The heaviest fish in Arizona’s current official records is a 76-pound 8.64-ounce flathead catfish caught at Bartlett Lake in 2013. The ranking below compares the weights listed by the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) for its Inland Waters and Colorado River Waters tables. It is an editorial ranking of those entries—not a single contest created by AZGFD—and it excludes catch-and-release records because that category is recorded by length rather than weight.
What this ranking represents
AZGFD publishes Arizona fish records in separate tables. The tables distinguish Inland Waters from Colorado River Waters and separate hook-and-line catches, catch-and-release entries, and non-hook-and-line methods such as archery. There is no one official “top eight” table combining every category. To answer the question of which listed fish are largest, the entries here are ordered by the recorded weight shown in the Department’s current state records.
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The comparison uses the current listing accessed October 13, 2026. Standings can change when a new qualifying record is approved, so this is a dated snapshot of the official table. Colorado River Waters are included because AZGFD treats them as Arizona record waters on that page.
Catch-and-release entries are not mixed into the ranking. AZGFD records those fish by total length, rounded down to the nearest inch, rather than by a certified weight. Including them beside weight records would create an invalid comparison.
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The eight largest listed catches
Every measurement in this table is the value displayed by the Arizona Game and Fish Department in its current state fish records.
| Rank | Species | Recorded size | Water and category | Method | Angler | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flathead catfish | 76 lb 8.64 oz; 53.5 in. | Bartlett Lake, Inland Waters | Hook and line | Eddie Wilcoxson, Surprise | April 12, 2013 |
| 2 | Striped bass | 67 lb 1.0 oz; 47.5 in. | Willow Beach, Colorado River Waters | Hook and line | Jeff Smith, Henderson, Nevada | August 15, 1997 |
| 3 | White amur (triploid) | 61 lb 1.92 oz; 60 in. | Red Mountain Park, Inland Waters | Hook and line | Dennis Gleason, Mesa | April 2, 2019 |
| 4 | Black buffalo | 56 lb; 44 in. | Apache Lake, Inland Waters | Archery/non-hook-and-line | Sarina VanAsdlan | March 10, 2024 |
| 5 | Smallmouth buffalo | 42 lb 13.76 oz; 38 in. | Apache Lake, Inland Waters | Hook and line | Gary Becko, Camp Verde | February 20, 2015 |
| 6 | Carp | 42 lb 3.84 oz; 40.5 in. | Saguaro Lake, Inland Waters | Archery/non-hook-and-line | Travis Frazier | February 18, 2022 |
| 7 | Bigmouth buffalo | 39 lb 8.0 oz; 41.5 in. | Saguaro Lake, Inland Waters | Archery/non-hook-and-line | Michael T. Young, Mesa | March 28, 1990 |
| 8 | Carp | 37 lb; 40 in. | Bartlett Lake, Inland Waters | Hook and line | Jonathan Gardner, Phoenix | August 8, 1987 |
How to read the ranking
Weight is the primary sorting rule
The order is determined by pounds and ounces, not by length. That is why the entries do not line up neatly by inches: a fish can be longer without being heavier, and body shape differs among species. Length is included to preserve the official record details, but it does not break ties or determine rank here.
Several fishing methods are represented
Five entries were made with hook and line. Three were recorded under AZGFD’s archery or other non-hook-and-line category. The methods are shown together because the question asks for the largest listed fish, but they were not caught under identical conditions. A method-specific list would produce a different order.
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Most entries come from Inland Waters
Seven of the eight records are from AZGFD’s Inland Waters tables. The exception is the striped bass entry from Willow Beach, which appears in the Colorado River Waters records. This geography matters: the ranking covers both official Arizona categories rather than silently treating one table as the whole state.
What stands out about the eight records
The flathead catfish holds the top position
The Bartlett Lake flathead catfish is the clear leader in this comparison. Its record is the only listed catch above 70 pounds in the stated scope. It was a hook-and-line entry by Eddie Wilcoxson of Surprise in 2013, giving the ranking a modern record at its top even though other positions date back decades.
The runner-up is a Colorado River striped bass
The second-ranked fish is the only Colorado River Waters entry in the eight. Jeff Smith, who is identified in the table as being from Henderson, Nevada, caught it at Willow Beach in 1997. Its inclusion shows why a statewide answer must account for both AZGFD water categories; restricting the comparison to Inland Waters would omit one of Arizona’s biggest listed catches.
