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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →The biggest officially recorded California golden trout weighed 9 pounds 8 ounces (about 4.31 kilograms). O. Benefield caught it at Virginia Lake in Fresno County on August 18, 1952, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s current angling-record table. Some conservation accounts round the same fish to 4.5 kilograms, or 10 pounds, but 9 pounds 8 ounces is the precise state-record figure.
The California golden trout state record
| Detail | Record information |
|---|---|
| Weight | 9 lb 8 oz (approximately 4.31 kg) |
| Angler | O. Benefield of Compton |
| Location | Virginia Lake |
| County | Fresno County in the current CDFW record table |
| Date | August 18, 1952 |
| Recorded length | Not listed in the current CDFW table |
The catch is an angling record: it documents the heaviest officially recognized fish, not the maximum size that every California golden trout can reach. The record table does not provide a length, so a precise length cannot be inferred from the weight.
Why some sources say “10 pounds”
CalTrout and technical accounts from the California Water Resources Control Board present the 1952 Virginia Lake fish as 4.5 kilograms, commonly rounded to 10 pounds. That is a rounded metric presentation of the same historical catch, not evidence of a separate 10-pound trout.
For accuracy, use 9 pounds 8 ounces when stating the California record. “About 10 pounds” is reasonable only when clearly identified as a rounded conversion.
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Where was the record fish caught?
Virginia Lake, in the southern Sierra Nevada region, is consistently associated with the 1952 record. The current CDFW table identifies the location as Fresno County. Some conservation references label the area Madera County, so county descriptions vary among sources even though the lake and catch date are the same.
How the record compares with ordinary California golden trout
Native stream fish are much smaller
Species accounts from CalTrout and the California Water Resources Control Board describe typical stream-dwelling California golden trout at about 19–20 centimeters (roughly 8 inches). Stream populations may live for about nine years, but cold, food-limited headwater habitat generally restricts growth.
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Lakes can produce much larger fish
California golden trout can grow substantially larger in lakes than in their native streams. More abundant food and different environmental conditions allow exceptional individuals to reach sizes far beyond the usual 8-inch stream fish. The Virginia Lake record therefore should not be used as a typical size for a wild fish from a small native creek.
Lake origin matters
Large lake fish are often associated with introduced or stocked populations rather than isolated, genetically pure native-stream populations. When discussing size, distinguish the habitat and population history: a lake-grown trout and a native headwater trout may both be called California golden trout while facing very different growth conditions. Hybridization concerns also matter in some lake and introduced populations.
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What species is the California golden trout?
The California golden trout is generally identified as Oncorhynchus aguabonita. The CDFW record table displays the name Oncorhynchus mykiss aquabonita, reflecting a different taxonomic treatment. These names refer to the California golden-trout form discussed in the record and conservation accounts.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why this fish is important beyond its size
The California golden trout is California’s state freshwater fish and is native to the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains. CDFW lists it as a State Species of Special Concern. Its conservation story helps explain why a historic lake record should not be generalized to the condition of native stream populations.
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CalTrout reported a sharp decline in one native Volcano Creek population—from an estimated 40,000 fish in 1965 to roughly 400–2,600 fish in about 5 kilometers of native habitat in a 2019 conservation estimate. That figure is specific to the cited habitat and date; it is not a statewide population count.
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How to interpret the record correctly
- Use the exact record weight: 9 pounds 8 ounces, as listed by CDFW.
- Treat 4.5 kilograms or 10 pounds as rounded wording: those figures describe the same 1952 Virginia Lake catch in other accounts.
- Do not equate the record with normal size: most stream fish are about 8 inches long.
- Include habitat and population context: lake growth can be much greater, especially in introduced or stocked settings.
- Avoid inventing a length: CDFW’s current record table gives no length for Benefield’s fish.
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