Freshwater Fishing Records
North Carolina
Hunting & Fishing
Applying For A Freshwater Fishing Record
The Wildlife Resources Commission maintains records for popular freshwater sport fishes caught by rod and reel or cane pole in state waters. State record fish must be weighed on scales certified by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and verified by a Wildlife Resources Commission fisheries biologist (or biologist designated by the Commission). For an application form and other requirements, visit ncwildlife.org/FishingRecords, or call the Inland Fisheries Division at 919-707-0220.
| Species | Weight Lbs/Oz | Location | Date | Angler’s Name | Lure or Bait |
| BASS | |||||
| Bodie (striped bass hybrid) | 17/7 | Lake Chatuge | 3/15/96 | Michael R. Hogsed | Rebel jointed plug |
| Roanoke | 2/11 | Fishing Creek, Nash Co. | 4/27/94 | Richard Elijah Evans | Spinner bait |
| Largemouth | 15/14 | Pond, Union Co. | 3/29/91 | William H.Wofford | Crankbait |
| Rock | 1/14 | Deep River | 4/29/98 | Robert W. Lytton | Crappie jig |
| Smallmouth | 10/2 | Hiwassee Reservoir | 6/1/51 | Archie Lamkin | Unknown |
| Spotted | 6/5 | Lake Norman | 12/26/03 | Eric M. Weir | Zoom Finesse Worm |
| Striped | 66/0 | Hiwassee Reservoir | 3/31/12 | Tyler Shields | Zoom Trick Worm |
| White | 5/14 | Kerr Reservoir | 3/15/86 | Jim King | Bucktail |
| CATFISH | |||||
| Blue | 117/8 | Lake Gaston | 6/11/16 | Landon Evans | Cut bait, shad |
| Flathead | 78/0 | Cape Fear River | 9/17/05 | Brian Newberger | Eel |
| White | 13/0 | Lake James | 5/21/90 | Jerry Wayne Bentley | Nightcrawler |
| Channel | 23/4 | City Lake, Rocky Mount | 9/1/70 | E. J. Bowden | Shrimp |
| Brown bullhead | 4/0 | Greenfield Lake, New Hanover Co. | 3/14/16 | Mitchell McConnell | Cut bait |
| PERCH | |||||
| White | 2/15 | Falls of the Neuse Reservoir | 12/16/01 | Bob G. Williams Jr. | Strata Spoon |
| Yellow | 2/9 | Indiantown Creek | 2/8/90 | Evelyn G. Ethridge | Minnow |
| PICKEREL | |||||
| Chain | 8/0 | Gaston Reservoir | 2/13/68 | John H. Leonard | Minnow |
| Redfin | 2/4 | Gallberry Swamp | 6/23/97 | Edward C. Davis | Minnow |
| SHAD | |||||
| American | 7/15 | Tar River | 4/10/74 | R.S. Proctor | Shad dart |
| Hickory | 4/1 | Pitchkettle Creek | 2/22/04 | Trey Maroules | Spoon |
| SUNFISH | |||||
| Redear (Shellcracker) | 4/15 | Pond, Edgecombe Co. | 5/19/08 | Travis Jackson | Worm |
| Bluegill | 4/5 | Henderson County | 7/27/67 | Danny Case | Catawba worm |
| Flier | 1/5 | Pond | 3/17/90 | Douglas N. McCall | Cricket |
| Green | 1/15 | Pond, Ashe Co. | 7/12/14 | Victoria Navaroli | Worm |
| Redbreast | 2/1 | Lumber River | 6/10/2019 | Alphonso Jackson | Cricket |
| Warmouth | 1/13 | McLeods Pond, Richmond Co. | 5/7/76 | Emma Sears | Minnow |
| Pumpkinseed | 1/6 | Trent River | 5/21/03 | John Koonce | Eel |
| Spotted | 0/7 | Big Swamp, Robeson Co. | 6/25/16 | Elijah Crabtree | Beetle spin |
| TROUT | |||||
| Brook | 7/7 | Raven Fork River | 5/15/80 | G.L. Marshall, Jr. | Rooster Tail |
| Brown | 24/10 | Nantahala River | 4/17/98 | Robert Lee Dyer | Rapala |
| Rainbow | 20/3 | Horsepasture River | 1/28/06 | Leah Johnson | Rapala |
| OTHER | |||||
| Bowfin | 17/15 | Black River | 6/21/97 | Gregory A. Demery Sr. | Cut bait, sunfish |
| Carp | 48/0 | Pond, Mecklenburg Co. | 3/11/86 | William Houston Jr. | Unknown |
| Crappie, black | 4/15 | Asheboro City Lake #4 | 4/27/80 | Dean Dixon | Minnow |
| Crappie, white | 3/15 | Private lake, Wake County | 4/1/13 | Joey Boretti | Storm WildEye® Swim Shad |
| Freshwater drum | 23/8 | Kerr Reservoir | 3/20/13 | Jonathan Wilkerson | Plastic fluke |
| Grass carp | 68/12 | Summerlins Pond, Leland | 6/8/98 | David W. Stowell | Rebel Pop R |
| Longnose gar | 25/0 | Intracoastal Waterway near Coinjock | 1/30/09 | Kelly Williams | Tube minnow |
| Kokanee salmon | 4/1 | Nantahala Lake | 6/11/14 | Jeffery Todd Smith | Dodgers and flashers |
| Muskellunge | 41/8 | Lake Adger | 1/23/01 | Richard W. Dodd | Big Mack |
| Muskellunge, tiger* | 33/8 | Lake James | 4/3/88 | Gary Dean Nanney | Buzzbait |
| Pike, northern* | 11/13 | Lake James | 8/26/78 | Keith Gilliam | Storm Wiggle Wart |
| Sauger | 5/15 | Lake Norman | 7/25/71 | David Shook | Top water Rapala |
| Smallmouth buffalo | 88/0 | Lake Wylie | 11/14/93 | Tony Crawford | Pack bait |
| Walleye | 13/8 | Lake Chatuge (Shooting Cr.) | 8/16/86 | Lamar L. Cofer | Old Faithful spoon |