Record Black Buffalo Fish Caught in Stockton Lake Weighs 55 Pounds

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shared that a record-breaking Black Buffalo fish was caught in Stockton on October 13.

Ryan Young of Buffalo was fishing for crappie in Stockton Lake with a group and fishing guide, Kris Nelson.

The group derisively nicknamed Young “The Trashman” for catching every type of fish except crappie over the weekend.

However, after seeing the opportunity to catch all the fish species in the lake, it became a challenge.

“I told him on Sunday he needed to catch a carp or a buffalo and he would have caught every species in the lake,” Nelson said. “And the next time he lets go of the line, he’ll hook onto something big.”

MDC reported that it took approximately 30 minutes and three men to pull Young’s 55-pound, 9-ounce Black Buffalo fish.

These types of fish are one of the largest sucker species in Missouri, meaning they live on the bottom of lakes, streams, and rivers and feed by sucking on small invertebrates and plants along the bottom of the water.

The group realized that the hard work to get him on the boat could not have been in vain and suspected that the catch could have broken a record, which led them to contact conservation staff.

After verifying the fish’s enormous size, MDC confirmed that Young’s catch broke the previous record set in 1989, when a 53-pound black buffalo was caught with pole and line in Lake Wappapello.

The man’s capture set the 5th state record for 2024.

“I’m in shock,” Young said of his record. “It just goes to show you never know what you’re going to get when you leave.”