Kentucky’s state record book holds 46 official freshwater records — spanning trophy catfish from the Ohio River, world-class smallmouth bass from Dale Hollow Lake, and massive walleye from Lake Cumberland. The record book reads like a geography lesson in Kentucky’s diverse water systems: big rivers producing monster catfish, deep clear reservoirs growing oversized bass, and tailwaters that support trout and walleye fisheries found nowhere else in the Southeast. For a full overview of the state’s fisheries, see our complete Kentucky fishing guide.
The records span more than seven decades of fishing history, from David Hayes’ legendary 1955 smallmouth bass at Dale Hollow — still the IGFA All-Tackle world record — to Mark Ward’s 14 lb 9.5 oz largemouth bass pulled from a small Harlan County lake on Good Friday 2024. The book is still being rewritten, and Kentucky’s improving fisheries management continues to produce record-class fish.
Records That Stand Out
Smallmouth Bass — 11 lb 15 oz (🏆 IGFA World Record, #1 of 44 states)
David Lee Hayes was trolling a pearl Bomber diving plug through Dale Hollow Lake on July 9, 1955, when he hooked a fish that would become the most famous smallmouth bass ever caught. The 11 lb 15 oz bronzeback — caught in Kentucky waters near Trooper Island — remains the IGFA All-Tackle world record more than 70 years later, and no angler anywhere has come within a full pound of it. The record was temporarily removed from the books in 1996 after a fraudulent affidavit surfaced, but a thorough investigation including polygraph tests reinstated it in 2005. Dale Hollow Lake, straddling the Kentucky-Tennessee border, has produced more trophy smallmouth than any lake in the world, including the #2 all-time fish (10 lb 14 oz, John Gorman, 1969). The lake’s deep, ultra-clear water and crawfish-rich forage base create ideal conditions for oversized bronzebacks. See our best fishing spots guide for more on Dale Hollow.
Blue Catfish — 106 lb 14 oz (#14 of 27 states)
Glynn Grogan pulled this 106 lb 14 oz blue catfish from the Ohio River — Kentucky’s northern border and one of the most productive big-catfish rivers in the country. Blue cats in the Ohio grow to enormous sizes thanks to the river’s massive forage base of shad, skipjack herring, and Asian carp. Virginia’s 143 lb fish leads nationally, but Kentucky’s Ohio River stretch continues to produce fish over 80 lbs with regularity, and a new state record is always a possibility given the river’s biomass.
Flathead Catfish — 97 lbs (#3 of 33 states)
Esker Carroll’s 97 lb flathead from the Green River ranks third nationally behind Kansas (123 lbs) and Texas (98.5 lbs). Flatheads are ambush predators that thrive in Kentucky’s river systems — the Green, Kentucky, and Ohio rivers all produce fish over 50 lbs regularly. The Green River in particular is one of the most biodiverse rivers in the eastern United States, and its deep holes and rock ledges create the kind of structure flatheads need to reach maximum size.
Largemouth Bass — 14 lb 9.5 oz (#18 of 47 states)
Mark Ward rewrote Kentucky’s largemouth record on Good Friday 2024 at Highsplint Lake in Harlan County — a small mountain lake in the Appalachian coalfields. His 14 lb 9.5 oz fish measured 26.8 inches long with a 22.5-inch girth, smashing the previous record set by Dale Wilson in 1984. Ward was casting a 6-inch Junebug lizard when a 4-pound bass triggered a much larger fish to strike. The catch proved that trophy largemouths can show up anywhere in Kentucky, not just the big-name reservoirs.
Walleye — 21 lb 8 oz (#4 of 40 states)
Abe Black’s 21 lb 8 oz walleye from Lake Cumberland ranks 4th nationally — behind only Tennessee (25 lbs), Arkansas (22.69 lbs), and Virginia (22.5 lbs). Lake Cumberland’s deep, cold water and massive shad population create ideal walleye habitat, and the lake has been a consistent producer of fish over 10 lbs. The tailwater below Wolf Creek Dam also holds walleye alongside the trophy trout fishery. Check the seasonal guide for the best walleye timing.
Paddlefish — 106 lbs (#9 of 11 states)
William Chumbler’s 106 lb paddlefish from the Ohio River is a reminder of the prehistoric giants that still swim Kentucky’s big rivers. Paddlefish — filter feeders with distinctive paddle-shaped snouts — can exceed 100 lbs in the Ohio and Mississippi river systems. Kentucky allows snagging for paddlefish during specific seasons, and the Ohio River is one of the few places in the country where anglers have a realistic shot at a 100-pounder. Oklahoma leads nationally at 164 lbs.
Freshwater Drum — 42 lb 13 oz (#5 of 27 states)
Alan Cooper’s 42 lb 13 oz freshwater drum from Dale Hollow Lake ranks 5th nationally. Drum are one of the most underrated sportfish in Kentucky — they’re abundant, fight hard, and grow to impressive sizes in the state’s reservoirs and rivers. Tennessee leads nationally at 54.5 lbs, but drum in the 20-30 lb range are caught regularly in Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, and the Ohio River.
Striped Bass — 58 lb 4 oz (#16 of 38 states)
Roger Foster’s 58 lb 4 oz striper from Lake Cumberland demonstrates the quality of Kentucky’s landlocked striped bass program. Cumberland’s cold tailwaters and deep reservoir sections create ideal striper habitat, and the fish grow fast on the lake’s massive threadfin shad population. The Cumberland striper fishery has become a regional draw, with fish over 40 lbs caught every season.
