The Record-Breaking Largest Fish Caught In Wisconsin’s Waters

While most anglers are mainly in it for the combination of the sport, camaraderie, time spent outdoors, and a delicious fish meal, every angler hopes deep down that their next catch will be one worth a story.

While "fish stories" are quite common among Wisconsin's fishermen and fisherwomen, when someone has the evidence to back up their fish tale, that's when things can get impressive.

The Wisconsin DNR keeps a database of state records for the largest fish caught among the various game species you can try to catch in the state. The records go all the way back to Wisconsin's oldest (still standing) state record for a Tiger Muskie caught in 1919.

Don't think that all of the biggest fish were caught decades ago, though! There are several state records for various species that were caught in just the last couple of years.

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In order to register a potential record-setting fish caught in Wisconsin, the Wisconsin DNR has a form to fill out that asks not only for the lucky fisherperson's information, but things like what body of water the fish was caught in, the species, how it was taken (angling, spearing, etc.) , weight and measurements, the type of bait used, and whether you were trolling, casting, etc.

The DNR also asks for a photo of the fish (or the fish and angler) to back up your information on the species and the size.

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While the Wisconsin DNR keeps records that go beyond this list, I will focus on the most common game fish species targeted in Wisconsin, looking specifically at inland waters and not at records explicitly set on Lake Superior or Lake Michigan.