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Alaska’s largest officially recorded sport-caught lake trout weighed 47 pounds. Daniel Thorsness caught it at Clarence Lake in July 1970. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) identifies that fish as the state’s current lake trout record, and the agency’s Northern Alaska trophy table supplies the angler, lake, year and weight.
A separate lake trout weighing 102 pounds is often brought into the discussion. It was not Alaska’s sport-fishing record: ADF&G says that fish was taken in a commercial gill net at Lake Athabasca, Saskatchewan, in 1961. The different weight reflects a different record category, place and capture method.
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The Alaska record at a glance
| Record detail | Officially listed information |
|---|---|
| Species | Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) |
| Weight | 47 pounds |
| Angler | Daniel Thorsness |
| Location | Clarence Lake, Alaska |
| Date | July 1970 |
| Record scope | Alaska sport fishing |
| Current-status source | ADF&G species profile; corroborated by the 2024–2025 Northern Alaska sport-fishing regulations summary |
ADF&G’s species profile states: “The current record is a 47-pound laker caught in Clarence Lake in July 1970.” The agency’s trophy-fish table names Thorsness and lists the fish at 47 pounds, Clarence Lake and 1970. Because records can be revised or replaced, “current” here means the status shown by those ADF&G publications, including the 2024–2025 regulations summary—not a guarantee that no later table update exists.
Why the 102-pound figure is not Alaska’s sport record
Weight alone makes the two numbers look contradictory. They describe different kinds of records:
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| Fish | Weight | Place | Year | Capture method | What it represents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Thorsness’s fish | 47 pounds | Clarence Lake, Alaska | 1970 | Sport catch | Alaska’s listed sport-fishing record |
| Historic fish cited by ADF&G | 102 pounds | Lake Athabasca, Saskatchewan | 1961 | Commercial gill net | Separate historic lake-trout maximum, not an Alaska sport record |
In its “Dinosaurs of the Deep” article, ADF&G calls the 102-pound fish the largest lake trout ever recorded and places it in Lake Athabasca, Saskatchewan. A U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service lake-trout profile also gives a 102-pound maximum but attributes the fish to Alaska. That location attribution conflicts with ADF&G’s more specific account of Lake Athabasca and the commercial gill-net capture. The safest explanation is to present the 102-pound fish as a separate historic record and to identify the ADF&G location and method when discussing it.
Neither number should be silently substituted for the other. A state sport-fishing table measures a regulated angling category; a commercial-net fish is not a like-for-like competitor. A reader asking for the Alaska state record is asking for the 47-pound Clarence Lake fish.
What “largest lake trout in Alaska” actually means
“Largest” needs a defined boundary. In this case, the boundary is an Alaska sport-fishing record, not every lake trout ever reported in the state, every fish taken by commercial gear, or the largest specimen in the species’ worldwide range. ADF&G’s species profile says some Alaskan populations probably exceed 50 pounds, while 8- to 10-pound fish can be taken in many Alaska fisheries. Those statements describe biological potential and typical catches; they do not overturn the published 47-pound sport record.
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The distinction matters for other apparent discrepancies as well. A fish can be heavier than 47 pounds yet fall outside the record category if it was not caught under the sport-fishing rules used for the state table, if its location was outside Alaska, or if the report is not accepted in the agency’s record system. Always compare the same species, geography, year, measurement standard and capture category.
Where Clarence Lake fits the lake-trout story
The record’s exact catch site is Clarence Lake, but the published record accounts do not describe the day’s weather, depth, lure, line, boat or landing procedure. No named-person account of Thorsness’s tackle appears in the cited ADF&G material. It would therefore be inaccurate to claim that the fish was caught by trolling a particular spoon, using cut bait or fishing through the ice.
ADF&G’s broader species guidance does explain why a lake such as Clarence can produce large lake trout. Lake trout favor large, deep, cold lakes. Their position changes with season: they may be near the surface and shoreline in spring, then move toward deeper water as the water warms and the season advances. Depth, temperature and structure are more useful clues than a single famous lure or a story about the record catch.
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How lake-trout behavior changes through the season
Spring: shallow water can be productive
After ice-out, lake trout can move into relatively shallow water and along shorelines. Cold spring conditions keep suitable temperatures accessible, and fish may be easier to reach from a boat or shoreline than they are later in the year. A slow presentation near banks, points and shallow structure follows the habitat pattern ADF&G describes.
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As surface water warms, lake trout generally seek colder water. ADF&G recommends slow trolling through colder deep water and along steep rock walls or drop-offs. Those features give fish access to depth and temperature changes without requiring a long horizontal move. Electronics can help an angler find depth changes, but the agency guidance does not establish the exact equipment used for the 1970 record.
