Michigan Fishing State Records: Revealing 58 Title Owning Lunkers

Of all the 'leisure sports,' I'd have to say that fishing is my favorite. While it's always enjoyable to head out to the lake with a friend, it's an activity you can do with or without someone. Michigan has no shortage of places to go to pursue a meal, a catch and release, or if you're looking for lunkers. If you aim to find the longest, heaviest fish in Michigan waterways, land it, and set a new record, you've got a challenge ahead of you. There are 58 species Michigan keeps tabs on for record purposes, some of which have stood for over a century.

Related: Michigan DNR Invasive Species Watchlist: Northern Snakehead

I know what you're thinking; at least, the first thing that came to mind is that some of these records could be tainted. Given that some highly regarded anglers have been caught throwing lead shots and fish fillets in tournament catches to increase the weight, how can we know that the 100-plus-year-old records are legitimate? The short answer is: We can't. All Michigan anglers can do is keep an eye and a line out for Michigan's next record fish.

If you think you have a record catch, you can submit your claim using the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) State Record Entry Application (click here).

You'll also need to freeze your catch for at least two weeks so a DNR-certified biologist can examine your fish.

The DNR may want to 'copy' your fish so they can display the mount prominently. Are you ready to break some angling records in the Great Lakes State? Let's look closer at the 58 record fish caught in Michigan.