From Gars to Catfish: Oklahoma’s Top 10 Massive Lake Monsters

Whether you are casting a line on Eufaula Lake or spending the day on Lake Texoma, there are record-breaking fish just waiting for you in Oklahoma. Taking into account the state records for both rod-and-line and the unrestricted division, here are Oklahoma’s top 10 massive lake monsters!

#10. Black Buffalo – 57 Pounds 12 Ounces

Buffalo fish are a type of sucker fish. In Oklahoma, you can find three different species: black buffalo, smallmouth buffalo, and bigmouth buffalo. The largest black buffalo (Ictiobus niger) ever caught in Oklahoma was 57 pounds and 12 ounces. It measured 43.5 inches long. This massive fish was caught by Chester Penn on June 30, 1984. Chester used a trotline to catch this large buffalo on Tenkiller Lake along the Illinois River.

#9. Bigmouth Buffalo – 66 Pounds 4 Ounces

The largest bigmouth buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinellus) caught in Oklahoma was 66 pounds and 4 ounces. It measured 46.5 inches long. The fish was taken by bow and arrow on Greenleaf Lake in Greenleaf State Park. Boe Daniel Meehan shot this large trophy fish on April 15, 2020. The rod-and-line record for bigmouth buffalo was also set on Greenleaf Lake, with a 59-pound 15-ounce fish caught by Leroy Broaddrick in 1988.

#8. Grass Carp – 68 Pounds 15.20 Ounces

Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) are larger than common carp and more torpedo-shaped. They also lack the barbels of common carp. Both fish can reach weights of more than 50 pounds. In Oklahoma, the biggest grass carp caught by rod and line is a 68-pound 15.20-ounce fish that measured 49 inches long. It was caught by Jereme Budgick on Chelsea City Lake.

#7. Grass Carp – 77 Pounds

An even bigger grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) shot with a bow and arrow broke the unrestricted record in Oklahoma. Brandon Taber took on a 77-pound grass carp measuring 53 inches long on July 30, 2002. He caught the fish in Lake of the Arbuckles, a 2,350-acre reservoir located 90 miles southeast of Oklahoma City.

#6. Flathead Catfish – 78 Pounds 8 Ounces

The next few massive fish are all catfish. You can find channel catfish, flathead catfish, and blue catfish in many of the lakes and rivers in the state. Blue catfish are the largest, followed by flathead catfish. The biggest flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) caught with a rod and line was 78 pounds and 8 ounces, measuring 51 inches. Richard Williams caught the fish on May 11, 2010 on El Reno Lake. El Reno Lake is a small lake just 30 minutes west of downtown Oklahoma City.

#5. Blue Catfish – 98 Pounds

The biggest blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) caught by rod and line in Oklahoma was almost 100 pounds. Billy Nabors holds the record with a 98-pound blue catfish caught on November 11, 2004. It was caught in Lake Texoma, on the border with Texas. The biggest blue catfish caught by rod and line in Texas is also on Lake Texoma. Cody Mullenix pulled a 121-pound 8-ounce blue catfish from the Texas side of the lake on Jan. 16, 2004.

#4. Flathead Catfish – 106 Pounds

Using a trotline, C. Clubb caught a 106-pound flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) that was 60 inches long. This is one of the older records on the list, dating back to April 5, 1977. Mr. Clubb caught it on Wister Lake, which is in eastern Oklahoma, almost on the border with Arkansas.

#3. Blue Catfish – 118 Pounds 8 Ounces

The biggest catfish ever caught in Oklahoma was landed using a jugline. It was caught on May 4, 1988 by Dan Grider. It weighed in at 118 pounds 8 ounces and measured 57 inches long. This record-breaking blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) was caught on Lake Texoma.

#2. Paddlefish – 164 Pounds

The odd-looking paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) can grow even larger than some catfish. Its long, paddle-shaped snout can reach up to one-third of its body length. The most recent record-breaking paddlefish was caught on June 22, 2021 by Grant Radar. Mr. Radar’s paddlefish weighed 164 pounds and was 81.75 inches long.

#1. Alligator Gar – 254 Pounds 12 Ounces

The biggest trophy fish ever caught in Oklahoma was a 254-pound 12-ounce monster alligator gar (Atractosteus spathula), caught by Paul Easely. It is also the longest fish ever caught in Oklahoma, measuring 97.75 inches. The previous record was 192 pounds, so this catch broke the record by 62 pounds. Mr. Easely caught this massive alligator on Lake Texoma on April 23, 2015.