The Largest River Trout Ever Caught in Michigan was a Cold-Water Giant

Michigan is a hot spot for fishing because of its proximity to one of the Great Lakes. Several record-breaking fishing stories have emerged from the area because the fish are capable of growing to enormous sizes.

In 2009, a local fisherman captured a fish he was not expecting to find that morning.

Largest River Trout Caught in Michigan

The largest trout ever caught in Michigan was a brown trout weighing 41 pounds 7 ¼ ounces. The massive trout reached 43.75 inches long, with a 27-inch girth.

Tom Healy of Rockford Michigan caught the record-sized trout on the Manistee River on September 11^th, 2009.

The Fishing Story

Tom Healy woke up early with his friend Bob Woodhouse of Grand Rapids, MI to get in some morning fishing time. They met up with Tim Roller of Ultimate Outfitters who was going to be their guide while they fished along the Manistee River.

Tom was an avid fishing enthusiast, fishing for more than 20 years. Together, Tom and his compatriots traveled two hours to fish Chinook salmon and steelheads.

Tom used a #8 silver shad Rapala rap lure on a 9-foot Cabela XML rod, with a Cabela’s Prodigy 30-pound Power Pro reel.

Catching The Largest Brown Trout

Tom and his friends were having a successful trip. By 8 a.m., Tom captured two salmon, both of good size and weight.

When he cast his line back into the water, he felt a strong pull at his line. Tom immediately knew he caught a sizable fish as he braced himself to reel it in. The fish violently swam upriver to escape, but Tom held steady, allowing the fish to tire itself out so he could reel it in closer.

Losing energy, the fish surfaced for a moment, failing to leap in the air due to its immense size. The fishermen questioned the size of the fish, estimating perhaps 30-35 pounds.

Finally, the fish was captured after 15 minutes of struggling on the line. Bob and Tim helped Tom pull it onto the boat with the onboard net.

Tom, Bob, and Tim were all surprised by the heavy catch, seeing it was much bigger than they anticipated it to be. They placed the fish on the onboard scale, but the fish was too heavy, indicating it was larger than 35 pounds.

Verifying the Large Size

Returning to shore, the trio called the local police department, who informed them to contact the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR). A representative drove down to Manistee River with larger equipment and verified the Brown trout’s immense size.

The representative clipped a scale from the brown trout to determine it was six years old.

They confirmed the brown trout was the largest ever captured in Michigan. Tom celebrated his achievement and new record-breaking status.

Paying Respect to Monster Brown Trout

Local news reporters broadcasted the catch and the possible record-breaking possibility. The townspeople celebrated the capture and paid respect to the fish for its immense size and beauty.

Manistee is a town filled with lifelong anglers, charter boat captains, and fishing guides. Everyone recognized the significance of finding a fish this large in their waters and treated fish with the highest respect for what they provide to their town and the ecosystem at large.

Former Michigan Catching Records

The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) is an organization dedicated to verifying and recording all information regarding game fish. The IGFA confirmed Tom’s fish broke the previous record, making his Brown trout the new largest fish ever captured in Michigan.

Howard Cooling held the record for the largest brown trout captured, landing a 40-pound brown trout in Arkansas’ Little Red River in 1992.

The previous Michigan state record was a Brown trout weighing 36 pounds 13 ounces in Frankfort in 2007.

Joe Kaka Jr. holds the record for the largest fish ever captured in Michigan. He landed a 193-pound lake sturgeon, reaching 88 inches long in 1974 at Cheboygan Mullet Lake.

Fish Facts on Brown Trout

Brown trout (Salmo trutta) are a member of the Salmonidae family, along with brook trout and salmon. Originally inhabiting the fresh waters of Europe and Asia, the brown trout was carried over to North America and released across the country in 1883.

Brown trout are considered an invasive species because they are not native to the North American ecosystem. They did not have any natural predators and repopulated so they now inhabit most lakes and rivers across the country.

Brown trout feed on a mixture of insects, crayfish, and other fish smaller than them to sustain their size. Some may devour mollusks, salamanders, amphibians, or very small mammals if they get the opportunity.

Fishing in Michigan

Local towns and state government permits protect the local wildlife from overfishing, ensuring the fish population does not decrease faster than the reproduction rate. Anyone interested in fishing in Michigan must have a valid fishing license.

According to the University of Michigan, Museum of Zoology, there are 155 kinds of fish residing in Michigan.

The most popular types of fish to catch in Michigan are:

• Lake trout
• Salmon
• Catfish
• Crappie
• Panfish
• Largemouth bass
• Smallmouth bass
• Walleye
• Northern pike
• Muskellunge

All of the above fish have a stable population and are reported as “Least Concern” regarding their conservation status. Fish such as redside dace, pugnose shiner, and river darter are classified as “Endangered.” All endangered fish are protected by the Endangered Species or Marine Mammal Protection Act and must be reported.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/abadonian