The 5 Largest Alligators Ever Found in Louisiana

The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) is one of the most well-known large reptiles in the United States. Males can reach about 15 feet long and weigh around 1,000 pounds. These reptiles are incredibly muscular and can easily propel themselves through the water. Alligators are found in 10 states in the United States. Louisiana is one of the states with a large population of alligators. With over two million wild alligators roaming its waters, you might wonder about the largest ones ever found. Keep reading to discover the five largest alligators ever found in Louisiana.

#5: 11 feet and 6 inches

In 2022, hunters in eastern Louisiana caught the next largest alligator on our list. This alligator measured 11.5 feet long and weighed an incredible 800 pounds. This alligator was caught in Lake St. John in Concordia Parish. Bystander Nathan Gauthier described how he and the hunters struggled for two hours to get this massive creature into the hunters’ boat.

#4: 13 feet 4 inches

Also caught in 2013, the fourth largest alligator on our list weighed 760 pounds. A man named Jim White caught this impressive alligator. When he found his giant, Mr. White was hunting alligators in West Baton Rouge Parish. This alligator was 13 feet 4 inches long. Mr. White was attempting to beat the records for the largest alligators caught in Mississippi at the time, and he succeeded. His alligator was 33 pounds heavier than those caught earlier in Mississippi.

#3: 13 feet 5 inches

The mother-daughter duo from the show “Swamp People,” Liz and Jessica Cavalier, caught their impressive alligator in 2013. Their giant reptile came in at 13 feet and 5 inches long. Its impressive size earned it the nickname “The Monster of the Marsh.” While Liz and Jessica made catching the alligator look easy, hauling the 900-pound animal onto their boat was anything but simple. Fortunately, they persevered, and their catch has been hailed as one of the biggest gators ever found in the state.

#2: 13 feet 9 inches

In September of 2023, Hunter Soileau and Jered Cizek landed a massive gator that measured 13 feet and 9 inches in length. After hooking the giant, Soileau and Cizek secured the thrashing gator to the boat and dragged it to the bank to make the kill shot. After being stored in a cooler for four days, the animal weighed 890 pounds. The hunters believe it weighed more when they first caught it, but they did not have a scale available at the time. The gator was caught in the waters near Sicily Island.

#1: 19 feet 2 inches 

The largest alligator ever found in Louisiana was an unverified specimen said to be 19 feet and 2 inches long. This massive alligator was a male, estimated to have weighed around 2,000 pounds. A man named Edward McIlhenny killed this massive alligator in 1890 on Marsh Island.

Mr. McIlhenny came across the gator while he was out duck hunting on the bayou. This giant was very old and already dying, so McIlhenny shot and killed it. Due to its size and the swampy location of its death, McIlhenny and his hunting companions were unable to move the animal from where it was killed. All he could do was measure the alligator. While this is not an official record, it has been widely referenced as the largest alligator ever found in Louisiana, and possibly in the entire U.S.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries does not keep official records for alligators, but they do collect length data for yearly harvests. In the past 50 years, there has not been an alligator of 15 feet or more documented in Louisiana.