The Indiana state record for burbot has been broken for the third time in the last 13 months, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
Anthony Burke of Cedar Lake was fishing for perch in Lake Michigan on Jan. 6 when he landed a burbot that was 37.25 inches long and weighed 14 pounds, 3.6 ounces.
Burke’s fish outweighed the previous Indiana record held by Phillip Duracz by nearly three pounds.
Burbot are native to Lake Michigan. They typically spend most of their time offshore in deep, cold water areas of the lake.
During late fall and winter, burbot move into shallower habitats to feed and spawn. This gives Indiana anglers a window of opportunity to catch the species.
“Unseasonably warm weather and light winds on Lake Michigan the last several winters have provided boaters with a longer open-water fishing season and more opportunities to catch fish that are usually not in our waters, like burbot,” said DNR Lake Michigan fisheries research biologist Ben Dickinson.
Freshwater members of the cod family, burbot are known for their firm, white flesh.
Find more information about Lake Michigan fishing at on.IN.gov/lake-michigan-fishing.
source: Indiana Department of Natural Resources