Brown Trout Records

This post was last updated on August 4th, 2021 at 07:43 pm

State and World Record List – Biggest Trout Ever Caught

In this article, we’ll discuss the biggest trout ever caught, the current and past world record brown trout, the biggest trout in the world and more! The current world record brown trout is 44.3lbs. It was caught in New Zeland by “Seamus from Turgani.”

July 3 2021 UPDATE – New World Record Brown Trout

The IGFA has certified a new world record for the brown trout. Caught last fall (2020) by a man only known as “Seamus from Turgani”, the fish checks in at a whopping 44.3lbs! The record brown trout was caught in New Zealand, in the same body of water where the 2013 world record fish was caught. Apparently, a lot of big trout come from these New Zealand canals.

2020 world record brown trout, new world record brown trout

Previous World Record Confirmed in New Zealand

42 pound 1 oz brown trout that was caught in March of 2013 was confirmed a couple days ago as the all tackle world record brown trout. (see the story below)

Previous Brown Trout records and close calls

The state record in Michigan for the brown trout until September 9th, 2009

Previous world record brown trout from Manistee river in Michigan, biggest trout ever caught, the current and past world record brown trout, the biggest trout in the world
Tom Healy with the previous world record brown trout from Manistee river in Michigan

weighed 36.81 pounds and was caught in Lake Michigan in Benzie County in 2007. In 2009 an angler on the Manistee river caught a Brown larger than any other documented in history weighing 41.7  pounds!  Tom Healy of Rockford, Michigan Landed it and unseated the previous world record which was Forty-pounds, four ounces caught in Arkansas. The record before that was also a trout from Arkansas weighing 38-9#.  Manistee County proves to have fabulous fishing in the area. The Manistee river is a Tributary of Lake Michigan, and year after year provides fisherman great opportunities.

Previous World Record Trout from Arkansas

At about 11:00 a.m. Saturday, May 9 1992, 64-year-old Rip Collins was fishing with his friend in a boat on the Little Red river. Using a  maribou jig and 4lb test line he hooked this big female brown trout. It took only five minutes to get her to the side of the boat, but they had to flag down another fisherman to borrow a net to get it into the boat. A 40 pound 4 ounce specimen. Arkansas previous world record brown trout, biggest trout ever caught, the current and past world record brown trout, the biggest trout in the world

Previous world record brown trout from Arkansas Photo: Gregg Patterson

Update:

 42 pound 1 oz. From New Zealand Confirmed as the New World Record

“Very ugly. Small head, big belly. Just amazing,” Otwin Kandolf Said of his monster trout. This would be the world record brown. Nobody is sure if he is going to enter it into the IGFA (international game fish association)  IGFA (there are several conflicting media reports)

In some media stories, the fish was reported to weigh 45 pounds.

new zealand world record brown trout, biggest trout ever caught, the current and past world record brown trout, the biggest trout in the world
Otwin Kandolf Caught this 42# Brown in New Zealand in March 2013

“I just couldn’t believe it. It looked to me like a submarine,” Kandolf told the news station. “Very ugly, small head, big belly … Just amazing.” This fish was caught downstream of a salmon farm. It grew so huge eating Pellets from the farm.

In 2010 there was another Gargantuan caught in Wisconsin

Roger Hellen will share the all-tackle record for brown trout with Tom Healy, who caught a 41.7-pound brown (top of page) Even though Hellen’s fish was one ounce larger, it didn’t meet the IGFA’s requirements to claim sole possession of the record.

Wisconsin world record sized brown trout, biggest trout ever caught, the current and past world record brown trout, the biggest trout in the world
41.8-pound brown trout caught by Roger Hellen of Yorkville WI. He shares the world record with the Michigan angler above.

Current Brown Trout Records By state

Here is a full list of the current State Records for the brown trout. (See also the brook trout world record)

Arizona 22 lbs 14.5 oz
Arkansas 40 lbs 4 oz
California 26 lbs 8 oz
Colorado 30 lbs 8 oz
Connecticut 16 lbs 14 oz
Georgia 18 lbs 6 oz
Idaho 27 lbs 5 oz
Illinois 36 lbs 11.5 oz
Indiana 29 lbs 03 oz
Iowa 15 lbs 6 oz
Kentucky 21 lbs 0 oz
Maine 23 lbs 5 oz
Manitoba 0 lbs
Maryland 18 lbs 3 oz
Massachusetts 19 lbs 10 oz
Michigan 41 lbs 7.2 oz
Minnesota 16 lbs 12 oz
Missouri 26 lbs 13 oz
Montana 29 lbs 0 oz
Nebraska 20 lbs 1 oz
Nevada 27 lbs 5 oz
New Hampshire 16 lbs 6 oz
New Jersey 21 lbs 6 oz
New Mexico 20 lbs 4 oz
New York 33 lbs 2 oz
North Carolina 24 lbs 10 oz
North Dakota 31 lbs 11 oz
Ohio 14 lbs 10.8 oz
Oklahoma 17 lbs 4 oz
Ontario 34 lbs 6.08 oz
Oregon 28 lbs 5 oz
Pennsylvania 19 lbs 10 oz
Rhode Island 7 lbs 9 oz
Saskatchewan 17 lbs 12 oz
South Carolina 17 lbs 9.5 oz
South Dakota 24 lbs 8 oz
Tennessee 28 lbs 12 oz
Texas 7 lbs 1.92 oz
Utah 33 lbs 10 oz
Vermont 22 lbs 3 oz
Virginia 14 lbs 12 oz
Washington 22 lbs 0 oz
West Virginia 16 lbs 0 oz
Wisconsin 41 lbs 8 oz
Wyoming 25 lbs 13 oz