The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources has certified a new state weight record for blue catfish, an Ohio River fish that weighed 72.75 pounds and measured 48.15 inches. The catch broke the previous weight mark; the standing state length record of 51.49 inches, set May 9, 2025, remains intact.
The new weight record fish was caught Aug. 29 in Jackson County using cut bait on 40-pound test line. WVDNR Fish Culturist Ryan Bosserman certified the weight against the state’s official scales, and the fish now appears in the record listings on page 24 of the current West Virginia Fishing Regulations Summary.
Blue catfish are not native to the state’s waters; WVDNR began a formal restoration program for the species in the early 2000s, and record catches from Ohio River and Kanawha River tailwaters have followed the buildup of that stocked population. The prior state weight record of 69.45 pounds and a prior length benchmark of 50.7 inches, set in 2022, sit inside the same multi-decade recovery arc.
Anglers 15 and older need a valid West Virginia fishing license, and a trout stamp is required when fishing for trout. Details on the record categories, the Trophy Fish Citation and the Master Angler program appear on pages 24 and 27 of the West Virginia Fishing Regulations Summary at wvdnr.gov/fishing-regulations.
