Fishing Awards and Records

If an angler catches a fish they believe may have broken the weight record in its species, they can apply to have the fish certified as a new state record. Verified state record applicants will receive a lapel pin.

Video: Colorado Angler Catches 'Unofficial' Record-Sized Smallmouth Bass

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Fishing Awards and Records

Colorado Parks and Wildlife recognizes licensed anglers who catch exceptionally large fish through three separate programs, Record by Weight, Record by Length (released only) and Master Angler.

Old Length Records

Prior to January 2020, the fish that were considered for the Records by Length program came through our Master Angler program. To view state records that existed before January 2020, please see the Heritage Master Angler Length Awards below.

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Fish Records by Length

In this program, records are by length (inches). To qualify for a fish length record, anglers must release the fish. This program requires anglers to follow specific steps for record submission and acceptance.

Apply for a Length Record

The angler will fill out and return the application form (PDF), provide a picture of the fish on a measuring device, and have a witness sign the application. This will be mailed to the Assistant Chief of Hatcheries in Denver.

Download the Application

Measuring Fish for Your Record Application

To accurately measure a fish for a length record:

You MUST place the fish directly on the measuring device (ruler, tape measure, etc.). As pictured above, the measuring device shall be behind or under the fish and not following the curvature of the fish.
You MUST align the fish at a clearly marked area of the measuring device. In the image above, the 1-inch mark is used to clearly and accurately indicate the starting point for measurement.
You MUST place fish on its side with the jaw closed.
You MUST squeeze the tail fin together to obtain the maximum overall length.
You MUST measure a straight line from the tip of the snout to the extreme tip of the tail fin.

IMPORTANT: When applying for a state record by length, the fish must be greater than the length of the current record fish, or if there is no current record, the fish must be greater than the qualifying length, both of which are listed in the table below.

Mail Your Application

Applications can be sent to:

Record Fish Program
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Attention: Assistant Chief of Hatcheries
6060 Broadway, Denver CO 80216

NOTE: Northern pike and smallmouth bass caught in waters west of the Continental Divide will only be recognized for the State Record by Weight category.

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Fish Records by Weight

For each of 49 different species of fish, this program tracks the heaviest fish ever caught in the state of Colorado. If an angler catches a large fish that they believe may have broken the weight record in its species, there is a series of steps that must be taken to have the fish certified as a new state record. Verified state record applicants will receive a lapel pin.

This is the oldest of Colorado's fishing recognition programs.

Apply for a Length Record

The angler will fill out and return the application form (PDF) and meet the weight record requirements below. This will be mailed to the Assistant Chief of Hatcheries in Denver. To weigh your fish, please visit any state-certified scale at any of the four Colorado Parks and Wildlife regional offices.

To apply for a weight record:

Potential record holders must have a valid Colorado fishing license, or be under the age of 18.
The catch must be made in Colorado in compliance with all state fishing rules and regulations.
The fish in question must be weighed on a state-certified scale (lbs and oz), and there must be either a weight receipt or picture of the fish on the scale with the weight visible, signed by a person who witnessed the weighing.
The fish may not be frozen, gutted, or altered in any way.
The fish must be examined and identified, and the application signed by a CPW employee before an application is submitted.
* The employee must fill out and return the application form to the Assistant Chief of Hatcheries in Denver with a picture of the fish on the scale showing the weight, weight receipt of fish when possible, and a picture of the fish on a length-measuring device.

Download the by Weight Application

Mail Your Application

Applications can be sent to:

Record Fish Program
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Attention: Assistant Chief of Hatcheries
6060 Broadway, Denver CO 80216

Catch a Record

Master Angler Awards

Anglers who catch a qualifying-length fish will receive a Master Angler certificate and patch. There are 43 categories of species recognized in this program, and there can be more than one master angler award given in each category every year. Master Angler recognizes anglers for success in their sport, as well as to promote the conservation of fishery resources and quality trophy sized sport fish.

