iStockphoto / glxedwards/Kirk Fisher
Large lake trout fish next to a 'Welcome to Idaho' road sign
When angler Dylan Smith set an Idaho state fishing record for Lake Trout back on May 2nd while fishing Payette Lake in McCall he probably thought his record would be safe for quite some time. Smith landed a 43.25″ fish beating out the previous state record of 42″.
But then again, Dylan Smith had previously held the Lake Trout record for Idaho back in 2018 when he landed a 40″ laker only to see his record broken shortly after by an angler by the name of Aaron Goettsche who caught a 42″ fish. So he had the state fishing record for Lake Trout snatched from his fingers in short order and now this all has to feel like déjà vu because it has happened again!
44-Pound, 44-Inch Lake Trout Sets New Idaho State Fishing Record
The aforementioned Dylan Smith enjoyed much the Summer as the record holder. His achievement was enshrined in the state fishing record books and he was honored in a press release by Idaho Fish and Game. But all good things come to an end.
As first reported by Bob McNally of Outdoor Life, 67-year-old angler Kim Anderson (we’re not related to my knowledge) was fishing on Payette Lake in west-central Idaho with his friend Greg Ogden when they both hooked up to trophy fish.
This glacial lake in west-central Idaho has produced multiple state record fish throughout the years including the previously mentioned records above. On July 7th, they were fishing in the crystal clear waters when both hooked up. Ogden reeled in a 25-pound fish while Kim Anderson’s record-setting Lake Trout would go on to tip the scales at 44 pounds and measure 44-inches, a new Idaho state record.
Kim Anderson told Bob McNally they were fishing “a 60-foot-deep shelf with deeper water around it” and using 1.5oz jigs on 20lb test flurocarbon fishing line. Once measured, it marked the third time the Lake Trout record had been set by a fish caught on Payette Lake in the past two years.
Catch and Release
After catching, measuring, and photographing their two large fish both lunker Lake Trout were released back into Payette Lake to keep on growing. Idaho Fish and Game has already certified Anderson’s new Lake Trout record as seen in that Instagram photo above.
In terms of sheer weight, the only Idaho state fishing records bigger than Kim Anderson’s record-setting Lake Trout are the 54lb Chinook Salmon (ocean run), 58.5lb Flathead Catfish, and the White Sturgeon records at 394-pounds (rod & reel) and 675-pounds (set line).
For context, the IGFA all-tackle fishing world record for Lake Trout is a 72 pound, 0 oz fish caught on Great Bear Lake in Canada’s Northwest Territories back in August of 1995 by angler Lloyd Bull. There are a LOT of fishing world records out there for Lake Trout and it does seem as if the fly fishing records are broken more often than spinning tackle.