Record fish caught in Texas

Written by:
October 21, 2022
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Record fish caught in Texas

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 Texas 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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Danny Ye // Shutterstock

Alligator Gar

- Weight: 279 lbs 0 oz
- Location: Rio Grande River
- Record set by Bill Valverde in 1951
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American Eel

- Weight: 1 lbs 8.64 oz
- Length: 31"
- Location: Lake Lavon
- Record set by Marc Jones in 2000
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Rostislav Stefanek // Shutterstock

Bighead Carp

- Weight: 90 lbs 0 oz
- Length: 55.5"
- Location: Lake Kirby
- Record set by Timothy Conner in 2000
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Alus164 // Wikimedia Commons

Bigmouth Buffalo

- Weight: 58 lbs 12 oz
- Length: 40.75"
- Location: Lake Sam Rayburn
- Record set by Allen Chesney in 1994
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Rostislav Stefanek // Shutterstock

Black Bullhead

- Weight: 4 lbs 0.32 oz
- Length: 18"
- Location: Navarro Mills Lake
- Record set by Roy Calame in 1984
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Steve Oehlenschlager // Shutterstock

Black Crappie

- Weight: 3 lbs 92 oz
- Length: 18.5"
- Location: lake Fork
- Record set by George Ward in 2003
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M Huston // Shutterstock

Blue Catfish

- Weight: 121 lbs 5 oz
- Length: 58"
- Location: Lake Texoma
- Record set by Cody Mullenix in 2004
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dcwcreations // Shutterstock

Bluegill Sunfish

- Weight: 1 lbs 13 oz
- Length: 11.5"
- Location: Purtis Creek
- Record set by James Sides in 1993
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Miroslav Halama // Shutterstock

Bowfin

- Weight: 17 lbs 10.4 oz
- Length: 36.5"
- Location: Lake Fork
- Record set by Brenda Walsh in 1993
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slowmotiongli // Shutterstock

Brook Trout

- Weight: 0 lbs 10.72 oz
- Length: 12"
- Location: Guadalupe River
- Record set by Bryan Hendricks in 1984
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Rostislav Stefanek // Shutterstock

Brown Trout

- Weight: 7 lbs 1.92 oz
- Length: 24"
- Location: Guadalupe River
- Record set by Jeff Delong in 1986
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Chain Pickerel

- Weight: 4 lbs 12 oz
- Length: 23.75"
- Location: Pat Mayse Lake
- Record set by Robert Finch in 1996
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Channel Catfish

- Weight: 36 lbs 8 oz
- Length: 38"
- Location: Pedernales River
- Record set by Mrs. Joe Cockrell in 1965
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Common Carp

- Weight: 41 lbs 8 oz
- Length: 40"
- Location: Town Lake
- Record set by Vaughn Osmond in 2005
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Flathead Catfish

- Weight: 98 lbs 8 oz
- Length: 53"
- Location: Lake Palestine
- Record set by James Laster in 1998
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Roxana Gonzalez // Shutterstock

Freshwater Drum

- Weight: 44 lbs 0 oz
- Length: 38.5"
- Location: Conroe
- Record set by Jesse Ashley in 2011
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mujijoa79 // Shutterstock

Gizzard Shad

- Weight: 2 lbs 10.72 oz
- Length: 18"
- Location: Town Lake
- Record set by Darryl Freeman in 1997
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Golden Shiner

- Weight: 0 lbs 8.32 oz
- Length: 11"
- Location: Lake Placid
- Record set by Brian Rankin in 1996
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USFWS Mountain-Prairie // Wikimedia Commons

Goldeye

- Weight: 2 lbs 5 oz
- Length: 17.5"
- Location: Lake Texoma
- Record set by Mandy Richmond in 1996
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Vladimir Wrangel // Shutterstock

Grass Carp

- Weight: 44 lbs 0 oz
- Length: 46"
- Location: Bastrop Bayou
- Record set by Jack Singleton in 1998
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Grass Pickerel

- Weight: 0 lbs 7.04 oz
- Length: 13.75"
- Location: Lake Sam Rayburn
- Record set by Pete Ellis in 1995
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Green Sunfish

- Weight: 1 lbs 3.52 oz
- Length: 9.29"
- Location: Tehuacana Creek
- Record set by Rickie Rivard in 1995
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Hybrid Bass

- Weight: 4 lbs 11 oz
- Length: 20.39"
- Location: San Marcos River
- Record set by Lance Wester in 1999
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Hybrid Bass

- Weight: 19 lbs 10.56 oz
- Length: 35.16"
- Location: Ray Hubbard Lake
- Record set by John Haney in 1984
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M Huston // Shutterstock

Hybrid Sunfish

- Weight: 1 lbs
- Length: 12.5 "
- Location: Bardwell Lake
- Record set by Scot Pekrul in 2004
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TreesG Photography // Shutterstock

Ladyfish

- Weight: 0 lbs 3.84 oz
- Length: 10.5"
- Location: Trinity River
- Record set by Mark LaBurt in 2000
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Pierre Rebollar // Shutterstock

