42 / 48

Walleye

- Weight: 14 lbs 0 oz
- Location: Kankakee River
- Record set by Fred Goselin in 1961
Warmouth

Bclegg77 // Wikimedia Commons

43 / 48

Warmouth

- Weight: 1 lbs 13 oz
- Location: private pond
- Record set by Wesley Mills in 1971
White Bass

Apostrophe // Shutterstock

44 / 48

White Bass

- Weight: 4 lbs 14 oz
- Location: Kaskaskia River
- Record set by Bruce Wilson in 1981
Yellow Bass

Kevin H Knuth // Shutterstock

46 / 48

Yellow Bass

- Weight: 2 lbs 0 oz
- Location: private pond
- Record set by Jimmy Kostoff Jr. in 1994
Yellow Bullhead

jpreat // Shutterstock

47 / 48

Yellow Bullhead

- Weight: 5 lbs 4 oz
- Location: Fox River
- Record set by Bill Snow in 1955
Yellow Perch

John Piekos // Shutterstock

48 / 48

Yellow Perch

- Weight: 2 lbs 8.75 oz
- Location: Arrowhead Club Lake
- Record set by Joseph Grega in 1974

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