What is the biggest catfish ever caught?

It’s National Catfish Day! Certainly, this random national holiday was created to “celebrate the value of farmed catfish.” However, I grew up with grandparents who had a lake full of catfish. Fishing was something we did at their house, the surrounding pay lakes, the Rough River, the mighty Ohio, and any other body of water we thought they swam.

The fact that it’s National Catfish Day got me thinking. What is the biggest catfish ever caught here in Kentucky? I figured I could find this on the internet with a quick Google search. Turns out I did!

According to the website BestFishingInAmerica.com, the largest blue catfish ever caught in Kentucky weighed 106.9 pounds. It was mined from the Ohio River. This fish was brought in by Glynn Grogan of Arlington, Kentucky. Believe it or not, this big catch didn’t happen that long ago. Glynn snagged this monster on October 20, 2018.

In case you’re wondering, the largest blue catfish ever caught in the United States was caught in Kerr Lake, Virginia. Kerr Lake, also known as Buggs Island Lake, is a reservoir of the Roanoke River. Richard Nicholas Anderson had a fight with a catfish that weighed 143 pounds!

The second and third largest blue catfish ever caught aren’t that far behind. The second largest blue catfish was caught in the Mississippi River in Mississippi. This particular cat weighed 131 pounds.

And look! There must be something in this particular body of water. The third largest blue catfish in history was caught upriver in Missouri. This catfish weighed 130 pounds.

If you’re curious about other fishing records here in Kentucky, you can view the full list on the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife website. Awards cover everything from bass to carp to catfish and more.