Largemouth Bass

- Weight: 18 lbs 2.88 oz
- Length: 25.5"
- Location: Lake Fork
- Record set by Barry StClair in 1992
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Longear Sunfish

- Weight: 0 lbs 7.68 oz
- Length: 7.5"
- Location: Lake Fork
- Record set by Tyler Russell in 1998
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Longnose Gar

- Weight: 50 lbs 5 oz
- Location: Trinity River
- Record set by Townsend Miller in 1954
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Northern Pike

- Weight: 18 lbs 4.48 oz
- Length: 41"
- Location: Town Lake
- Record set by Mike Sharpe in 1981
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Vladimir Wrangel // Shutterstock

Pacu

- Weight: 1 lbs 12.32 oz
- Length: 13.5"
- Location: Claiborne West Pond
- Record set by Richard Zerko in 1995
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Rainbow Trout

- Weight: 8 lbs 0 oz
- Length: 26.5"
- Location: Nueces River
- Record set by Timothy Boehm in 2010
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Realest Nature // Shutterstock

Red Drum

- Weight: 36 lbs 13.28 oz
- Length: 44"
- Location: Fairfield Lake
- Record set by Billy Tyus in 2001
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M Huston // Shutterstock

Redbreast Sunfish

- Weight: 1 lbs 10.08 oz
- Length: 12"
- Location: Comal River
- Record set by Alex Labowski in 1997
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Redear Sunfish

- Weight: 2 lbs 15.84 oz
- Length: 14"
- Location: Town Lake
- Record set by John Runnels in 1997
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Duane Raver // Wikimedia Commons

River Carpsucker

- Weight: 2 lbs 1.6 oz
- Length: 16.25"
- Location: Trinity River
- Record set by Del Sowders in 1996
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Rock Bass

- Weight: 0 lbs 13.28 oz
- Length: 10.25"
- Location: San Marcos River
- Record set by Chad Thomas in 1997
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Saugeye

- Weight: 7 lbs 12.5 oz
- Length: 27"
- Location: Lake Kirby
- Record set by Robert Quintanilla in 1998
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CSNafzger // Shutterstock

Smallmouth Bass

- Weight: 7 lbs 14.88 oz
- Length: 23"
- Location: Lake Meredith
- Record set by Timothy Teague in 1998
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Ohio DNR // Wikimedia Commons

Smallmouth Buffalo

- Weight: 82 lbs 3.52 oz
- Length: 43.5"
- Location: Lake Athens
- Record set by Randy Collins in 1993
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Sean McVey // Shutterstock

Spotted Bass

- Weight: 5 lbs 9.92 oz
- Length: 22.75"
- Location: Alan Henry Reservoir
- Record set by Erik Atkins in 2011
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Vladimir Wrangel // Shutterstock

Spotted Gar

- Weight: 9 lbs 12.8 oz
- Length: 36.5"
- Location: Lake Mexia
- Record set by Rick Rivard in 1994
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Spotted Sunfish

- Length: 6"
- Location: San Marcos River
- Record set by Mike Schlimgen in 2008
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slowmotiongli // Shutterstock

Striped Bass

- Weight: 53 lbs 0 oz
- Length: 48"
- Location: Brazos River
- Record set by Ron Venerable in 1999
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Danny Ye // Shutterstock

Tarpon

- Weight: 10 lbs 1.92 oz
- Length: 37"
- Location: Lake Braunig
- Record set by Paul Willette in 1986
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Jennifer de Graaf // Shutterstock

Tiger Muskellunge

- Weight: 9 lbs 1 oz
- Length: 32"
- Location: Lake Nocona
- Record set by Mike Gaines in 1979
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wwwarjag //Shutterstock

Walleye

- Weight: 11 lbs 14.08 oz
- Length: 31.75"
- Location: Lake Meredith
- Record set by Hank McWilliams Jr. in 1990
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Bclegg77 // Wikimedia Commons

Warmouth

- Weight: 1 lbs 4.8 oz
- Length: 10.5"
- Location: Town Lake
- Record set by Ralph Manns Jr. in 1991
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White Bass

- Weight: 5 lbs 8.96 oz
- Length: 20.75"
- Location: Colorado River
- Record set by David Cordill in 1977
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Jennifer White Maxwell // Shutterstock

White Crappie

- Weight: 4 lbs 9 oz
- Location: Navarro Mills Lake
- Record set by G.G. Wooderson in 1968
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Kevin H Knuth // Shutterstock

Yellow Bass

- Weight: 3 lbs
- Length: 17.50"
- Location: Sabine River
- Record set by Butch Koehler in 2009
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jpreat // Shutterstock

Yellow Bullhead

- Weight: 3 lbs 3.2 oz
- Length: 16.25"
- Location: Lake Fork
- Record set by Herschell Spears in 1997
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Yellow Perch

- Weight: 1 lbs 0.64 oz
- Length: 12.5"
- Location: Lake Meredith
- Record set by Melvin Vick in 1996

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