
M Huston // Shutterstock
1 / 23Blue Catfish
- Weight: 143 lbs
- Location: Buggs Island Lake (Kerr Reservoir)
- Record set by Richard "Nick" Anderson in 2011
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 Virginia 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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M Huston // Shutterstock
1 / 23- Weight: 143 lbs
- Location: Buggs Island Lake (Kerr Reservoir)
- Record set by Richard "Nick" Anderson in 2011
Miroslav Halama // Shutterstock
2 / 23- Weight: 16 lbs 8 oz
- Location: Lake Cahoon
- Record set by John Plyler, Jr. in 2004
slowmotiongli // Shutterstock
3 / 23- Weight: 5 lbs 10 oz
- Location: Stony Creek
- Record set by Greg Orndorff in 1987
Rostislav Stefanek // Shutterstock
4 / 23- Weight: 14 lbs 12 oz
- Location: South Fork Holston River
- Record set by Mike Perkins in 1990
Rostislav Stefanek // Shutterstock
5 / 23- Weight: 49 lbs 4 oz
- Location: Lake Prince
- Record set by Jeff Graham in 1986
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Michael Sundberg // Shutterstock
6 / 23- Weight: 7 lbs 10 oz
- Location: Lake Shawnee
- Record set by R.L. White in 1996
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7 / 23- Weight: 31 lbs 8 oz
- Location: Rappahannock River
- Record set by Sue Stanley in 1992
dcwcreations // Shutterstock
8 / 23- Weight: 4 lbs 10 oz
- Location: private pond
- Record set by Justin Elliott in 1994
M Huston // Shutterstock
9 / 23- Weight: 68 lbs 12 oz
- Location: Lake Smith
- Record set by Jeffrey E. Dill in 2018
Pierre Rebollar // Shutterstock
10 / 23- Weight: 16 lbs 4 oz
- Location: Connor Lake
- Record set by Richard Tate in 1985
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M Huston // Shutterstock
11 / 23- Weight: 45 lbs 8 oz
- Location: New River
- Record set by Shannon Hill in 2007
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12 / 23- Weight: 31 lbs 4 oz
- Location: Motts Run Reservoir
- Record set by George Wood in 1994
Canva
13 / 23- Weight: 14 lbs 7 oz
- Location: Greers Pond
- Record set by Michael Lowe in 1993
Steve Brigman // Shutterstock
14 / 23- Weight: 2 lbs 2 oz
- Location: Laurel Bed Lake
- Record set by Larry Ball in 1986
Steve Oehlenschlager // Shutterstock
15 / 23- Weight: 3 lbs
- Location: Clinch River
- Record set by Ronald C. Davis in 2010
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CSNafzger // Shutterstock
16 / 23- Weight: 8 lbs 1 oz
- Location: New River
- Record set by Donald S. Eaton, Jr in 2003
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17 / 23- Weight: 4 lbs 12 oz
- Location: Claytor Lake
- Record set by Cliffton Joel Hamilton in 2020
slowmotiongli // Shutterstock
18 / 23- Weight: 53 lbs 7 oz
- Location: Leesville Reservoir
- Record set by James B. Davis in 2000
wwwarjag //Shutterstock
19 / 23- Weight: 15 lbs 15 oz
- Location: New River
- Record set by Anthony P. Duncan in 2000
Apostrophe // Shutterstock
20 / 23- Weight: 6 lbs 3 oz
- Location: Lake Orange
- Record set by Ron Sprouse in 1981
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M Huston // Shutterstock
21 / 23- Weight: 7 lbs 6 oz
- Location: Western Branch Reservoir
- Record set by Thomas Elkins in 1992
M Huston // Shutterstock
22 / 23- Weight: 3 lbs 2 oz
- Location: Private Pond
- Record set by Beau McLaughlin in 2012
John Piekos // Shutterstock
23 / 23- Weight: 3 lbs
- Location: Flannagan Reservoir
- Record set by George Mullins in 2010





















