Arizona is a landlocked state in the American Southwest. Although people often associate Arizona with its arid climate, the state offers excellent fishing opportunities for anglers. Don’t believe us? Well, in this article, we’re going to look at the largest fish ever caught in Arizona. Explore this list of eight different fish species that have been caught in Arizona waters and discover just how massive they can get.
8. Channel Catfish
The most widely distributed species of catfish in the United States is the channel catfish.
©Brookieland/Shutterstock.com
| Weight | Body of Water |
|---|---|
| 35 pounds, 4 ounces | Colorado River |
Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) are some of the most popular sport fish in the United States. They have scaleless bodies of grey to blue-grey and four pairs of “whiskers,” or barbels, around their mouth. They are typically around 12 to 32 inches long and weigh an average of 2 to 4 pounds. Angler Wando L. Tull caught Arizona’s largest channel catfish using hook and line in the Colorado River at Topock Marsh in 1952. The fish weighed 35 pounds, 4 ounces and measured 38 inches long.
7. Bigmouth Buffalo Fish
The largest bigmouth buffalo fish caught in Arizona was 41.5 inches long and weighed nearly 40 pounds.
©USFWS Mountain-Prairie / Public domain, Flickr – Original / License
| Weight | Body of Water |
|---|---|
| 39 pounds, 8 ounces | Saguaro Lake |
Bigmouth buffalo fish (Ictiobus cyprinellus) are sucker fish that are bronze-brown with a pale belly and a mouth that points forward. These fish usually measure between 15 and 30 inches and weigh between 2 and 14 pounds. The largest bigmouth buffalo fish ever caught in Arizona weighed 39 pounds, 8 ounces. It measured 41.5 inches in length. Angler Michael T. Young caught this fish in Saguaro Lake using archery on March 28, 1990.
6. Smallmouth Buffalo
The smallmouth buffalo fish typically weighs between 8 and 10 pounds.
©Trong Nguyen/Shutterstock.com
| Weight | Body of Water |
|---|---|
| 42 pounds | Saguaro Lake |
Smallmouth buffalos (Ictiobus bubalus) are sucker fish with light to dark gray bodies, long dorsal fins, and mouths that point downward. This fish typically weighs between 6 and 8 pounds and measures from 15 to 30 inches. The largest smallmouth buffalo fish in Arizona was caught in inland waters using archery. Angler Tristan McGee caught this 42-pound fish in Saguaro Lake on February 20, 2021. The fish measured 35.5 inches long.
5. Common Carp
The largest common carp in Arizona was caught in Saguaro Lake.
©Vladimir Wrangel/Shutterstock.com
| Weight | Body of Water |
|---|---|
| 42 pounds, 3.84 ounces | Saguaro Lake |
Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) are omnivorous fish with two pairs of barbels on their upper jaw. The fish is olive to golden-brown colored with a pale, yellowish belly and reddish-colored fins. Common carp measure between 12 and 25 inches long and weigh about 8 to 10 pounds. The largest common carp ever pulled from the waters in Arizona weighed 42 pounds, 3.84 ounces. It measured 40.5 inches long. Angler Travis Frazier captured this massive specimen using archery on February 18, 2022 while fishing on Saguaro Lake.
4. Black Buffalo
Black buffalo typically measure up to 30 inches in length and weigh a maximum of around 50 pounds.
©Duane Raver (USFWS National Image Library) / Public Domain – Original / License
| Weight | Body of Water |
|---|---|
| 56 pounds | Apache Lake |
The black buffalo (Ictiobus niger) is a sucker fish with a dark-colored body and a long dorsal fin. These fish typically measure about 20 to 30 inches and weigh a maximum of around 50 pounds. On March 10, 2024, angler Sarina VanAsdlan set the record for the largest black buffalo caught in inland waters with non-hook and line. Ms. VanAsdlan used archery to catch a 56-pound fish that measured 44 inches in length. The fish was caught in Apache Lake.
3. White Amur
White amur are not native to the U.S. They were introduced in 1963 to control algae populations.
©Rostislav Stefanek/Shutterstock.com
| Weight | Body of Water |
|---|---|
| 61 pounds, 1.92 ounces | Red Mountain Park |
The white amur (Ctenopharyngodon idella), also called the grass carp, is a non-native fish that was imported to the United States from Asia in 1963 to control algae growth. They are olive to yellowish-brown with paler undersides. These fish can reach up to 4 feet long and weigh up to 75 pounds. The largest white amur ever caught in inland waters using hook and line was 61 pounds, 1.92 ounces. It measured 60 inches long. Angler Dennis Gleason caught this fish at Red Mountain Park on April 2, 2019.
2. Striped Bass
The largest striped bass in Arizona weighed just over 67 pounds and was caught in the Colorado River.
©Tfreeman_Films/Shutterstock.com
| Weight | Body of Water |
|---|---|
| 67 pounds, 1 ounce | Colorado River |
Striped bass (Morone saxatilis) are a very popular fish for anglers to pursue in Arizona and throughout many parts of the United States. These silvery fish with dark, horizontal stripes grow between 20 and 34 inches long on average. They often reach weights between 20 and 40 pounds. The record-setting striped bass in Arizona waters weighed 67 pounds, 1 ounce and measured 47.5 inches in length. Angler Jeff Smith caught this fish using hook and line in the Colorado River off Willow Beach on August 15, 1997.
1. Flathead Catfish
The largest fish ever caught in Arizona was a flathead catfish.
©iStock.com/stammphoto
| Weight | Body of Water |
|---|---|
| 76 pounds, 8.64 ounces | Bartlett Lake |
Flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) ranging from 15-50 inches and 1-60 pounds are most common. However, the largest members of this species can reach more than 100 pounds and can grow upward of 5 feet long. The largest fish ever caught in Arizona was a 76-pound, 8.64-ounce flathead catfish. It was 53.5 inches in length. Arizona’s largest fish holds the record for largest flathead catfish caught in inland waters using hook and line. The record-setting fish was caught by angler Eddie Wilcoxson in Bartlett Lake on April 13, 2013.
The second largest fish ever caught in Arizona was also a flathead catfish. This fish weighed 74 pounds and measured 51.5 inches long. It holds the record for largest flathead catfish caught in Colorado River waters using hook and line. The fish was caught in Laguna Dam by angler Walter Wilson on May 11, 1998. Angler Dean W. Linne holds the record for the largest flathead catfish caught in inland waters with non-hook and line. Mr. Linne caught the 60-pound, 47-inch catfish with a bow in Roosevelt Lake on May 31, 2015.
CORRECTION: This article was updated on December 29, 2025, to correct the name of Eddie Wilcoxson. It was previously misspelled as Eddie Wilcox.
