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12-Year-Old Angler Breaks Minnesota Trout Record
Brian Nagele
June 19, 2026
Record-breaking catches are making headlines across the fishing world. From Minnesota’s latest state record fish to a possible South Carolina flathead catfish record and a 12-year-old angler rewriting the trout record book, these remarkable catches highlight the excitement, skill, and surprises that keep anglers coming back to the water:
Minnesota DNR Certifies Nine New State Record Fish This Spring. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources certified nine new state record fish this spring, including two weight records and seven catch-and-release records. Highlights include a 36.25-inch bigmouth buffalo, a 4-pound, 1-ounce black crappie, and an 80-inch lake sturgeon. New records were also set for blue sucker, bluegill, lake trout, steelhead, and shortnose gar. The DNR expanded its record fish program in 2024 to include catch-and-release records for 18 species. Read More
A Giant Flathead Catfish May Have Just Set a New State Record. Joe Driggers has spent most of his life fishing the Great Pee Dee River and thought he knew every kind of catfish it held. Still, he never imagined a giant flathead topping 100 pounds lurked in its depths. The river stretches from North Carolina into South Carolina’s coastal region. Joe and his brothers, Sam and Judd, were fishing from his aluminum boat near Florence after catching a 10-pound blue cat. They later anchored near a sandbar beside a deep hole and log jam, dropping cut bream baits into 30 feet of water near the bottom. Read More
12-Year-Old Angler Breaks Minnesota Trout Record. Minnesota angler Sadie Spatafore has replaced her older sister Lucy in the state record book after landing a 30-inch rainbow trout, 1.5 inches longer than Lucy’s catch-and-release record set last August. State wildlife officials announced the achievement Thursday. Both sisters caught their record fish in the Stewart River, a Lake Superior tributary known for its wild, migratory rainbow trout, often called steelhead by local anglers. Lucy celebrated the milestone, saying she was proud her younger sister broke the record and that it was special their family was fishing together when the catch happened. The catch remains below Minnesota’s 33-inch, 16-pound certified weight record. Read More
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