Apply to be a Master Angler

Anglers who wish to receive a Master Angler Award must submit an application detailing the catch. Only one patch per angler will be awarded each year. However, anglers who submit more than one entry will receive a certificate for each accepted additional entry.

Apply to be a Master Angler Online

Rules

Paper forms will not be accepted.
Fish must be hooked, played and landed on sport tackle by the entrant. Fish that are snagged, speared or shot with a bow are not eligible.
Only fish caught in Colorado are eligible for entry and must be submitted within 60 days of the catch.
The catch must be made in Colorado in compliance with all state fishing regulations and be submitted within 60 days of being caught.
How to measure: Close fish’s mouth and measure from the tip of jaw to the tip of the tail with measuring device behind the fish and not following the curvature of the fish. This is the total length.

Qualifying Lengths

SPECIES	LENGTH (inches)
TROUT
Arctic Char	18
Brook	16
Brown	22
Cutbow	22
Golden	16
Grayling	15
Lake	32
Native Cutthroat	20
Snake River Cutthroat	20
Splake	20
Rainbow	24
Tiger	18
SALMON & WHITEFISH
Chinook	28
Kokanee (angling only)	20
Mountain Whitefish	15
CATFISH
Blue	30
Black Bullhead	14
Brown Bullhead	14
Channel	30
Flathead	30
PIKE
Northern	36
Tiger Muskie	40
PERCH
Sacramento	12
Sauger	16
Saugeye	26
Yellow	12
Walleye	26
BASS
Hybrid Striped (Wiper)	25
Largemouth	18
Smallmouth	17
Spotted	18
Striped	28
Rock	10
White	17
CARP & SUCKERS
Common Carp	30
Grass Carp	30
Longnose Sucker	18
White Sucker	22
Tench	18
DRUM
Freshwater Drum	20
SUNFISH
Bluegill	10
Green Sunfish	10
Hybrid Sunfish	10
Redear Sunfish	12
CRAPPIE
Black	14
White	14

Current and Historical Record Holders

Current Records by Length

Current Fishing Records by Length

Species Sort descending	Length sort by Length	Year sort by Year	Location sort by Location	Angler sort by Angler
Arctic Char	18.38	2024	Lake Dillon	Travis Divis
Black Bullhead Catfish	14.19	2022	James M Robb CO River State Park (CO River Section)	Marc Melnick
Black Crappie	18.25	2023	McKay Lake	Eric Allee
Blue Catfish	30.00	2023	None	No current record holder.
Bluegill	11.00	2024	Big Thompson Outfitter Lake	Joseph Yang
Brook Trout	17.00	2021	Antero Reservoir	Kyle Schelhaas
Brown Bullhead Catfish	14.00	2021	None	No current record holder.
Brown Trout	25.75	2024	Lake Dillon	Travis Divis
Channel Catfish	39.50	2021	Pueblo Reservoir	Colten Smith
Chinook Salmon	28.00	2021	None	No current record holder.
Common Carp	35.50	2024	Chatfield Reservoir	Gunnar Nitzkorski
Cutbow	27.00	2024	Spinney Mountain Reservoir	James T Nicols II

Current Records by Weight

Current Fishing Records by Weight

Species Sort descending	Weight sort by Weight	Year sort by Year	Location sort by Location	Angler sort by Angler
American Eel	3.06	1996	Flagler Reservoir (Kit Carson County)	Juergen Kernel
Arctic Char	7.48	2023	Dillon Res., Summit	Pete McDonnell
Black Bullhead Catfish	5.06	1993	Farm Pond (Delta County)	Uldene Kuretich
Black Crappie	3.48	2017	Frank State Wildlife Area	Fesstus Stalder
Blue Catfish	33.53	2023	Pueblo Reservoir (Pueblo County)	Coy Bowyer
Bluegill	2.59	2019	Totten Res., Montezuma	Gregory Wallace
Brook Trout	8.56	2022	Waterdog Lake	Matt Smiley
Brown Trout	30.50	1988	Roaring Judy Ponds (Gunnison County)	Alan Schneider
Channel Catfish	43.38	2010	Aurora Reservoir	Jessica Walton
Chinook Salmon	11.00	1989	Williams Fork Reservoir (Grand County)	Helen Eaton
Common Carp	35.31	2001	Glenmere Park (Weld County)	Adam Wickam
Cutbow	18.50	2007	Antero Reservoir (Park County)	Frank Stack

