Here at Bait Binder, we pride ourselves in helping our customers land the largest catfish possible. So what better way to illustrate this than by showing all the catfishing records by the state as something to shoot for?
Remember to bring your catfish cubes along to catch those behemoth catfish and try all the different types of our catfish bait to find the right mix.
State-by-state catfish records in the U.S.
2017 records are bold-faced.
- Blue: 120-4, John Paul Nichols, Holt Reservoir, 3/9/2012
- Channel: 40-0, Donald R. Cox, Inland Lake, 6/17/1967
- Flathead: 80-0, Rick Conner, Alabama River, 6/22/1986
- White: 10-5, Roy Britton, Chambers Co. Public Lake, 4/3/1981
- Channel: 33-5.76, Carson Pete, Upper Mary Lake, 3/26/2017
- Flathead: 76-8.64, Eddie Wilcoxson, Bartlett Lake, 4/13/2013
- Blue: 116-12, Charles Ashley Jr., Mississippi River, 8/3/2001
- Channel: 38-0, Joe Holleman, Lake Ouachita, 6/3/1989
- Flathead: 80-0, Wesley White, Arkansas River, 10/28/1989
- Blue: 113-5, Steve Oudomsouk, San Vicente Reservoir, 7/24/2008
- Channel: 53-8, Randall Gilgert Jr., San Joaquin River, 9/22/2008
- Flathead: 72-14, Billy Joe Potter, Colorado River, 4/22/2003
- **White: 22-0, James Robinson, Land Park pond, 3/21/1994
- Blue: 24-7.7, Charlie Black, Pueblo Reservoir, 2016
- Channel: 43-6, Jessica Walton, Aurora Reservoir, 2010
- Flathead: 30-9.6, Michael Flock, Pueblo Reservoir, 2017
- Channel: 29-6, Appleton Barrows, Mashapaug Lake, 2004
- White: 12-12, John Shatas, Connecticut River, 1999
- Catfish (any species): 36-3.2 (blue), Jordan Chelton, Nanticoke River Creek, 6/20/2017
- Blue: 69.5 pounds, William Stewart III, Choctawhatchee River, 5/30/2015
- Channel: 44.5, Joe Purvis, Lake Bluff, 5/19/1985
- Flathead: 63.8, Charles Patchen, Chattahoochee River, 5/15/2016
- White: 18.88, Jim Miller, Withlacoochee River, 9/21/1991
- Blue: 80-4, Earnest Timpson, Lake Walter F. George, 2/2/2010
- Channel: 44-12, Bobby Smithwick, Altamaha River, 5/18/1972
- Flathead: 83-0 (tie), Carl Sawyer, Altamaha River, 6/22/2006; Jim Dieveney, Altamaha River, 7/11/2010
- White: 8-10, James Sanders, Savannah River, 6/10/1996
- Channel: 43-13, Dayton Miyamura, Lake Wilson, 3/24/1974
- Channel: 31-0, Kenny Decker, Mann Lake, 8/25/2001
- Flathead: 58-8, J. Newberry/K.McCormick, Brownlee Reservoir, 8/23/1994
- Blue: 124-0, Mississippi River, 5/21/2005
- Channel: 45-4, Baldwin Lake, 2/7/1987
- Flathead: 81-6.4, Sangchris Lake, 8/29/2015
- Blue: 104-0, Bruce Midkiff, Ohio River, 1999 (also Kentucky record)
- Channel: 37-8, Randy Jones, Vanderburgh County, 1980
- Flathead: 79-8, Glen Simpson, White River, 1966
- White: 9.72, Melissa Grimes, Wabash County pond, 1985
- Blue: 101-0, Mike Rush, Missouri River, 6/8/2004
- Channel: 38-2, Dustin Curtis, Missouri River, 6/11/2005
- Flathead: 81-0, Joe Baze, Ellis Lake, 6/7/1958
- Blue: 102.8, Robert Stanley, Missouri River, 8/11/2012
- Channel: 36.5, Rick Barnow, Mined Land, Cherokee Co., 6/3/2003
- *Flathead: 123-0, Ken Paulie, Elk City Reservoir, 5/15/1998
- Blue: 104-0, Bruce Midkiff, Ohio River, 1999 (also Indiana record)
- Channel: 32-0, Kyle Estep, Ohio River, 5/26/2004
- Flathead: 97-0, Esker Carroll, Green River, 6/6/1956
- White: 5.27, Ethen Vest, Guist Creek Lane, 10/11/2016
- Blue: 114-0, Lawson Boyte, Mississippi River, 3/2014
- Channel: 30.31, Harold Clubb, Minor’s Canal, 8/1977
- Flathead: 95-0, Roland Lasseigne, Wax Lake, 7/2007
- White: 6.69, Danny Shores, 7/7/2015
- Channel: 27.92, Steven Trent Abell, Upper Potomac River, 7/5/2004
- White: 8.27, Jacob Vosburgh, Southern Potomac River, 6/1/2017
- Channel: 26-8, Dana Dodge, Ashfield Lake, 1989
- White: 9-3, Michael Payne, Baddacook Pond, 1987
- Channel: 40-0, Houghton Lake, 1964
- Flathead: 52-0, Barron Lake (ice fishing), 2014
- Channel: 38-0, Mississippi River, 2/16/1975
- Flathead: 70-0, St. Croix River, 1970
- Blue: 95-0, Dakota Hinson, Mississippi River, 3/16/2009
- Channel: 51-12, Tom Edwards, Lake Tom Bailey, 5/31/1997
- Flathead: 77.7, Matt Bingham, Mississippi River, 4/21/2012
- Blue: 130-0, Greg Bernal, Missouri River, 7/20/2010
- Channel: 34-10, Gerald Siebenmorgen, Lake Jacomo, 10/12/1976
- Flathead: 77-8, Scott Brown, Montrose Lake, 4/28/2003
- Channel: 34.8, Dan Davenport, Fort Peck Reservoir, 7/26/2013
- Blue: 100-8, Raynold Promes, Missouri River, 11/29/1970
- Channel (tie): 41-8, John Cunning, Merritt Reservoir, 7/26/1985; Heather Cunning, Merritt Reservoir, 8/11/1986.
