Iowa has records on the books for 54 freshwater fish that have been caught in their state boundaries going back to 1958. Most of the recently caught fish have been released, meaning they could still be out there just waiting to give a lucky angler another state record.
Where the Largest Fish in Iowa Have Been Caught
Explore the map below to see where anglers have caught the largest fish in Iowa over the the years.
The map and data below show the largest fish that were caught in Iowa and give you an idea where these incredible fish were caught. The largest recorded fish in Iowa were caught between 1958 all the way up until the last few years. These fish ranged from 0.96 ounces to 112 pounds with species such as Shorthead Redhorse, Silver Carp, Yellow Bullhead, and Greater Redhorse, to name a few. They were caught throughout the state in areas such as Des Moines River (Red Rock to Ottumwa), Wapsipinicon River (Troy Mills to Oxford Junction), Lake Macbride, Cedar River (above Nashua), and Little River Watershed Lake. Those who have caught these record setting fish have been rewarded with recognition of their accomplishment and a place in the Iowa record books.
Why limit yourself to public land when there are millions of acres of private land to explore.
Largest Fish Caught in Iowa
| wdt_ID | Fish | Weight (lbs) | Length (inches) | Place | Angler | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pumpkinseed | 0.96 | 10.25 | Lake Petocka | Rick Olson | June 5, 2020 |
| 2 | Warmouth | 1.13 | 10.75 | farm pond | Celsey Rynearson | May 12, 2018 |
| 3 | Brown Bullhead | 1.25 | 12.50 | Pool 9, Mississippi River | Dick Newcomer | August 24, 2015 |
| 4 | Rock Bass | 1.50 | 10.50 | Pool 11, Mississippi River | Jim Driscoll | June 1, 1973 |
| 5 | Mooneye | 1.52 | 15.60 | Pool 9, Mississippi River | Tricia Steines | October 23, 2016 |
| 6 | Yellow Bass | 1.75 | 14.50 | Lake Manawa | Bill Campbell | April 1, 1991 |
| 7 | Northern hog sucker | 1.91 | 16.40 | Des Moines River (Humboldt to Stratford) | Ashley Robell | May 16, 2019 |
| 8 | Green Sunfish | 2.06 | 12.50 | farm pond | Ralph Mayer | July 29, 2000 |
| 9 | Spotted bass | 2.06 | 15.00 | Lake Macbride | Davis Horton | June 19, 2021 |
| 10 | Golden Redhorse | 2.20 | 17.25 | Wapsipinicon River (Troy Mills to Oxford Junction) | Rory Petersen | April 23, 2020 |
| 11 | Redear Sunfish | 2.31 | 12.80 | farm pond | Elijah Parrett | October 19, 2018 |
| 12 | Yellow Bullhead | 2.40 | 15.20 | Little River Watershed Lake | Troy Dibbern | September 28, 2018 |
| 13 | Yellow Perch | 2.79 | 16.40 | Private Pond | Royce Krummen | February 16, 2019 |
| 14 | Goldeye | 2.94 | 20.00 | Pool 10, Mississippi River | Scott Kinkead | August 20, 2004 |
| 15 | Bluegill | 3.13 | 12.88 | farm pond | Phil Algreen | July 1, 1986 |
| 16 | Shorthead redhorse | 3.65 | 20.00 | Wapsipinicon River (Troy Mills to Oxford Junction) | Rory Petersen | April 5, 2020 |
| 17 | Black Crappie | 3.88 | 18.00 | Three Mile Lake | Dale Klein | June 5, 2013 |
| 18 | White Crappie | 4.56 | 21.25 | Green Castle Lake | Ted Trowbridge | May 1, 1981 |
| 19 | White Sucker | 5.06 | 21.30 | Otter Creek | Austin Steffen | March 22, 2016 |
| 20 | White Bass | 5.11 | 21.70 | East Okoboji Lake | Justin Sturtz | June 3, 2019 |
| 21 | Black Bullhead | 5.50 | 22.00 | farm pond | Michael Hurd | June 1, 1986 |
| 22 | Sauger | 6.50 | 25.00 | Missouri River (Sioux City to Little Sioux) | Mrs. W. Buser | October 1, 1976 |
| 23 | Brook Trout | 7.00 | 19.75 | Fountain Springs | Doug Korvarik | July 1, 1996 |
| 24 | River Redhorse | 7.48 | 27.50 | Shell Rock River (Greene to Shell Rock) | Todd Hardy | March 28, 2020 |
| 25 | Smallmouth Bass | 7.75 | 22.75 | West Okoboji Lake | Rick Gray | September 1, 1990 |
Learn more about fishing in Iowa.
