What is the largest fish in Michigan?

Michigan's current record-holder? A 193-pound lake sturgeon, caught in 1974 in Cheboygan's Mullett Lake by Joe Maka Jr. The fish was 88 inches long. No other species has a fish topping 70 pounds in the record books.



The largest fish species ever recorded in Michigan is the Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens). These prehistoric "living fossils" can grow to massive sizes; the state record belongs to a sturgeon caught in 1974 that weighed 193 pounds and measured 87 inches long. While sturgeon are the largest by species, recent years have seen new records for other heavy hitters. In June 2025, a new state-record Flathead Catfish was caught in Monroe County, weighing 64.46 pounds and measuring 45 inches. Despite the sheer weight of some catfish, they do not come close to the size of the Lake Sturgeon, which can live for over 100 years and inhabit the Great Lakes and their tributaries. Because they are a threatened species, Michigan has strict regulations regarding sturgeon fishing, including limited "catch-and-release" seasons to protect these giants, which are a vital part of the Great Lakes' ecological history and heritage.

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