California Fishing Records: 109 Species From Bass to Broadbill

California holds over 100 official state fishing records — 42 freshwater and more than 70 saltwater — spanning from high-Sierra trout streams to deep-water banks 100 miles offshore. The record book reflects the state’s absurd geographic diversity: a 468 lb White Sturgeon from San Pablo Bay, a 21 lb 12 oz Largemouth Bass from Castaic Lake, a 663 lb 12 oz Swordfish from Nine Mile Bank, and a 9 lb 8 oz Golden Trout from a lake above 10,000 feet in the Sierra Nevada all share the same book. For a full overview of the state’s fisheries, see our complete California fishing guide.

With 840 miles of coastline, thousands of miles of rivers, and lakes from sea level to the alpine zone, California’s records come from nearly every corner of the state. The book is still being actively rewritten — at least five records have fallen since 2022, including a massive swordfish that shattered the previous record by over 140 lbs.

Records That Stand Out

Largemouth Bass — 21 lb 12 oz (#2 of 47 states)

Michael Arujo was fishing Castaic Lake in Los Angeles County on March 5, 1991, when he landed the second-largest largemouth bass ever officially recorded in any state — 21 lb 12 oz. Only Georgia’s 22 lb 4 oz world record tops it. Castaic was a bass factory in the late 1980s and early 1990s, fueled by planted Florida-strain genetics, threadfin shad forage, and the deep, clear water of this San Francisquito Canyon reservoir. The lake produced multiple fish over 20 lbs during that era, and California’s statewide bass fishery — from Clear Lake to San Diego’s city reservoirs — continues to produce double-digit fish regularly. The state’s TrophyCatch-style fishery owes everything to Florida-strain genetics thriving in California’s year-round growing conditions.

White Sturgeon — 468 lbs (IGFA World Record)

Joey Pallotta’s 468 lb white sturgeon, caught in San Pablo Bay in 1983, is the largest freshwater-classified fish in California’s record book and the IGFA All-Tackle world record for the species. White sturgeon are the largest freshwater fish in North America — prehistoric, anadromous fish that move between the Pacific Ocean and the San Francisco Bay-Delta system. The fishery has changed dramatically since Pallotta’s catch: sturgeon are now catch-and-release only under regulations that took effect in September 2025, and a Sturgeon Fishing Report Card is required. The catch was made in the brackish waters where the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers meet the bay — still the epicenter of the sturgeon fishery today.

Blue Catfish — 113 lb 5 oz (#12 of 27 states)

Steve Oudomsouk’s 113 lb 5 oz blue catfish from San Vicente Reservoir in San Diego County (2008) ranks 12th among 27 states that track the species — behind Virginia’s 143 lb national leader but still an enormous fish by any standard. San Vicente, a deep canyon reservoir east of San Diego, was stocked with blue catfish that found ideal conditions — deep, warm water and abundant forage. The reservoir has produced multiple state-record-class blues, and San Diego’s network of city reservoirs remains one of the best big-catfish destinations in the West.

Swordfish — 663 lb 12 oz (#1 of 15 states)

Luc Ofield rewrote California’s swordfish record in October 2024, landing a 663 lb 12 oz broadbill at Nine Mile Bank off San Diego — smashing the previous record of 520 lbs by over 140 lbs. The catch also leads all 15 states that track swordfish, topping Massachusetts’ previous national leader of 646 lbs. San Diego has become the epicenter of West Coast swordfishing, with the deep submarine canyons and banks offshore putting big broadbills within reach of day trips. The daytime deep-drop technique — pioneered in Florida and adapted for Pacific conditions — has transformed the fishery.

Spotted Bass — 11 lb 5 oz (#1 of 25 states)

Nathaniel Hilligoss caught the national record spotted bass at New Bullards Bar Reservoir in Yuba County in February 2022 — 11 lb 5 oz, topping every state in the country. Bullards Bar is a deep, clear Sierra foothill reservoir that produces oversized spotted bass feeding on trout and shad. The spotted bass fishery in California’s foothill reservoirs has emerged as one of the most exciting developments in Western bass fishing, with fish routinely exceeding sizes thought impossible for the species a generation ago.