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A triploid white amur is third
The third position belongs to the triploid white amur recorded at Red Mountain Park. The designation “triploid” is part of the official species label and should not be dropped when describing the record. Dennis Gleason of Mesa made the hook-and-line catch in 2019. It is also the longest fish in the eight-entry table by the listed measurement, despite ranking below the two heavier fish.
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Buffalo records occupy the middle of the list
Black buffalo and smallmouth buffalo demonstrate that the largest Arizona records are not limited to the species readers most often associate with sport-fishing headlines. The black buffalo entry was made at Apache Lake with archery equipment in 2024, while the smallmouth buffalo entry from the same lake was caught by hook and line in 2015. Their shared location does not mean they are the same species or the same record category.
Carp and bigmouth buffalo complete the lower positions
The final three positions include an archery carp from Saguaro Lake, an archery bigmouth buffalo from the same lake, and an older hook-and-line carp from Bartlett Lake. The Saguaro Lake records are separated by species and date even though they share a water body. The Bartlett Lake carp is the oldest catch in the ranking, dating to 1987, which illustrates how long an official listing can remain competitive.
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Why catch-and-release records are separate
AZGFD’s catch-and-release standard is not a lighter version of the weight-record process. The Department states that these entries are based on total length only and rounded down to the nearest inch. A new entry must exceed the existing entry by at least one inch. Because no certified weight is required for that category, a catch-and-release fish cannot be inserted into a weight ranking without information the official table does not provide.
This distinction also prevents a misleading comparison between a fish released alive and one submitted as a weight record. Readers looking for Arizona’s longest released fish need the catch-and-release tables, while readers looking for the heaviest documented fish should use the weight entries listed above.
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The size of a fish alone does not make it an official state record. AZGFD says records are based on weight recorded on state-certified, legal-for-trade scales and witnessed by two people. The fish must also be available for inspection by Department personnel.
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- Certified weighing: The scale must be state-certified and legal for trade, rather than merely a household or general-purpose portable scale.
- Two witnesses: Two witnesses must be present for the weighing under the Department’s stated rule.
- Minimum margin: A new fish must outweigh the standing record for its species by at least one full ounce.
- Inspection: The fish must remain available for inspection by AZGFD personnel.
- Eligible waters: Fish from private waters closed to public access do not qualify.
The one-ounce requirement is important when a new catch is close to an existing mark. A scale reading that merely matches the standing record is not enough. Likewise, a dramatic photograph or an estimate from an uncertified scale cannot substitute for the Department’s documentation requirements.
What anglers should document when pursuing a record
Anyone hoping to submit a future Arizona weight record should plan the documentation before the fish is weighed. The official rules make the weighing process part of the record, not an afterthought.
- Keep the fish in a condition that allows AZGFD inspection.
- Arrange access to a state-certified, legal-for-trade scale.
- Have two witnesses present for the weighing.
- Record the exact weight, including ounces, along with the fish’s total length and the water where it was caught.
- Preserve the catch details and contact AZGFD so Department personnel can review the fish and the documentation.
A consumer scale may be useful for an informal estimate, but the official page does not establish that any ordinary portable scale qualifies for certification. Anglers should verify the status of the specific scale they intend to use rather than assume that a digital display is sufficient.
Limits of an “ever caught” claim
“Ever caught” is broader than what the record tables can prove. AZGFD’s page contains officially verified state-record entries, not a census of every fish caught in Arizona. Unreported catches, fish that did not meet the submission rules, and records outside the listed categories are not part of this comparison. The defensible wording is therefore “the eight largest catches listed in AZGFD’s current state records under these scope rules.”
The entries also come from different years, waters, species and methods. A 1990 archery record and a 2019 hook-and-line record were not produced under one standardized tournament format. The table is useful for identifying the largest official listings, but it should not be read as a controlled comparison of fishing difficulty or fish abundance.
Bottom line for Arizona fish-record readers
Within AZGFD’s current weight-record tables for Inland Waters and Colorado River Waters, the Bartlett Lake flathead catfish is the largest listed catch. Striped bass and triploid white amur follow, while buffalo and carp account for the remaining places. The result changes if the scope changes—for example, if you examine only one water category, one fishing method, or the length-only catch-and-release records—so always state the category alongside any Arizona record claim.
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