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State record walleye caught in Holter Lake

Trevor Johnson of Helena reeled in the whopper of a walleye
Posted at 5:43 PM, May 13, 2021
and last updated 2021-05-13 20:29:54-04

GREAT FALLS — A walleye caught in Holter Lake near Helena has set a new Montana state record, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks.

Trevor Johnson of Helena reeled in the whopper of a walleye - it weighed in at 18.02 pounds on a certified scale, and measured 32.25 inches long and 22 inches in girth. He caught the record-setting fish on a jig.

The previous state record was a 17.75-pounder caught in 2007 at Tiber Reservoir by Robert Bob Hart.

There has been a string of state record-setting fish in recent months, including a large-mouth bass in April, a long-nose sucker in Great Falls in March, a brown trout in March (details + video), a yellow bullhead in December, a small-mouth bass in October, and a Chinook salmon in August.

If you catch a fish in Montana that you think might be a record, FWP says:

  • To prevent loss of weight, do not clean or freeze the fish.
  • Keep the fish cool—preferably on ice.
  • Take a picture of the fish.
  • Weigh the fish on a certified scale (found in grocery store or hardware store, etc.), witnessed by a store employee or other observer. Obtain a weight receipt and an affidavit from the store personnel if no FWP official is present. Measure the length and girth.
  • Contact the nearest FWP office to have the fish positively identified by a Fisheries Biologist or Manager.

Click here to check out FWP's list of record catches.