North Dakota State Record Sauger: 8 lb 12 oz
The North Dakota state record sauger weighed 8 lb 12 oz and measured 28 inches. It was caught in 1971 from Lake Sakakawea by Mike Fischer, and the North Dakota Game and Fish Department still recognizes it as the state mark 55 years later.
Where the record came from
The record came from Lake Sakakawea. We don't carry a water-quality grade for it: our index covers standing lakes with enough EPA Water Quality Portal samples to score, which leaves out rivers and tributaries, Great Lakes water, and smaller ponds that are rarely sampled. Browse the North Dakota lakes we do grade instead.
Sauger records by state
North Dakota ranks 1 of 9 among the states in our index for record sauger. No state we track has produced a heavier one.
| # | State | Weight | Year | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota (this page) | 8 lb 12 oz | 1971 | Lake Sakakawea |
| 2 | South Dakota | 7 lb 7 oz | 1960 | Oahe Tailwaters |
| 3 | Ohio | 7 lb 5 oz | 1981 | Maumee River |
| 4 | Michigan | 6 lb 9 oz | 1976 | Torch Lake |
| 5 | Iowa | 6 lb 8 oz | 1976 | Missouri River (Sioux City to Little Sioux) |
| 6 | Indiana | 6 lb 1 oz | 1983 | Tippecanoe River |
| 7 | Illinois | 5 lb 12 oz | 1967 | Mississippi River |
| 8 | Missouri | 5 lb 1 oz | 1994 | Osage River |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | 4 lb | 2001 | Susquehanna River |
Each figure comes from that state's own fisheries agency. Agencies differ on what they certify — some recognize catch-and-release length records alongside weight — so treat this as a comparison of standing certified weights, not a single national list.
How it ranks inside North Dakota
10 of North Dakota's 16 standing records are heavier than the 8 lb 12 oz sauger — unsurprising, since record weight tracks species size more than anything about the water. 2 North Dakota records have stood longer, the sauger mark dating to 1971.