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LakeQuality

New York State Record Lake Trout: 41 lb 8 oz

The New York state record lake trout weighed 41 lb 8 oz and measured 42.75 inches. It was caught in 2003 from Lake Erie in Chautauqua County by Jesse Wykstra, and the New York DEC still recognizes it as the state mark 23 years later.

Weight
41 lb 8 oz
Length
42.75 in
Year set
2003
23 years standing
Water
Lake Erie
Chautauqua County

Where the record came from

The record came from Lake Erie in Chautauqua County. 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 New York lakes we do grade instead.

Lake Trout records by state

New York ranks 4 of 10 among the states in our index for record lake trout. Michigan holds the heaviest at 61 lb 8 oz, set in 1997.

#StateWeightYearWater
1Michigan61 lb 8 oz1997Lake Superior
2Wisconsin47 lb1946Lake Superior
3Minnesota43 lb 8 oz1955Lake Superior
4New York (this page)41 lb 8 oz2003Lake Erie
5Illinois39 lb 2 oz2021Lake Michigan
6Indiana37 lb 8 oz2016Lake Michigan
7Pennsylvania31 lb 13 oz2019Lake Erie
8South Dakota30 lb2013Pactola Reservoir
9Ohio26 lb 10 oz2017Lake Erie
10North Dakota16 lb 6 oz2012Missouri 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 New York

4 of New York's 20 standing records are heavier than the 41 lb 8 oz lake trout — unsurprising, since record weight tracks species size more than anything about the water. 10 New York records have stood longer, the lake trout mark dating to 2003.

New York lakes that hold lake trout

14 New York lakes in our index are documented to hold lake trout, ranked here by water-quality grade.

ABlue Mtn Lake — Hamilton CountyACanandaigua Lake — Ontario CountyALake Bonaparte — Lewis CountyAMirror Lake — Essex CountyACanadice Lake — Ontario CountyAOwasco Lake Platform — Cayuga CountyASeneca Lake Platform — Seneca CountyBSchroon Lake — Essex County

All New York lake trout lakes →

Other New York records

Walleye 18 lb 2 ozNorthern Pike 46 lb 2 ozMuskellunge 69 lb 15 ozTiger Muskellunge 35 lb 8 ozLargemouth Bass 12 lb 6 ozSmallmouth Bass 9 lbStriped Bass 60 lbBrown Trout 33 lb 2 ozRainbow Trout 31 lb 3 ozBrook Trout 6 lb 3 ozChannel Catfish 37 lb 9 ozBlack Crappie 4 lb 1 ozBluegill 2 lb 8 ozYellow Perch 3 lb 8 ozChinook Salmon 47 lb 13 ozCoho Salmon 33 lb 7 ozAtlantic Salmon 24 lb 15 ozLake Whitefish 10 lb 8 ozFreshwater Drum 36 lb

All 20 New York state records in one table →

Record compiled from the official New York DEC angling records. Updated 2026. New records are certified year-round — check the agency page before treating any figure here as the current mark. LakeQuality is independent and not affiliated with the New York DEC.