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As the largest contiguous state in America, you can expect that Texas would have plenty of excellent fishing lakes.
And you would be right in thinking that!
Throughout the Lone Star state, there are roughly 7,000 lakes. The eastern section of the state has the majority, however, and within that majority sit some of the top fisheries in area.
Texas is home to nationally-renowned fisheries like Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Lake Fork, Lake Palestine, Lake Texoma, Lake O’ the Pines, Cedar Creek Reservoir, Choke Canyon Reservoir, and a couple hundred more high-quality lakes.
Every year, numerous fishing tournaments take place on these waters. In 2010, it was estimated that almost 2.7 million anglers fished public waters in Texas.
That’s a lot of fishing!
From time to time, however, an angler manages to land a new Texas state fishing record. The 2000s have seen quite a few records broken, with many other significant records standing the test of time.
For instance, the largemouth bass — an absolute staple of Texas fishing — has retained the same record since Barry St. Clair landed an 18.18 pound mammoth on Lake Fork in January of 1992.
Texas’s smallmouth bass state has also held up for several decades. The 7.93 pound smallie, caught on Lake Meredith by Timothy Teague, has held its status since March of 1998.
The oldest current record on this list is Bill Valverde’s 279 pound alligator gar, caught on the Rio Grande back on January 1, 1951.
List of Every Texas State Fishing Record
| Species | Weight (Lbs) | Length (In) | Date | WaterBody | Angler |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gar, Alligator | 279 | N/A | 1951-01-01 00:00:00 | Rio Grande | Bill Valverde |
| Catfish, Blue | 121.5 | 58 | 2004-01-16 00:00:00 | Texoma | Cody Mullennix |
| Catfish, Flathead | 98.5 | 53 | 1998-12-02 00:00:00 | Palestine | James Laster |
| Carp, Bighead | 90 | 55.5 | 2000-07-22 00:00:00 | Kirby | Timothy Conner |
| Buffalo, Smallmouth | 82.22 | 43.5 | 1993-06-13 00:00:00 | Athens | Randy Collins |
| Gar, Hybrid | 70.22 | 75 | 2018-06-27 00:00:00 | Trinity River | Shelton Shoemake |
| Buffalo, Bigmouth | 58.75 | 40.75 | 1994-01-29 00:00:00 | Sam Rayburn | Allen Chesney |
| Carp, Grass | 53.5 | 49 | 2006-08-02 00:00:00 | Toledo Bend | Tontie Pennock |
| Bass, Striped | 53 | 48 | 1999-05-27 00:00:00 | Brazos River | Ron Venerable |
| Gar, Longnose | 50.31 | N/A | 1954-01-01 00:00:00 | Trinity River | Townsend Miller |
| Drum, Freshwater | 44 | 38.5 | 2011-05-22 00:00:00 | Conroe | Jesse Ashley |
| Carp, Common | 43.75 | 42 | 2009-03-28 00:00:00 | Lady Bird Lake | K.C. Crawford |
| Drum, Red | 36.83 | 44 | 2001-05-22 00:00:00 | Fairfield | Billy Tyus |
| Drum, Black | 36.63 | 42.5 | 2009-11-17 00:00:00 | Nueces River | Filip Spencer |
| Catfish, Channel | 36.5 | 38 | 1965-03-07 00:00:00 | Pedernales River | Mrs. Joe Cockrell |