Winter: large spoons and cut bait are general guidance
For ice fishing, ADF&G describes large spoons, often paired with cut bait, as common choices. The agency also mentions bright spinners or spoons as broadly successful lake-trout options. These are general recommendations for pursuing the species, not evidence about Thorsness’s rig. Treat them as starting points and follow the regulations, access rules and bait restrictions that apply to the particular Alaska water.
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A practical approach to pursuing large lake trout
The following plan translates ADF&G’s habitat guidance into decisions an angler can make without pretending to recreate the historic catch.
- Confirm the water and rules. Check the current ADF&G sport-fishing regulations for the lake, management area, season, bag limit, tackle restrictions and any special trophy provisions. The 2024–2025 Northern Alaska summary is the publication that lists the 47-pound record, but regulations and record tables can change.
- Start with temperature and depth. In spring, search shorelines, points and shallow structure. As the season progresses, shift toward deep basins, steep rock walls and drop-offs where colder water is available.
- Choose a presentation suited to the depth. A bright spinner or spoon is consistent with ADF&G’s general open-water guidance. For winter, the agency describes large spoons, often with cut bait. Select a size and weight that can reach the target depth while remaining controllable.
- Fish slowly. ADF&G specifically describes slow trolling through cold deep water. Vary the depth and speed methodically rather than racing across a basin; lake trout may be concentrated in a narrow temperature band.
- Cover structure, not just open water. Make passes along drop-offs and steep rock walls, then work the depth where fish are marking or where the temperature is suitable. The useful pattern is the transition between depths, not a claim that every lake trout occupies one fixed contour.
- Handle a large fish carefully. A 47-pound trout is an exceptional fish. Have landing equipment ready, keep the fish supported in the water when possible, and know the legal harvest and recording requirements before you begin. The historical sources do not describe Thorsness’s handling or weighing procedure, so do not infer one from the record listing.
How the record is documented
The 47-pound figure is unusually well defined because two ADF&G publications agree on the core facts. The species profile supplies the July 1970 date and calls the fish the current record. The Northern Alaska sport-fishing regulations summary for 2024–2025 lists 47 pounds, Clarence Lake, 1970 and Daniel Thorsness in its trophy-fish table. Together, those entries establish the record as an Alaska sport-fishing achievement.
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The publications do not provide a photograph, exact length, girth, tackle list, water depth or a first-person account from the angler. Those details should not be added as if they were part of the official record. If a future ADF&G trophy-table revision changes the listing, the agency’s updated table should take precedence.
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How this fish compares with ordinary Alaska lake trout
ADF&G’s size context helps put 47 pounds in perspective. The agency says 8- to 10-pound lake trout can be taken in many Alaska fisheries, while some Alaskan populations probably exceed 50 pounds. The record fish is therefore far above the size many anglers encounter, yet it is within the species’ documented capacity in Alaska. “Common” and “possible” are not the same as “record”: a population statement cannot be used to award a new state mark.
| Figure | How to interpret it |
|---|---|
| 8–10 pounds | Size ADF&G says can be taken in many Alaska fisheries; a broad fishery description, not an average for every lake |
| 47 pounds | Published Alaska sport-fishing record associated with Clarence Lake and Daniel Thorsness |
| More than 50 pounds | ADF&G’s statement that some Alaskan populations probably exceed this size; population potential, not a listed sport catch |
| 102 pounds | Separate 1961 Lake Athabasca commercial-gill-net fish cited by ADF&G; not an Alaska sport-fishing entry |
Common questions about Alaska’s largest lake trout
What is the Alaska state-record lake trout?
It is a 47-pound fish caught by Daniel Thorsness at Clarence Lake in July 1970, according to ADF&G’s species profile and trophy table.
Was the 102-pound lake trout caught in Alaska?
ADF&G’s detailed account places the 1961, 102-pound commercial-gill-net fish in Lake Athabasca, Saskatchewan. A U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service profile attributes a 102-pound fish to Alaska, creating a location conflict. That fish is separate from Alaska’s 47-pound sport record.
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Do we know what lure caught the record fish?
Not from the cited official record entries. ADF&G recommends bright spinners or spoons generally and large spoons, often with cut bait, for ice fishing, but it does not identify Thorsness’s tackle.
Are lake trout over 47 pounds possible in Alaska?
ADF&G says some Alaskan populations probably exceed 50 pounds. That biological statement does not change the currently listed 47-pound sport-fishing record.
Could the record change?
Yes. A trophy table can be updated if a qualifying catch is accepted. The listing discussed here is the one shown in ADF&G’s 2024–2025 Northern Alaska summary and species profile; consult the latest ADF&G publication when a current-status claim matters.
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