You Could Catch A Wyoming Record Fish This Summer
During the coming months, fishing activity will be on the increase and this year is already shaping up to be one of Wyoming’s biggest years for new fishing records.
According to Wyoming Game and Fish, several records are set each year, but anglers have already set five new records this year. Some records are not likely to be beat, like the 11 pound 4 ounce golden trout caught in 1948, but a glance at the records shows that half of Wyoming’s entries have been caught since 2000.
Over the years there have been numerous reports of anglers catching large fish that for one reason or another were never entered into the state record book. Entering a fish for record consideration is quite easy, but there are rules that must be followed.
• The fish must be weighed on a scale certified for legal trade. Scales in post offices or places of commerce are usually all certified. The scale in your tackle box is not. The weighing must be witnessed by two persons other than the applicant.
• Fish caught from private club or fish hatchery waters, or private ponds not accessible for angling to the public are ineligible.
• Fish must be caught on rod, reel, and line or pole and line, and hooked (no snagging) using legal methods.
• The species must be verified by the Game and Fish Department. The identity of most fish is usually obvious, but there are certain species such as lake trout, splake, brook trout, walleye, sauger, and some of the sunfish species that could easily be mistaken.
• Fish must be taken during the legal open season of the water where caught.
Other advice is to get the fish officially weighed as quickly as possible. Over the years, several fish have been submitted as possible state records that were not officially weighed until a number of days after they were caught. A large fish will lose moisture over time and that can add up to enough weight loss that the time spent in the freezer could keep a fish from becoming a new state record.
Fish record entry forms are found on the Game and Fish website. Anglers can contact Game and Fish regional offices or Game and Fish headquarters (307) 777-4600 for more information.
The following is a listing of Wyoming’s fish records. Wyoming does not keep separate record categories for line class, fly fishing, or catch and release.
Bass, largemouth | ||
Weight: 7 lbs., 14 oz. | Length: 21 1/2 inches | Girth: 18 1/2 inches |
Location: stock pond, Sheridan County | Date: March 15, 1992 | Angler: Dustin Shorma - Sheridan |
Bass, smallmouth | ||
Weight: 5.94 lbs. | Length: 21 inches | Girth: 15 inches |
Location: Flaming Gorge Reservoir | Date: April 27, 2003 | Angler: Bubba O'Neil - Evanston |
Bluegill | ||
Weight: 1.47 lbs. | Length: 10.3 inches | Girth: 11 1/2 inches |
Location: Lake View North Pond, Platte County | Date: May 31, 1988 | Angler: Brad Artery - Wheatland |
Bullhead, black | ||
Weight: 2.9 lbs. | Length: 15 1/4 inches | Girth: 11 3/4 inches |
Location: Ten Sleep Area Pond, Washakie County | Date: May 24, 1987 | Angler: Brian Rygwalski - Thermopolis |
Carp | ||
Weight: 34 lbs. 15 oz. | Length: 35.4 inches | Girth: 26.5 inches |
Location: Pilot Butte Reservoir | Date: September 28, 2005 | Angler: Bobby Brown - Harrison, TN |
