For residents outside the state, New York City is the first (and, perhaps, the only) thing that comes to mind when considering New York State. The Big Apple casts a big shadow, no doubt. However, there is so much more to New York State than its largest city. The state features beautiful mountains, lush forests, and lovely coastal regions. The waters in New York State provide some of the finest fishing opportunities in the nation.
New York State boasts over 7,600 freshwater ponds, lakes, and reservoirs. Portions of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario lie within the state’s borders. Over 70,000 miles of streams and rivers flow through the Empire State. As a coastal state, New Yorkers also have easy access to the rich waters of the Atlantic. New York State offers boundless options for anglers, ranging from fly fishing to ice fishing. Fishermen and fisherwomen can cast a line into a small pond, the vast waters of the Great Lakes, or the depths of the Atlantic. (Speaking of the Great Lakes, here’s a look at the 25 largest fish ever caught in Michigan.)
State and World Record Fish
Here’s a look at the largest freshwater and saltwater fish ever caught in New York State. The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) in New York is the official holder of the state’s fishing records and was the sole source of information for all of the record-setting fish listed below. World record information was corroborated by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA), the official verifier and keeper of world fishing records.
The following list contains every New York State freshwater fishing record over 20 pounds and every saltwater record over 200 pounds, including the largest fish ever caught in New York waters. This is far from a cut-and-dry report on the state’s fishing records, though. While the New York State records for most species are undisputed, both the largest freshwater and the largest saltwater fish in New York history are quite controversial.
Freshwater Fish
Freshwater anglers have a bounty of riches at their disposal in New York. The state’s beautiful lakes and rivers are teeming with fish. Here are 13 of the largest freshwater fish ever reeled in from these waters.
13. Atlantic Salmon
- Weight: 24 pounds, 15 ounces
- Length: 35 inches
- Lure: Bomber Long A
- Water: Lake Ontario, Wayne Co.
- Angler: Mike Dandino
- Date: April 5, 1997
12. Rainbow Trout
- Weight: 31 pounds, 3 ounces
- Length: 39 inches
- Lure: Joe’s Pirate Crystalina
- Water: Lake Ontario, Niagara Co.
- Angler: Robert Wilson
- Date: August 14, 2004
11. Brown Trout
- Weight: 33 pounds, 2 ounces
- Length: 38 inches
- Lure: Smithwick Rogue
- Water: Lake Ontario, Oswego Co.
- Angler: Tony Brown
- Date: June 10, 1997
10. Coho Salmon
- Weight: 33 pounds, 7 ounces
- Length: 41.9 inches
- Lure: Cut Bait
- Water: Lake Ontario, Oswego Co.
- Angler: Stephen Sheets Jr.
- Date: August 13, 1998
9. Tiger Muskellunge
- Weight: 35 pounds, 8 ounces
- Length: 50 inches
- Lure: Sucker
- Water: Tioughnioga River, Broome Co.
- Angler: Brett Gofgosky
- Date: May 25, 1990
8. Channel Catfish
- Weight: 35 pounds, 12 ounces
- Length: 40 inches
- Lure: Cut Bait
- Water: Black River, Jefferson County
- Angler: Bailey Williams
- Date: May 8, 2022
7. Freshwater Drum
- Weight: 36 pounds
- Length: 42.75 inches
- Lure: Rapala Jigging Rap
- Water: Oneida Lake, Oneida Co.
- Angler: Jason Bair
- Date: June 16, 2017
6. Lake Trout
- Weight: 41 pounds, 8 ounces
- Length: 42.75 inches
- Lure: NK Spoon
- Water: Lake Erie, Chautauqua Co.
- Angler: Jesse Wykstra
- Date: August 9, 2003
5. Northern Pike
- Weight: 46 pounds, 2 ounces
- Length: Unavailable
- Lure: Heddon Flaptail
- Water: Great Sacandaga Lake, Fulton Co.