Striped Bass — 67 lb 8 oz (#6 of 38 states)

Hank Ferguson’s 67 lb 8 oz striper from O’Neill Forebay in Merced County (1992) ranks 6th nationally — behind the ocean-caught records from the Northeast, but it’s one of the largest landlocked striped bass ever recorded. O’Neill Forebay, part of the California Aqueduct system in the San Joaquin Valley, holds striped bass that feed heavily on the threadfin shad pumped through the water delivery infrastructure. The San Francisco Bay-Delta system supports both ocean-run and landlocked stripers, and California’s aqueduct reservoirs offer some of the most unique striper fishing in the country.

Chinook Salmon — 88 lbs (ocean) / 20 lb 15 oz (inland)

California tracks chinook salmon in two categories. The ocean record — 88 lbs, caught by O. Lindberg from the Sacramento River near Redding in 1979 — is one of the largest king salmon ever documented. The inland record of 20 lb 15 oz came from Trinity Lake in 2013. The Sacramento River system remains the backbone of California’s salmon fishery, though the runs have fluctuated dramatically with drought, dam operations, and ocean conditions. The salmon season varies by region and year, and anglers should check CDFW regulations before planning a trip.

Shortfin Mako Shark — 1,098 lb 12 oz

Sean Gizatullin’s 1,098 lb mako shark, caught off Anacapa Island in 2010, is the heaviest fish in California’s saltwater record book and one of the largest makos ever taken on rod and reel. The Channel Islands waters off Ventura and Santa Barbara produce big pelagic sharks thanks to the productive upwelling zones where cold, nutrient-rich water meets warmer southern currents.

Bluefin Tuna — 395 lb 6 oz

Floyd Sparks landed this Pacific bluefin at Tanner Bank in 2021, capping a remarkable run of bluefin fishing off Southern California. Pacific bluefin have been showing up in increasing numbers off San Diego and the offshore banks since the mid-2010s, creating a fishery that barely existed a decade earlier. Fish over 200 lbs are now caught regularly during summer and fall.

California Halibut — 67 lb 4 oz

Francisco Rivera’s 67 lb halibut from Santa Rosa Island (2011) represents one of the state’s most popular and accessible saltwater species. California halibut are found from the surf zone to offshore structure, and they’re a primary target for pier, surf, and boat anglers up and down the coast. Most fish run 5–15 lbs, making Rivera’s catch exceptional.

Where the Records Come From

California’s record fish reflect the state’s dramatic geography. San Diego County leads for saltwater records — the deep offshore banks (Nine Mile, Tanner, Cortez, Butterfly) and the warm southern current put big pelagics within reach, while the city’s freshwater reservoirs (San Vicente, El Capitan, Otay) have produced record catfish and bass. Los Angeles and Orange counties dominate the nearshore and kelp-forest species, with the Channel Islands serving as the hub for big-game species like mako shark and giant sea bass.

The North Coast — Del Norte, Humboldt, and Mendocino counties — holds the salmon, steelhead, and lingcod records, reflecting the cold, productive waters where California’s coast meets the Pacific Northwest. The Central Coast from Monterey through San Luis Obispo owns many of the rockfish records, with the rocky reefs and deep structure off Morro Bay and Monterey Bay producing oversized vermilion, yelloweye, and olive rockfish.

Freshwater records cluster around three distinct regions. The Sierra foothill reservoirs (New Bullards Bar, Pardee, Trinity Lake) produce the cold-water species — spotted bass, smallmouth, trout, and kokanee. The Central Valley waterways (Sacramento River, San Joaquin River, the Delta) hold the salmon, sturgeon, and shad records. And Southern California’s reservoirs (Castaic, San Vicente, Clear Lake) dominate for warm-water species, particularly bass and catfish.

The record book spans nearly a century — from A. Hamann’s 692 lb blue marlin off Balboa in 1931 to the pile perch record broken in 2025. The pace hasn’t slowed. The swordfish, spotted bass, scorpionfish, and pile perch records have all fallen since 2022, and California’s offshore bluefin tuna fishery continues to produce fish that would have seemed impossible a decade ago. Neither of California’s state fish — the Golden Trout and the Garibaldi — hold prominent places in the competitive record book, but the golden trout record (9 lb 8 oz from Virginia Lake in 1952) remains one of the more remarkable catches in the freshwater list.

Complete California Saltwater Records

Complete California Freshwater Records

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources: California Department of Fish and Wildlife — State Record Fish. Best Fishing in America — California Records.