Heritage Master Angler Length Awards

The Heritage Master Angler Length Awards are a culmination of the largest fish of each species that was submitted through our Master Angler program from its inception through 2019.

Heritage Master Angler Fish Awards

Species	Length	Location	Angler
Arctic Char	26 7/8 inches	Mount Massive Lakes	Chuck Kubin
Bluegill	13 1/2 inches	Sawhill Ponds	Johnathan Lambert
Blue Catfish	35 inches	Pueblo Reservoir	Ben Tarver
Brook Trout	26 inches	Gunnison River	Mark Armstrong
Brook Trout	26 inches	Crystal Lake	Garrett McBride
Brown Trout	38 inches	Colorado River	Darrel Armstrong
Black Bullhead Catfish	22 inches	Chatfield Ponds	Brian Koprowski
Channel Catfish	42 inches	Chatfield Reservoir	John Fennell
Common Carp	42 inches	Denver Pond	David Torri
Common Carp	42 inches	Chatfield Reservoir	David Dashnaw
Crappie	19 1/2 inches	Panama in Boulder Co.	Ray Clusman
Cutbow	33 1/2 inches	Gunnison River	Patrick Duke
Cutthroat Trout, Snake River	31 inches	Taylor River	Sean Surniak
Cutthroat (Native) Trout	30 inches	South Park	Jack Duerson
Flathead Catfish	36 inches	Lake Windsor	Michael Nelson
Freshwater Drum	32 inches	Jumbo Reservoir	Keith Thompson
Grass Carp	46 1/2 inches	Rock Creek Ponds	Rory Chinatti
Grayling (Arctic)	20 1/2 inches	High Lake- Collegiate Peaks	Chris Wylde
Green Sunfish	11 7/8 inches	Private Lake - Loveland	Vincent Gigliotti
Kokanee Salmon	28 inches	South Platte River	Richard Eppard
Lake Trout	46 7/8 inches	Morrow Point Reservoir	Ryan VanLanen
Largemouth Bass	28 inches	Rocky Mt. Arsenal	Derek Mitchell
Longnose Sucker	22 inches	Arkansas River	Steven Fieldman
Northern Pike	48 inches	Navajo Lake	Dennis Bruce
Pumpkinseed Sunfish	10 3/4 inches	Standley Lake	Joey Slagle
Rainbow Trout	40 1/4 inches	Taylor River	Tony Felicilda
Saugeye	29 inches	Bear Creek Reservoir	Jim Jannicke
Smallmouth Bass	25 inches	Private Lake - Weld County	Sara Slagle
Splake	32 inches	Horsetooth Reservoir	Matt Snider
Spotted Bass	25 inches	Private Pond in Longmont	Forrest Carpenter
Tiger Muskie	58 inches	Quincy Reservoir	Tyler Snyder
Tiger Trout	28 inches	Bar 2X Ranch - Gunnison County	Trevor Nazzaro
Yellow Perch	17 inches	North Poudre Reservoir	Jeff Slatter
Walleye	38 inches	Private Lake - Weld County	Sara Slagle
White Bass	24 inches	Welch Reservoir	Neal Elmore
Mountain Whitefish	21 1/2 inches	Roaring Fork River	Justin Edge
White Sucker	22 1/2 inches	Chatfield Reservoir	Shaun Ross
Wiper	34 1/2 inches	Bingham Lake	John Fennell