Where the Records Come From
Kentucky’s records cluster around three distinct water types. The Ohio River dominates the catfish and rough fish categories — blue catfish, flathead catfish, paddlefish, longnose gar, and channel catfish all come from the river or its immediate tributaries. The state’s major reservoirs — Dale Hollow, Lake Cumberland, Kentucky Lake, and Lake Barkley — produce the bass, walleye, crappie, and striper records. And the interior rivers — Green, Kentucky, Barren, and Cumberland — fill in the gaps with flathead catfish, muskellunge, and a diverse collection of native species like bowfin, redhorse, and gar.
Dale Hollow Lake holds an outsized place in the record book, producing the world record smallmouth bass and state records for both smallmouth bass and freshwater drum. Lake Cumberland contributes the walleye and striped bass records. Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, the twin TVA reservoirs in far western Kentucky, are represented through smallmouth buffalo and white bass records.
Complete Kentucky Freshwater Records
| Species | Weight | Water Body | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🏆 Smallmouth Bass | 11 lb 15 oz | Dale Hollow Lake | 1955 |
| Blue Catfish | 106 lb 14 oz | Ohio River | — |
| Paddlefish | 106 lbs | Ohio River | — |
| Flathead Catfish | 97 lbs | Green River | — |
| Bighead Carp | 65 lb 1 oz | Kentucky River | — |
| Common Carp | 54 lb 14 oz | South Fork Licking River | — |
| Grass Carp | 58 lb 8 oz | Forest Lawn Lake | — |
| Striped Bass | 58 lb 4 oz | Lake Cumberland | — |
| Smallmouth Buffalo | 55 lbs | Kentucky Lake | — |
| Freshwater Drum | 42 lb 13 oz | Dale Hollow Lake | — |
| Longnose Gar | 40 lbs | Ohio River | — |
| Lake Sturgeon | 36 lb 8 oz | Lake Cumberland | — |
| Channel Catfish | 32 lbs | Ohio River | — |
| Walleye | 21 lb 8 oz | Lake Cumberland | — |
| Hybrid Striped Bass | 20 lb 8 oz | Barren River | — |
| Silver Carp | 17 lb 5 oz | Ohio River | — |
| Bowfin | 15 lb 1 oz | Green River | — |
| Largemouth Bass | 14 lb 9.5 oz | Highsplint Lake | 2024 |
| Smallmouth Bass | 11 lb 15 oz | Dale Hollow Lake | 1955 |
| River Redhorse | 9 lb 1 oz | Rockcastle River | — |
| Saugeye | 9 lb 0.5 oz | Bullock Pen Lake | — |
| Blue Sucker | 8 lb 5 oz | Ohio River | — |
| Spotted Bass | 7 lb 10 oz | Private Lake | 1970 |
| Sauger | 7 lb 7 oz | Cumberland River | — |
| Spotted Gar | 6 lb 4 oz | Taylorsville Lake Tailwater | — |
| Brown Bullhead | 5 lb 8 oz | Private Pond | — |
| Chain Pickerel | 5 lb 6 oz | Forked Lake | — |
| Silver Redhorse | 5 lb 6 oz | Rockcastle River | — |
| White Catfish | 5 lb 4 oz | Guist Creek Lake | — |
| White Bass | 5 lbs | Kentucky Lake | — |
| Golden Redhorse | 4 lb 5 oz | Red River | — |
| Gizzard Shad | 4 lb 1 oz | Ohio River | — |
| Skipjack Herring | 3 lb 2 oz | Ohio River | — |
| Goldeye | 2 lb 10 oz | Kentucky River | — |
| Northern Hogsucker | 1 lb 12 oz | Slate Creek | — |
| White Sucker | 1 lb 10 oz | Slate Creek | — |
| Yellow Perch | 1 lb 9 oz | Lake Barkley | — |
| Yellow Bass | 1 lb 6 oz | Cumberland River / Lake Barkley tailwaters | — |
| Redeye Bass | 1 lb 3 oz | Martins Fork Cumberland River | — |
| Grass Pickerel | 10 oz | — | — |
| Mooneye | 10 oz | Barren River | — |
| Creek Chub | 9 oz | Otter Creek | — |
| Golden Shiner | 7 oz | Lake Reba | — |
| Striped Shiner | 2.7 oz | Banklick Creek | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the biggest fish ever caught in Kentucky?
The two heaviest fish in Kentucky’s record book are a 106 lb 14 oz blue catfish from the Ohio River and a 106 lb paddlefish, also from the Ohio River. Both species thrive in the Ohio’s massive current and forage base.
What is the Kentucky state record smallmouth bass?
The Kentucky smallmouth bass record is 11 lb 15 oz, caught by David Hayes at Dale Hollow Lake on July 9, 1955. It is also the IGFA All-Tackle world record for the species — no angler anywhere has come within a pound of it in 70 years.
What is the Kentucky state record largemouth bass?
Mark Ward caught a 14 lb 9.5 oz largemouth bass at Highsplint Lake in Harlan County on April 19, 2024. The fish broke the previous state record that had stood since 1984.
Where are most Kentucky fishing records caught?
The Ohio River produces the most records overall, particularly for catfish, paddlefish, gar, and rough fish species. Dale Hollow Lake holds the world record smallmouth bass and the state record freshwater drum. Lake Cumberland contributes the walleye and striped bass records.
Does Kentucky have any world records?
Yes — Kentucky holds the IGFA All-Tackle world record for smallmouth bass. David Hayes’ 11 lb 15 oz fish from Dale Hollow Lake in 1955 is the largest smallmouth bass ever officially recorded anywhere in the world.
How do I submit a fish for a Kentucky state record?
Contact the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) at 1-800-858-1549. The fish must be weighed on a certified scale, and a KDFWR biologist must verify the species identification. You’ll need a valid Kentucky fishing license and must submit the application promptly after the catch.
Sources: Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. Best Fishing in America — Kentucky Records. International Game Fish Association.