Carp, grass | ||
Weight: 35.6 lbs. | Length: 44 inches | Girth: 25 inches |
Location: Sloans Lake | Date: May 7, 2012 | Angler: William Dale - Cheyenne, WY |
Catfish, channel | ||
Weight: 27.99 lbs. | Length: 38 inches | Girth: 26 inches |
Location: Flaming Gorge Reservoir | Date: April 27, 2005 | Angler: Don Ackerman - Rock Springs, WY |
Catfish, flathead | ||
Weight: 22.46 lbs. | Length: 34 inches | Girth: 23 inches |
Location: North Platte River | Date: April 18, 2004 | Angler: Dallas Stanton - Glenrock, WY |
Catfish, stonecat | ||
Weight: .35 lbs. | Length: 10.1 inches | Girth: 5.6 inches |
Location: North Platte River, Torrington | Date: March 17, 2012 | Angler: Colton Bustillos |
Chub, Utah | ||
Weight: 1.73 lbs. | Length: 15 inches | Girth: 10 inches |
Location: Flaming Gorge Reservoir | Date: June 7, 2010 | Angler: David Franke - Rock Springs, WY |
Crappie, black | ||
Weight: 2.34 lbs. | Length: 15 inches | Girth: 13.5 inches |
Location: Boysen Reservoir | Date: Dec 4, 1997 | Angler: Edward Hausauer - Thermopolis, WY |
Crappie, white | ||
Weight: 2.45 lbs. | Length: 16.25 inches | Girth: 13.5 inches |
Location: Glendo Reservoir, Platte County | Date: Aug 31, 2009 | Angler: Terry Young - Douglas, WY |
Drum, freshwater | ||
Weight: 11 lbs., 14 oz. | Length: 26 inches | Girth: 22 inches |
Location: Glendo Reservoir, Platte County | Date: June 27, 1993 | Angler: Rich Detry - Westminister, CO |
Gizzard Shad | ||
Weight: 1.20 lbs. | Length: 14.375 inches | Girth: 10.5 inches |
Location: Glendo Reservoir | Date: Dec 12, 2007 | Angler: Tom Durst - Casper, WYY |
Goldeye | ||
Weight: 1.32 lbs. | Length: 16.75 inches | Girth: Unknown |
Location: Powder River, Campbell County | Date: Aug 26, 1996 | Angler: Jim Williams - Gillette, WY |
Grayling | ||
Weight: 2.36 lbs. | Length: 19 5/8 inches | Girth: 10 1/2 inches |
Location: Meadow Lake, Sublette County | Date: June 4, 1983 | Angler: Robert Doak - Rock Springs, WY |
Green Sunfish | ||
Weight: .82 lbs. | Length: 9.6 inches | Girth: Unknown |
Location: Lovell Lakes | Date: May 30, 2006 | Angler: Doug Nixon - Lovell |
Ling | ||
Weight: 19 lbs., 4 oz. | Length: 44 inches | Girth: Unknown |
Location: Pilot Butte Reservoir, Fremont County | Date: 1965 | Angler: K. E. Mooreland |
Muskie, tiger | ||
Weight: 29.37 lbs. | Length: 49 inches | Girth: Unknown |
Location: Grayrocks Reservoir, Platte County | Date: June 2, 1992 | Angler: Frank Rubrecht - Rawlins, WY |
Perch, yellow | ||
Weight: 2.2 lbs. | Length: 16 inches | Girth: 12 inches |
Location: Mayland Pond, Big Horn County | Date: Feb 9, 1991 | Angler: Mike Miller - Greybull, WY |
Pike, northern | ||
Weight: 27 lbs., 4 oz. | Length: 47 inches | Girth: 19 inches |
Location: Keyhole Reservoir | Date: Oct 27, 2004 | Angler: Robert K. Hockett - Newcastle, WY |
Pumpkinseed | ||
Weight: .62 lbs. | Length: 8.7 inches | Girth: 8.5 inches |
Location: Farm Pond near Big Horn | Date: June 24, 2009 | Angler: Anthony Wendtland - Sheridan, WY |
River Carpsucker | ||
Weight: 12 lbs., 10 oz. | Length: 28 inches | Girth: 20.5 inches |
Location: Boysen Reservoir | Date: June 15, 2005 | Angler: Garhart Stephenson - Lander, WY |
Rock bass | ||
Weight: 1.76 lbs. | Length: 13 inches | Girth: 12.5 inches |
