NC Freshwater Fishing State Record Program

The NCWRC Division of Inland Fisheries keeps a list of the largest common freshwater fish caught by hook and line in North Carolina waters. This section includes those records, as well as information on how to apply for a new state fish record.

Apply For A North Carolina State Freshwater Fishing Record

The following tables contain the current fishing records for a variety of freshwater species.

NC Freshwater Fishing Records

SpeciesSorted By Species In Ascending OrderWeightLocationDateAnglerLure/BaitPhoto
Bodie bass (hybrid striped bass)17 lbs 7ozLake Chatuge3/15/96Michael R. HogsedRebel Jointed Plug
largemouth bass15 lbs 14 ozFarm Pond, Union County3/29/91William H. WoffordCrankbait
Roanoke bass2 lbs 11ozNash County Fishing Creek4/27/94Richard Elijah EvansSpinner bait
rock bass1 lb 14 ozDeep River, Carbonton4/29/98Robert W. LyttonCrappie Jig
Smallmouth Bass10 lbs 2 ozHiwassee Reservoir6/1/51Archie LampkinUnknown 
spotted bass6 lbs 5 ozLake Norman 12/26/03 Eric M. WeirZoom Finesse Worm
striped bass66 lbsHiwassee Reservoir 3/31/2012Tyler Shieldsblack zoom trick worm
white bass5 lbs 14 oz Kerr Reservoir 3/15/86 Jim King Bucktail
SpeciesSorted By Species In Ascending OrderWeightLocationDateAnglerLure/BaitPhoto
blue catfish89 lbs Badin Lake 11/25/06Eric FincherShiner
brown bullhead3 lbs 12 oz Buck Hall Creek, Duplin County 4/26/97 Gregory Dale Hughes Night crawler
channel catfish23 lbs 4 oz City Lake in Rocky Mount 9/1/70E.J. Bowden Shrimp
flathead catfish78 lbsCape Fear River9/17/05 Brian Newberger Live eel
white catfish13 lbs Lake James 5/21/90 Jerry Wayne BentleyNight crawler
SpeciesSorted By Species In Ascending OrderWeightLocationDateAnglerLure/BaitPhoto
white perch2 lbs 15 ozFalls of the Neuse Reservoir12/16/01Bob G. Williams, JrStrata Spoon
yellow perch2 lbs 9 ozIndiantown Creek2/8/90Evelyn G. EthridgeMinnow
SpeciesSorted By Species In Ascending OrderWeightLocationDateAnglerLure/BaitPhoto
chain pickerel8 lbs Gaston Reservoir 2/13/68John H. Leonard Minnow
redfin pickerel2 lbs 4 ozGallberry Swamp 6/23/97Edward C. Davis Minnow
SpeciesSorted By Species In Ascending OrderWeightLocationDateAnglerLure/BaitPhoto
American shad7 lbs 15 oz Tar River 4/10/74R.S. ProctorShad dart
hickory shad4 lbs 1 ozPitchkettle Creek2/22/04Trey MaroulesSpoon
SpeciesWeightLocationDateAnglerLure/BaitPhoto
bluegill4lbs 5 ozHenderson County7/27/67Danny CaseCatawba worm
green sunfish1 lb 14 ozPrivate pond in Caswell County7/27/08Sean VanderburgCulprit plastic worm
flier1 lb 5 ozPrivate pond3/17/90Douglas N. McCallCricket
pumpkinseed1 lb 6 ozTrent River5/21/03John KoonceEel
redbreast1 lb 12 ozBladen Co. Big Swamp5/29/83Ronald StanleyBeetle spin 
redear (shellcracker)4 lbs 15 ozEdgecomb County5/19/08Travis Jacksonworm
warmouth1 lb 13 ozRichmond Co. McLeods Pond5/7/76Emma SearsMinnow  
SpeciesSorted By Species In Ascending OrderWeightLocationDateAnglerLure/BaitPhoto
brook trout7 lbs 7 ozRaven Fork River5/15/80G.L. Marshall, Jr.Rooster tail 
brown trout24 lbs 10 ozNantahala River4/17/98Robert Lee Dyer#11 Rapala 
rainbow trout20 lbs 3 ozHorsepasture River, Jackson Co.1/28/06Leah JohnsonRapala
SpeciesWeightLocationDateAnglerLure/BaitPhoto
bowfin17 lbs 15 ozBlack River6/21/97Gregory A. Demery, Sr.Cut bait bream
black crappie4 lbs 15 ozAsheboro City Lake #44/27/80Dean DixonMinnow 
carp48 lbsMecklenburg Co. pond3/11/86 William Houston, Jr.Unknown
freshwater drum23 lbs 8ozKerr Reservoir3/20/13Jonathan Wilkersonplastic flukeFreshwater Drum
grass carp68 lbs 12 ozSummerlins Pond, Leland6/8/98David W. StowellRebel Pop R
kokanee salmon3 lbs 9 ozNantahala Lake6/20/09Ashley Swanncustom lure
longnose gar25 lbsIntracoastal Waterway near Coinjock 1/30/09Kelly WIlliamstube jig
muskellunge41 lbs 8 ozLake Adger 1/23/01Richard W. DoddBig Mack
northern pike11 lbs 13 ozLake James8/26/78Keith GilliamStorm Wiggle Wart
sauger5 lbs 15 ozNorman Lake7/25/71David ShookTopwater Rapala
smallmouth buffalo88 lbs Lake Wylie11/14/93Tony Crawford Pack bait
tiger muskellunge33 lbs 8 ozLake James4/3/88Gary Dean NanneyBuzzbait
walleye13 lbs 8 ozLake Chatuge (Shooting Cr.) 8/16/86Lamar L. CoferOld faithful spoon
white crappie3 lbs 15 ozprivate lake in Wake County04/1/13Joey BorettiStorm WildEye® Swim Shad lure

NC Freshwater Records

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