| Buffalo, Black | 34.88 | 39.5 | 2004-05-19 00:00:00 | Texoma | Ricky Stephenson |
| Spotted Seatrout X Corvina | 20.8 | 35 | 1992-04-25 00:00:00 | Victor Braunig | Phillip Mann |
| Bass, Hybrid Striped | 19.66 | 35.16 | 1984-06-20 00:00:00 | Ray Hubbard | John Haney |
| Pike, Northern | 18.28 | 41 | 1981-08-29 00:00:00 | Lady Bird Lake | Mike Sharpe |
| Bass, Largemouth | 18.18 | 25.5 | 1992-01-24 00:00:00 | Lake Fork | Barry StClair |
| Bowfin | 17.65 | 36.5 | 1993-02-21 00:00:00 | Lake Fork | Brenda Walsh |
| Corvina, Orangemouth | 16.31 | 36 | 1991-11-16 00:00:00 | Calaveras | Earl L. Tenpenny |
| Gar, Shortnose | 13.56 | 39 | 2010-08-04 00:00:00 | Lavon | Jack Moldenhauer |
| Perch, Nile | 12.06 | 30.5 | 1980-02-01 00:00:00 | Victor Braunig | Mike Saldivar |
| Walleye | 11.88 | 31.75 | 1990-02-26 00:00:00 | Meredith | Hank McWilliams Jr. |
| Flounder, Southern | 11.35 | 26 | 1987-10-16 00:00:00 | Brazoria Reservoir | Glenn Comiskey |
| Tarpon | 10.12 | 37 | 1986-08-06 00:00:00 | Victor Braunig | Paul Willette |
| Tiger Muskellunge | 9.06 | 32 | 1979-05-27 00:00:00 | Nocona | Mike Gaines |
| Pacu, Red-bellied | 8.95 | 19 | 2006-03-14 00:00:00 | San Marcos River | Joni Frazier |
| Trout, Rainbow | 8.92 | 26.5 | 2010-01-13 00:00:00 | Nueces River | Timothy Boehm |
| Seatrout, Spotted | 8.31 | 28.5 | 2009-11-17 00:00:00 | Nueces River | Filip Spencer |
| Bass, Smallmouth | 7.93 | 23 | 1998-03-13 00:00:00 | Meredith | Timothy Teague |
| Saugeye | 7.78 | 27 | 1998-01-26 00:00:00 | Kirby | Robert Quintanilla |
| Tilapia, Blue | 7.75 | 21.5 | 2010-01-31 00:00:00 | Houston | Michael Sample |
| Gar, Spotted | 7.66 | 34.75 | 2017-04-25 00:00:00 | Junemann Bayou | Colton Carner |
| Trout, Brown | 7.12 | 24 | 1986-02-07 00:00:00 | Guadalupe River | Jeff Delong |
| Eel, American | 6.45 | 42 | 2001-09-05 00:00:00 | Lady Bird Lake | Bryan Swofford |
| Bass, Spotted x smallmouth | 6.42 | 21.5 | 2019-03-02 00:00:00 | Ray Roberts | Casey Bowsher |
| Bass, Alabama | 5.98 | 22.25 | 2016-01-09 00:00:00 | Alan Henry | Timothy J. Helmstetler |
| Goldfish | 5.63 | 20 | 2016-11-27 00:00:00 | North Lake Park South Pond (Denton) | Mike Doran |
| Bass, Spotted | 5.56 | 21 | 1966-03-13 00:00:00 | Lake O' the Pines | Turner Keith |
| Bass, White | 5.56 | 20.75 | 1977-03-31 00:00:00 | Colorado River | David Cordill |
| Bullhead, Black | 5.15 | 20.25 | 2007-03-18 00:00:00 | Brazos River | Larry Feland |
| Bass, White x Yellow | 4.75 | 19 | 2005-03-12 00:00:00 | Lake Fork | Curtis Campbell |
| Pickerel, Chain | 4.75 | 23.75 | 1996-02-18 00:00:00 | Pat Mayse | Robert Finch |
| Redhorse, Gray | 4.75 | 22.25 | 2014-05-03 00:00:00 | Lady Bird Lake | Scott Ferguson |
| Bass, Guadalupe X Smallmouth | 4.69 | 20.39 | 1999-04-27 00:00:00 | San Marcos River | Lance Wester |
| Crappie, White | 4.56 | 0 | 1968-02-14 00:00:00 | Navarro Mills | G. G. Wooderson |
| Carpsucker, River | 4.35 | 21.25 | 2012-11-15 00:00:00 | Joe Pool | Curt Magee |
