List of West Virginia State Fishing Records

This list of West Virginia State Fishing Records includes all major records of the largest fish of each species taken by hook and line in West Virginia waters.[1] All records are obtained from official West Virginia Department of Natural Resources sources.

Records

Species Year Total Length (Inches) Total Weight (Pounds) Location Angler Record Reference
Largemouth Bass 1994 24.8 12.28 Pond - Grant Co. David W. Heeter Weight [1]
2025 26.26 9.85 Pond - Harrison Co. Seth Spry Length [1]
Smallmouth Bass 1971 24.25 9.75 South Branch David Lindsay Weight [1]
1976 25.5 7.5 New River Franklin J. Elliott Length [1]
Rock Bass 1964 13.8 1.75 Big Sandy Creek Warren Ryan [1]
Spotted Bass 1988 19.0 3.82 R.D. Bailey Lake Leonard Blankenship Length -Tie [1]
2000 19.0 4.77 R.D. Bailey Lake Kevin Dameron Weight [1]
Striped Bass 2010 47.16 45.70 Bluestone Lake James Brooks [1]
Hybrid Striped Bass 1985 31.5 16.75 Kanawha River Robert Honaker Weight [1]
2000 32.1 14 Kanawha River Frankie Harris Length [1]
White Bass 1985 20.0 4.56 New River Louis Puskas [1]
Bluegill / Hybrid Bluegill 1964 13.75 2.25 Pond - Fayette Co. Dennis Criss Length [1]
1986 11.7 2.75 Pond - Randolph Co. Mark Allan Lewis Weight [1]
Redbreast Sunfish 2024 9.29 0.57 New Creek Lake Zach Adkins [1]
Redear Sunfish 2025 12.44 1.6 Plum Orchard Lake John Plott Length [1]
2024 12.0 1.75 Plum Orchard Lake John Plott Weight [1]
Pumpkinseed BE THE FIRST (minimum of 9 inches) new category as of 2026 [1]
Bowfin 1994 32.25 7.54 Pond - Berkeley Co. Donald E. Newcomb, III Length [1]
2024 30.2 10.6 Ohio River Lauren Noble Weight [1]
Buffalo 1976 41.0 38.0 Little Kanawha River Hobert Null [1]
Common Carp 2022 41.2 45.2 Summersville Lake Ayden Minick Length [1]
1998 39.3 47.0 Pond - Preston Co. Gary Johnson Weight [1]
Grass Carp 2020 54.75 67.4 Warden Lake John Miller Length [1]
2005 50.75 71.69 Warden Lake William R. Turner Weight [1]
Blue Catfish 2025 51.49 66.3 Kanawha River Justin Connor Length [1]
2023 50.51 69.45 Ohio River Michael John Drake Weight [1]
Bullhead Catfish 1977 22.75 6.1 Tygart Lake Headwaters Gary R. Freeman [1]
Channel Catfish 2024 43.51 46.7 Pond - Wayne Co. John Tyler Rutherford [1]
Flathead Catfish 1956 52.0 70.0 Little Kanawha River L.L. McClung [1]
Chain Pickerel 2019 27.87 4.0 Upper Deckers Lake Matt Born Length [1]
2001 27.75 6.19 Tuckahoe Lake Steven Demma Weight [1]
Black Crappie 2024 17.76 3.15 Woodrum Lake Dwight Priestly Length [1]
2025 17.7 3.6 East Lynn Lake Jerry Porter Weight [1]
White Crappie 1971 19.75 4.05 Meathouse Fork Leonard Edgell [1]
Eel 1983 44.25 6.27 Elk River Steve Woods Length [1]
1977 44.0 7.25 Bunker Hill Quarry Arlie R. Ruble Weight [1]
Fallfish 1970 21.25 3.5 North Fork of South Branch James Blackwell [1]
Freshwater Drum 1954 37 25 Little Kanawha River Bill Dawkins Length [1]
2021 35.59 27.88 Kanawha River John A. Gibson Weight [1]
Longnose Gar 2023 53.62 15.0 Ohio River Rich Chapman Length [1]
1993 50.5 19.08 Kanawha River Michael Shan Casey Weight [1]
Goldeye 1983 18.5 3.0 Ohio River Delbert McWilliams [1]
Muskellunge 2022 55.0625 51.00 Little Kanawha River Lucas King [1]
Northern Pike 1989 42.6 22.06 Dog Run Lake Boyd O. Pratt, Sr. [1]
Redhorse 2025 24.57 5.75 Ohio River Jason Floyd [1]
Sauger 1985 23.0 4.75 Ohio River Steve Powell Length [1]
2012 22.50 5.06 Ohio River David L. Vance Weight [1]
Saugeye 2006 27.68 8.73 East Lynn Lake Everett Chapman [1]
Skipjack 2021 20.15 3.1 Ohio River Ethan Moss [1]
Tiger Musky 1994 49.25 36.5 Mountwood Lake Clyde E. Beckett [1]
Brook Trout 1981 23.5 4.78 Lost River Jack E. Foltz Length [1]
2004 22.25 7.64 Shavers Fork of Cheat River Gary M. Chapman Weight [1]
Brown Trout 1968 32.0 16.0 South Branch Paul Barker [1]
Golden Rainbow Trout 1987 27.5 8.63 Stonecoal Lake Gerald Estep Length [1]
2023 26.25 9.72 Little Beaver Lake Charles Lilly, Jr. Weight [1]
Rainbow Trout 2014 33.11 19.40 Pond - Berkely Co. Eric Files, Sr. [1]
Tiger Trout 2011 28.7 10.65 Krodel Lake Mike Connolly Length [1]
2025 27.6 12.55 Mannington Lake Robert Riggs Weight [1]
Walleye 1976 35.0 15.0 Kanawha Falls Fred Cline Length [1]
2004 30.87 18.97 Elk River Jerry Rose Weight [1]
Yellow perch 2010 15.44 1.20 Summersville Lake Craig Hollandsworth Length [1]
2018 14.5 2.04 Summersville Lake Clinton Mills Weight [1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk "West Virginia Fishing Regulations". West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. Retrieved 2026-01-18.
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