- Angler: Peter Dubuc
- Date: September 15, 1940
4. Chinook Salmon
- Weight: 47 pounds, 13 ounces
- Length: 48 inches
- Lure: Orange Fly
- Water: Salmon River, Oswego Co.
- Angler: Kurtis Killian
- Date: September 7, 1991
3. Common Carp
- Weight: 50 pounds, 6 ounces
- Length: 44.5 inches
- Lure: Nightcrawler
- Water: Tomhannock Reservoir, Rensselaer Co.
- Angler: Charles Primeau, Sr.
- Date: May 12, 1995
2. Striped Bass
- Weight: 60 pounds
- Length: 53 inches
- Lure: Blood Worm
- Water: Hudson River, Orange Co.
- Angler: Eric Lester
- Date: May 14, 2014
The striped bass was adopted as New York’s official state saltwater fish in 2006. However, it is also listed as the second largest freshwater fish recorded in New York’s DEC records. This seeming contradiction is not a contradiction at all, though. The striped bass lives in saltwater, but moves to freshwater to spawn. Because of its ability to thrive in either environment, “stripers” have been stocked in many freshwater lakes throughout the U.S.
1. Muskellunge
- Weight: 69 pounds, 15 ounces
- Length: 64.5 inches
- Lure: Unavailable
- Water: St. Lawrence River, Jefferson Co.
- Angler: Arthur Lawton
- Date: September 22, 1957
A muskellunge (typically known as a “muskie” among anglers) from 1957 holds the record for the largest freshwater fish ever caught in New York State. However, there is a surprising amount of controversy surrounding this catch.
Arthur “Art” Lawton purportedly caught this gigantic muskie in the St. Lawrence River. The river marks part of the boundary between New York and Canada as it flows from Lake Ontario to the Gulf of St. Lawrence in the North Atlantic.
A New Record
Lawton’s fish was said to be just one ounce shy of 70 pounds. An average mature muskie weighs from 15-35 pounds, so a nearly 70-pound fish was a true monstrosity. In fact, this fish not only set the New York State record but it was also declared a new world record.
Lawton’s fish supplanted the previous world-record muskie (supposedly) caught by Louis Spray near Hayward, Wisconsin in October 1949. Spray was a bootlegger with alleged ties to organized crime. Conspiracy theories abound regarding Spray’s fish, including a rumor that he didn’t catch the fish, at all. Rather, it was said that he purchased the fish for $50 from Joey “The Doves” Aiuppa, who purportedly led Chicago’s crime syndicate. Aiuppa was said to be “on the lam” when he caught the muskie, so he couldn’t report the record-setting catch himself.
All of the rumors and conspiracy theories regarding Spray’s fish seemingly would be of little consequence, though, since Lawton had set a new world record with his New York State muskie. And, for 35 years, Lawton’s muskie did indeed sit atop the record books as the largest muskie ever caught.
Erased From the World Record Book
However, this story is fraught with twists and turns. An unexpected development in 1992 changed everything. Lawton did not mount his fish as a trophy. Rather, it was filleted and eaten. So, with no fish body to examine, photographs from 1957 were the only evidence of the catch. Using modern photographic analysis, IGFA determined that Lawton’s fish could not have possibly weighed 69 pounds, 15 ounces. The fish was disqualified and removed from the world record book in 1992.
IGFA was then pressured to apply the same analysis methods to Spray’s fish. The organization determined that this muskie’s weight was also falsified, so the world record muskie reverted to a fish caught by Cal Johnson in July 1949.
This brings us to today. The strangeness of this story continues to grow. A new entry for the muskellunge world record seems poised to take the crown. On September 18, 2023, Craig Olund reportedly caught a muskie in Ontario’s Lac Suel Lake that weighed 72 pounds, 2 ounces. This record is still pending final verification by IGFA, but since it is listed on the organization’s website, it seems likely that final approval is forthcoming. This would mark the first muskie ever documented that topped the mythical 70-pound barrier.