| Tilapia, Mozambique | 4.19 | 16 | 2017-10-18 00:00:00 | Private Lake | Larry Hartley |
| Tilapia, Hybrid | 4.15 | 18 | 2017-09-28 00:00:00 | Squaw Creek | Barry Osborn |
| Crappie, Black | 3.92 | 18.5 | 2003-04-27 00:00:00 | Lake Fork | George Ward |
| Bass, Guadalupe | 3.71 | 17.25 | 2014-02-01 00:00:00 | Colorado River | Bryan Townsend |
| Bass, Yellow | 3.46 | 17.5 | 2009-03-12 00:00:00 | Sabine River | Butch Koehler |
| Catfish, Suckermouth | 3.45 | 0 | 2011-07-12 00:00:00 | Guadalupe River | Andrew Cumberland |
| Bullhead, Yellow | 3.2 | 16.25 | 1997-03-22 00:00:00 | Lake Fork | Herschell Spears |
| Bass, Guadalupe x Spotted | 3.06 | 17.75 | 2007-02-17 00:00:00 | Lady Bird Lake | Robbie Burrow |
| Sunfish, Redear | 2.99 | 14 | 1997-04-01 00:00:00 | Lady Bird Lake | John Runnels |
| Shad, Gizzard | 2.67 | 18 | 1997-04-12 00:00:00 | Lady Bird Lake | J. Darryl Freeman |
| Sleeper, Bigmouth | 2.42 | 19 | 2005-05-21 00:00:00 | Nueces River | Dwight Sykora |
| Goldeye | 2.31 | 17.5 | 1996-05-28 00:00:00 | Texoma | Mandy Richmond |
| Mullet, Striped | 2.2 | 16.31 | 2008-04-20 00:00:00 | Brazos River | Kim Hunter |
| Bluegill | 2.02 | 12.5 | 1999-11-21 00:00:00 | Lampasas River | Gibbs Milliken |
| Cichlid, Rio Grande | 2.02 | 11.1 | 2011-09-02 00:00:00 | Dunlap | Chuck Dewey |
| Sunfish, Other Hybrid | 1.73 | 12.5 | 2004-04-29 00:00:00 | Bardwell | Scott Pekrul |
| Sunfish, Redbreast | 1.63 | 12 | 1997-08-30 00:00:00 | Comal River | Alex Labowski |
| Catfish, Redtail | 1.48 | 14.76 | 2002-07-27 00:00:00 | Cal Young Park Lake | Douglas Powell Sr |
| Sucker, Spotted | 1.41 | 14.5 | 2002-07-02 00:00:00 | Catfish Creek | Billy Autery |
| Sunfish, Green | 1.3 | 11 | 2005-04-19 00:00:00 | Burke-Crenshaw Lake | Billy Oldigs |
| Warmouth | 1.3 | 10.5 | 1991-07-19 00:00:00 | Lady Bird Lake | Ralph Manns |
| Oscar | 1.21 | 11.75 | 1998-08-29 00:00:00 | Greenbelt | Marion Eudey |
| Mullet, White | 1.16 | 13 | 1998-07-11 00:00:00 | Brays Bayou | Mark Marmon |
| Bass, Rock | 1.13 | 11 | 2013-03-05 00:00:00 | San Marcos River | Andrew H. Bland |
| Sunfish, Hybrid Green | 1.13 | 10.5 | 2019-06-05 00:00:00 | Private Lake | Jamie Meaux |
| Perch, Yellow | 1.04 | 12.5 | 1996-05-03 00:00:00 | Meredith | Melvin Vick |
| Sunfish, Longear | 0.84 | 9.25 | 2009-07-06 00:00:00 | San Marcos River | John Brownlee |
| Trout, Brook | 0.67 | 12 | 1984-02-19 00:00:00 | Guadalupe River | Bryan Hendricks |
| Pickerel, Redfin | 0.66 | 13 | 2009-02-10 00:00:00 | Toledo Bend | Bill Ritzell |
| Herring, Skipjack | 0.55 | 11.63 | 2010-07-23 00:00:00 | Trinity River | Danny Eddins |
| Shiner, Golden | 0.52 | 11 | 1996-07-10 00:00:00 | Placid | Brian Rankin |
Premier Angler aims to keep our state record content up-to-date by checking with state agencies numerous times throughout the year. If you notice any information that is incomplete or incorrect, however, please let us know and we will make the appropriate adjustments.
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