Location: Sheridan County Pond | Date: May 12, 2007 | Angler: Randy Reece - Sheridan, WY |
Salmon, kokanee | ||
Weight: 6.26 lbs. | Length: 24.75 inches | Girth: 14.75 inches |
Location: Flaming Gorge Reservoir | Date: June 14, 2009 | Angler: Brian Ekx - Evans, CO |
Sauger | ||
Weight: 7.5 lbs. | Length: 26.5 inches | Girth: Unknown |
Location: Boysen Reservoir, Fremont County | Date: Jan 7, 2007 | Angler: Tom Durst - Casper |
Splake | ||
Weight: 13.60 lbs. | Length: 29.6 inches | Girth: 18 inches |
Location: North Crow Reservoir | Date: April 1, 2011 | Angler: Shawn Vanwey - Cheyenne, WY |
Sturgeon, shovelnose | ||
Weight: 10 lbs., 2 oz. | Length: 40 inches | Girth: Unknown |
Location: Powder River | Date: June 1, 2000 | Angler: Chris Marshall - Gillette, WY |
Sucker, longnose | ||
Weight: 2.19 lbs. | Length: 18.1 inches | Girth: 9.3 inches |
Location: Little Goose Creek, Sheridan County | Date: July 25, 1998 | Angler: Darrell Meineke - Sheridan, WY |
Sucker, quillback | ||
Weight: 1.57 lbs. | Length: 14 1/2 inches | Girth: 9 1/2 inches |
Location: Glendo Reservoir | Date: April 30, 2012 | Angler: Jeff Kirk - Douglas, WY |
Sucker, Utah | ||
Weight: 8 lbs., 4 oz. | Length: 28 inches | Girth: 15 inches |
Location: Snake River near Alpine | Date: June 5, 2003 | Angler: Mike Cullimore - Thayne, WY |
Sucker, white | ||
Weight: 4.4 lbs. | Length: 21 inches | Girth: 13.5 inches |
Location: Big Horn River | Date: April 17, 2011 | Angler: Tom Hunt - Worland, WY |
Trout, brook | ||
Weight: 9 lbs., 11 oz. | Length: 24 1/2 inches | Girth: Unknown |
Location: Green River Lake, Sublette County | Date: June 21, 1976 | Angler: Max Long - Rock Springs, WY |
Trout, brown | ||
Weight: 25 lbs., 13 oz. | Length: 34 1/4 inches | Girth: 25 1/4 inches |
Location: Anvil Draw, Flaming Gorge Reservoir | Date: May 27, 1982 | Angler: George Rose - Albuquerque, NM |
Trout, cutthroat | ||
Weight: 15 lbs. | Length: 32 inches | Girth: Unknown |
Location: Native Lake, Sublette County | Date: 1959 | Angler: Alan Dow |
Trout, golden | ||
Weight: 11 lbs., 4 oz. | Length: 28 inches | Girth: Unknown |
Location: Cook Lake, Sublette County | Date: 1948 | Angler: C. S. Reed - Omaha, NE |
Trout, lake | ||
Weight: 50 lbs. | Length: 48 inches | Girth: 32 inches |
Location: Flaming Gorge Reservoir | Date: March 11, 1995 | Angler: Randy Calkins - Green River, WY |
Trout, Ohrid | ||
Weight: 14 lbs., 4 oz. | Length: 30 inches | Girth: Unknown |
Location: North Platte River, Natrona County | Date: Jan 26, 1986 | Angler: Kim Durfee - Casper, WY |
Trout, rainbow | ||
Weight: 23 lbs. | Length: 35 1/2 inches | Girth: Unknown |
Location: Burnt Lake, Sublette County | Date: 1969 | Angler: Frank Favazzo |
Trout, tiger | ||
Weight: 11.07 lbs. | Length: 28 7/8 inches | Girth: 17.75 inches |
Location: High Savery Reservoir | Date: May 06, 2012 | Angler: Jackson Sorensen - Casper, WY |
Walleye | ||
Weight: 17.42 lbs. | Length: 34 inches | Girth: 21 inches |
Location: Boysen Reservoir, Fremont County | Date: Dec 28, 1991 | Angler: Stan Seivewright - Casper, WY |
Whitefish | ||
Weight: 4 lbs., 4 oz. | Length: 21 inches | Girth: Unknown |
Location: Snake River, Teton County | Date: 1977 | Angler: Dennis Jennings |
(Contact: Al Langston (307) 777-4540)
-WGFD-