New record broken for largest large-scale suckerfish caught in Montana

TROUT CREEK, Mont. – A new record was set for the largest scale suckerfish caught in Montana on June 19.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks said on social media that Wade Merschat, 12, of Trout Creek, caught a 6.72-pound, 25.25-inch-long large-scale sucker in Noxon Reservoir in Sanders.

The last large-scale Montana sucker record was set in June 2008, when it weighed 6.16 pounds and measured 23.1 inches.

The FWP said suckerfish are the third-largest group of fish in Montana, behind minnows and salmonids, and include nine different species.

The large-scale suckerfish lives in the western drainage of Montana with a maximum size of 5 pounds typically.

FWP has a list of all Montana fish records online.