In 2024, seven new state Utah fishing records were recognized by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR). They included catches in the following categories:
Catch and Release
Michaell Rueckert caught a white crappie on Oct. 24, 2024 at DMAD Reservoir. The fish was 13 inches long.
Catch and Keep
A Colorado River cutthroat trout record was set by Bryan Olsen on Jan. 5, 2024 at Currant Creek Reservoir. The fish was 17 inches long, weighed 1 pound and 12.6 ounces and had an 11.25 inch girth.
Scott Gubler set a new record for bluegill on July 24, 2024 at Quail Creek Reservoir. The fish was 12.25 inches long, weighed 2 pounds and 8 ounces, and had a 15 inch girth.
Spearfishing
Steven Gottfredson speared a record walleye on April 11, 2024 at Deer Creek Reservoir. It was 29 inches long, weighed 13 pounds and 8 ounces and had a 20 inch girth.
Ryan Peterson speared a record green sunfish on May 10, 2024 at Lake Powell. It was 7 3/8 inches long, weighed 5 ounces and had an 6 7/8 inch girth.
A white bass taken by Steven Gottfredson on May 28, 2024 at Utah Lake was a record catch. It was 12.5 inches long, weighed 13 ounces and had an 8.5 inch girth.
Dylan Bear speared a smallmouth bass on Sept. 5, 2024 at Flaming Gorge. It was 20 3/8 inches long, weighed 5 pounds and 5 ounces and had a 15.5-inch girth.
While these records were set at various waterbodies around Utah, these areas are not the only waters that offer large fish in the state. Additional Utah lakes and reservoirs that offer trophy fishing include:
- Fish Lake for splake
- Scofield Reservoir and Currant Creek Reservoir for tiger trout
- Flaming Gorge Reservoir for lake trout
- Strawberry Reservoir and Bear Lake for cutthroat trout
- Huntington Reservoir for both tiger trout and splake
The Utah DWR website has a variety of resources for anglers, including the Fish Utah map, Blue Ribbon Fisheries information, and articles related to trophy fishing opportunities in Utah.
Here are the Utah fishing records that have been set over the past few years:
2023: 6 new records were set
2022: 11 new records were set
2021: Four new records were set
2020: 11 new records were set
2019: 5 new records were set
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources began tracking records for harvested fish in the early 1900s. The record fish program has since expanded to also include catch-and-release records and records for fish caught using alternate methods, including spearfishing, archery, and setline.
source: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
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