- Flathead: 80-0, William Swanson, Loup Power Canal, 4/16/1988
- Channel: 32-7, Scott Barrett, South Fork Reservoir, 6/27/2011
- White (tie): 17-4, Corey Ryan, Lahontan Reservoir, 6/26/2008; Jose Mendoza, Humboldt River, 9/17/2005
- Channel: 12-4.8, Dave Kellam, Connecticut River, 9/20/2014
- White: 5-11, Zachary Cross, Big Cub Pond, 8/4/1996
- Channel: 33-3, Howard Hudson, Lake Hopatcong, 1978
- White: 14-4, Timothy Jasko, Dallenbach Pond, 2004
- Blue: 54-1/4
- Channel: 36-8
- Flathead: 78-0
- Channel: 35-3, Eric Scordo, Lake Ontario, 4/29/17
- White: 10-5, Joe Silicato, New Croton Reservoir, 5/17/1998
North Carolina Catfish Records
- Blue: 117-8, Landon Evans, Lake Gaston, 6/11/2016
- Channel: 23-4, E.J. Bowden, City Lake in Rocky Mount, 9/1/1970
- Flathead: 78-0, Brian Newberger, Cape Fear River, 9/17/2005
- White: 13-0, Jerry Wayne Bentley, Lake James, 5/21/1990
- Channel: 42-1, Tina Willis, Moon Lake, 7/25/2009
- Blue: 96-0, Chris Rolph, Ohio River, 6/11/2009
- Channel: 37.65, Gus Gronowski, LaDue Reservoir, 8/15/1992
- Flathead: 76.5, Richard Affolter, Clendening Lake, 7/28/1979
- Blue: 98-0, Billy Nabors, Texoma, 11/11/2004
- Channel: 35-15, Gary Doak Jr., Taft Lake, 9/11/2005
- Flathead: 78-8, Richard Williams, El Reno City Reservoir, 5/11/2010
- Channel: 36-8, Boone Haddock, McKay Reservoir, 1980
- Flathead: 42-0, Joshua Kralicek, Snake River, 1994
- White: 15-0, Wayne Welch, Tualatin River, 1989
- Channel: 35-2.5, Austin Roth III, Lehigh Canal, 1991
- Flathead: 48-6, James Shabrach, Blue Marsh Spillway, 2006
- White: 16-12, L. Angell, Tiogue Lake, 8/1994
South Carolina Catfish Records
- Blue: 113.8, Paula Haney, Lake Moultrie, 2017
- *Channel: 58-0, W.H. Whaley, Lake Moultrie, 1964
- Flathead: 79-6, Danny Aderhold, Cooper River, 2014
- White: 12-2.9, Charles Earp, Lake Murray, 2014
- Blue: 99-4, Steve Lemmon, Big Sioux River, 7/21/2012
- Channel: 55-0, Roy Groves, James River, 5/18/1949
- Flathead: 63-8, David Holland, James River, 6/18/2006
- Blue: 112-0, Robert Lewis, Lock C, Cumberland River, 6/7/1998
- Channel: 41-0, Clint Walters Jr., Fall Creek Falls Lake, 7/30/1982
- Flathead: 85-15, Larry Kaylor, Hiwassee River, 7/25/1993
- Blue: 121.50, Cody Mullennix, Texoma, 1/16/2004
- Channel: 36.5, Mrs. Joe Cockrell, Pedernales River, 3/7/1965
- Flathead: 98.5, James Laster, Palestine, 12/2/1998
- Channel: 32-8, LeRoy Mortenson, Utah Lake, 1978
- Channel: 35-14.7
- *Blue: 143-0, Nick Anderson, Buggs Island Lake, 6/18/2011
- Channel: 32-0, Hugh Wyatt, Lake Chesdin, 4/28/1980
- Flathead: 66-4, Mike Willems, Occoquan Reservoir, 5/6/1994
- White: 7-6, Thomas Elkins, Western Branch Reservoir 3/24/1992
- Blue: 17.75, Rangle Hawthorne, Columbia River, 7/9/1975
- Channel: 36.2, Ross Kincaid, I-82 Pond #6, 9/6/1999
- Flathead: 22.8, C.L. McCary, Snake River, 6/28/1981
- White: 19.85, Donald Huffman, Walla Walla River, 4/17/2002
- Blue: 59.74, Mark Blauvelt, Ohio River, 2016
- Channel: 33.42, Michael Sears, Patterson Creek, 2005
- Flathead: 70-0, L.L. McClung, Little Kanawha River, 1956
- Channel: 44-0, Larry Volenec, Wisconsin River, 1962
- Flathead: 74-5, Stan Hagensick, Mississippi River, 3/30/2001
- Channel: 28.52, Christian Cosby, Flaming Gorge Reservoir, 6/24/2017
- Flathead: 22.46, Dallas Stanton, North Platte River, 4/18/2004
*IGFA-recognized world record
**IGFA recognizes the world white catfish record (19 pounds, 5 ounces, 2005) as being caught in California, but the state’s official record (22-0, 1994) is heavier