Still the State Record
Returning to where we started, though, Art Lawton’s fish is still listed as the New York State record by the DEC. The fish has been discredited by IGFA, as well as the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. New York’s DEC, however, has refused to delete the fish from its records. According to the official keeper of New York State fishing records, Lawton’s muskie remains the largest freshwater fish ever caught in the state. That claim is highly suspect, though.
Saltwater Fish
Saltwater anglers have ready access to the Atlantic in New York. These waters have yielded some absurdly huge fish. Here’s a look at the biggest saltwater fish ever caught in New York State.
Note: an asterisk (*) denotes a record that has been retired due to the fish’s conservation status.
11. Yellowfin Tuna
- Weight: 248.5 pounds
- Angler: Bruce Weisinger
- Date: September 9, 2002
10. Bigeye Tuna
- Weight: 355 pounds
- Angler: Richard Buechmann
- Date: September 27, 1981
9. Porbeagle Shark
- Weight: 393 pounds
- Angler: Robert Bruno
- Date: August 23, 2014
8. Blue Shark
- Weight: 528 pounds
- Angler: Joe Seidel
- Date: August 9, 2001
This New York state record blue shark is also the current world record.
7. Swordfish
- Weight: 540 pounds
- Angler: Dean Delle Donne
- Date: September 8, 2006
6. Thresher Shark
- Weight: 707 pounds
- Angler: William Dittenhoefer, Jr.
- Date: June 16, 2023
5. Bluefin Tuna*
- Weight: 1,071 pounds
- Angler: Larry Thompson
- Date: August 21, 1977
4. Mako Shark*
- Weight: 1,080 pounds
- Angler: James Melanson
- Date: August 26, 1979
3. Tiger Shark
- Weight: 1,087 pounds
- Angler: Ken Rafferty
- Date: July 23, 1986
2. Blue Marlin*
- Weight: 1,174 pounds
- Angler: Bill Sweedler
- Date: July 20, 1986
1. White Shark*
- Weight: 3,450 pounds
- Angler: Don Braddick
- Date: August 6, 1986
This is the stuff legends, and even movies, are made of. On August 6, 1986, Don Braddick purportedly caught a great white shark weighing an utterly astonishing 3,450 pounds. The shark would enter the history books as the largest fish ever caught in New York State. It seemed like it would shatter the world record, then held by Alfred Dean who caught a 2,664-pound white shark in Australia in 1959. However, that 1959 shark still sits atop the world record book to this day. As with the largest freshwater fish in New York history, the story of the state’s largest saltwater fish is also a contentious tale.
Braddick joined up with legendary Captain Frank Mundus, a charter captain in Montauk who became known as “Monster Man” due to his ability to track down monster-sized sharks. Peter Benchley, who wrote the “Jaws” novel, joined Mundus on multiple shark fishing expeditions. Mundus was purportedly the inspiration behind the “Quint” character in the book that turned into the blockbuster movie.
A Record Denial
Mundus and Braddick joined forces on that early August day in 1986 when Mundus spotted sharks feeding on a whale carcass. Late in the afternoon, they hooked this white shark that would etch their names into the record book. Well, it would etch their name in one record book. Another would reject the catch.
This gargantuan white shark was, by some accounts, the largest fish ever caught on a rod and reel. It was certainly the biggest ever landed in New York State. However, IFGA refused to certify the catch even though it easily outweighed the previous world-record white shark. The reason for the disqualification is unclear, but there are two theories that are the most widely accepted.
The first, and potentially the most plausible, is that Braddick and Mundus split time manning the fishing rod after the shark was hooked. IGFA stipulates that only one angler can land a record fish, from the time the hook is set to the time the fish is secured. An article in Dan’s Papers claims that the record was denied because of its report that the two men teamed up to land the shark.
Another possible reason for IGFA’s denial of this record is illegal chumming. Since the shark was drawn to a whale carcass, that could have been interpreted as illegally chumming or baiting the shark into the area, thus breaking IGFA rules and nullifying the catch.
Again, New York’s DEC does not agree with the IGFA ruling. This great white shark from 1986 is listed in the official state record book as the largest fish ever caught in the state.
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