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Channel Catfish State & World Records

Channel catfish are one of the most fun freshwater species to fish for. Below you will learn what makes a trophy channel catfish and the state and world records.

World Record Channel Catfish

The world record channel catfish weighed 58 lbs and was caught by W.H. Whaley. It was caught on Lake Moultrie in South Carolina on 7/7/1964.

Channel Catfish Records by State

StateWeightLocationCaught ByDate
Alabama40 lbsInland LakeDonald R. Cox6/17/1967
Arizona35 lbs 4 ozParker Canyon LakeChuck Berndt4/24/1987
Arkansas38 lbsLake OuachitaJoe Holleman6/3/1989
Colorado43.38 lbsAurora ReservoirJessica Walton7/2/1905
Connecticut29 lbsMashapaug LakeAppleton Barrows6/26/1905
Delaware23 lbs 6 ozs.N/AWilliam Ridgley6/14/1905
Florida44.50 lbsLake BluffJoe Purvis5/19/1985
Georgia44 lb 12 ozAltamaha RiverBobby Smithwick5/1/1972
Hawaii43 lbs 13 ozLake Wilson, O’ahuDayton Miyamura3/24/1974
Idaho32.9 lbsC.J. Strike ReservoirCody Kastner6/16/2022
Illinois45 lbs 4 ozBaldwin LakeTodd Baumeyer2/7/1987
Indiana37 lb 8 ozLake, Vanderburgh CountyRandy E. Jones6/2/1905
Iowa38 lbs 2 ozMissouri RiverDustin Curtis6/1/2005
Kansas36.5 lbsMined LandRickBarnow6/3/2003
Kentucky32 lbsOhio RiverKyle Estep5/26/2004
Maryland29.6 lbsMattawoman CreekKevin KernN/A
Massachusetts26 lbsAshfield LakeDana Dodge6/11/1905
Michigan40.00 lbsHoughton LakeRichard French5/17/1905
Minnesota38 lbsMississippi RiverTerrence Fussy1/10/1975
Mississippi51 lbs 12 ozLake Tom BaileyTom Edwards5/31/1997
Missouri34 lbs 10 ozLake JacomoGerald Siebenmorgen10/12/1976
Montana37 lbs 9.6 ozCastle Rock LakeJessey Perry5/8/2009
Nebraska41 lbs 8 ozMerritt LakeJohn Cunning7/26/1985
Nevada31 lbs 1 ozLahontan ReservoirHarry Stephens6/2/1905
New Hampshire15 lbs 5.28 ozConnecticut RiverMatthew Smith8/29/2020
New Jersey33 lbs 3 ozLake HopatcongHoward Hudson5/31/1905
New Mexico36lb 8ozStubblefield LakeJulie Kulhan6/21/1905
New York35 lb 12 ozBlack RiverBailey Williams5/8/2022
North Carolina48 ozFontana ReservoirP.P. Paine4/15/1971
North Dakota42 lbs 1 ozMoon LakeTina Willis7/25/2009
Ohio37.65 lbsLaDue ReservoirGus J. Gronowski8/15/1992
Oklahoma35 lbs 15 ozTaftGary Doak Jr.9/11/2005
Oregon36 lbs 8 ozMcKay ReservoirBoone Haddock6/2/1905
Pennsylvania35 lb 3 ozLehigh CanalAustin E. Roth III6/13/1905
South Carolina58 lbsLake MoultrieW.H. Whaley7/7/1964
South Dakota55 lbsJames RiverRoy Groves5/18/1949
Texas36 lbs 8 ozPedernales RiverMrs. Joe Cockrell3/7/1965
Utah32 lbs 8 ozUtah LakeLeRoy Mortensen5/31/1905
Vermont35 lbs 14.7 ozLake St. CatherineRobert Scott6/28/2012
Virginia32 lbsLake ChesdinHugh Wyatt4/28/1980
Washington36 lbs 3.2 ozI-82 Pond #6Ross Kincaid9/6/1999
West Virginia33.38 lbsPatterson CreekJohnny J. Weatherholtz, Jr.6/15/1905
Wisconsin44 lbsWisconsin RiverN/A5/15/1905
Wyoming27 lbsFlaming Gorge ReservoirDon Ackerman6/27/1905

What state has the largest channel catfish?

South Carolina is the state with the largest channel catfish ever caught in the United States. It was caught by W.H. Whaley and weighed 58 lbs.

What is the average size channel catfish?

The average size channel catfish typically caught around the 1-3 feet range, weighing between 5-15 lbs. This is much smaller than the world record of 58 lbs.

What size channel catfish is considered a trophy?

Channel Catfish start to be considered trophy at 20 lbs or more.