This list is of the heaviest European freshwater fish caught using the traditional angling method of rod and line.
The criteria for inclusion on this list is that the species, weight, date and venue have been published by a recognized publisher with a genuine photograph and a link to that publication is referenced here. The list is intended to include all categories of coarse and game fish caught by sport anglers.
Current records Image Species Weight kg Weight lb oz Captor Date Water Country References / Notes Allis Shad - Grand alose / Maifisch (Alosa alosa) 3 kg 7 lb Mr. Michou 2008 Blavet River Asp - Aspe / Aspio / (Leuciscus aspius) 10.3 kg 22 lb 11 oz Miroslav Šajdák 2008 Vah River, Nosicky Canal European Eel - Aal - Anguille - Anguilla (Anguilla anguilla) Note 1 6.04 kg 13 lb 5 oz G. Cadora 1991 Niepkuhle Silver Bream - Güster / Björkna / Brème bordelière - Blicca (Blicca bjoerkna) 1.48 kg 3 lb 4 oz Ulf Ahlinder 2010 Dal River 1.474 kg Gareth Evans 21 May 2012 Mill Farm Fishery, Bury, West Sussex Bream / Brachse / Braxen / Brème / Abramide (Abramis brama) 10.3 kg 22 lb 11 oz Scot Crook 17 April 2012 Ferry Lagoon, Fen Drayton Lakes, Cambridgeshire, Common Barbel - Barbe (Barbus barbus) 9.59 kg 21 lb 2 oz Colin Smithson 7 November 2019 Sussex River, Sussex Common Iberian Barbel - Barbo Común ibérico (Luciobarbus bocagei) 11.5 kg 26 lb 6 oz Mr. Felix 2007 Lagunas de Ruidera, Guadiana river Comizo Barbel - Comizo (Luciobarbus comizo) 16.8 kg 37 lb David Aldana 1 March 2017 Lago Penarolla Andalusian Barbel - Barbo andaluz andalusische Barbe - barbeau andalouse (Luciobarbus sclateri) 4.1 kg 9 lb 1 oz Peter Staggs 2000 Las Tortugas Lake, Nueva Andalucía Burbot - Quappe - Lake - Barbotte - Bottatrice (Lota lota) 8.5 kg 18 lb 12 oz Margit Agren 22 Oct 1996 Angenmanelren Chub - Döbel / Färna / Chevaine / Cavedano (Squalius cephalus) 5.72 kg 12 lb 10 oz Franz Wutte 1991 Gurk River Crucian carp - Karausche / Carrassin / Carassio (Carassius carassius) 3.64 kg 8 lb B. Spörlein 2005 Lake at Strössendorf Goldfish - Goudvis / Poisson rouge / Carassio (Carassius auratus) 3.2 kg 7 lb 1 oz Brian Jensen 2006 Lake in Denmark TBC Bighead Carp - Cardona / Tolstolobec pestrý / Grootkopkarper / carpa testa grossa (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) 77.5 kg 170 lb 14 oz Diem János 14 July 2009 Lake Tisza (:hu:Tisza-tó), (Kisköre Reservoir) Carp - karpfen / Karpe / Carpe / Carpa - Common, Mirror, Leather (Cyprinus carpio) 51.2 kg 112 lb 14 oz Michel Schoenmakers 23 Nov 2018 Euro Aqua Fishery, Nemesvita Silver Carp - Carpe d'argent / srebrny karp / zilveren/ Silberkarpfen (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) 41.5 kg 91 lb 8 oz Werner Schwingenschlögl 2018 Baggersee Schweitzer Grube Dace - Hasel / Stäm / Leuscico comune (Leuciscus leuciscus) 0.76 kg 1 lb 11 oz Mario Grill 2007 Attersee Ide or Orfe Aland / L'ide. (Leuciscus idus) 5.5 kg 12 lb 2 oz V. Korotkovs 1989 Lubāns Grass Carp - Graskarpfen / Amur bílý / Graskarper (Ctenopharyngodon idella) 40.5 kg 89 lb 5 oz Diem Szeles Sándor 21 Aug 1993 River Danube Grayling - Äsche - Ombre - Temolo (Thymallus thymallus) 3.175 kg 7 lb H. Baumann 1 May 1975 Danube Huchen (Danube salmon) - Donaulachs -salmón del Danubio (Hucho hucho) Note 2 35,1 kg 77 lb 6 oz Edwin Buchacher 2004 Drava River Mullet - Thin-Lipped Grey / Meeräsche / mulle / triglia (Liza ramada) 3.45 kg 7 lb 9oz Shaun Sillett 20 August 2012 Oulton Broad, Lowestoft, Suffolk Common Nase - Nose / nasus (Chondrostoma nasus) 3.4 kg 7 lb 8oz Dieter Lindemann 10 Feb 2006 Rhine Perch - (Fluß) Barsch / Abborre / Perche / Persico (Perca fluviatilis) 3.75 kg 8 lb 4 oz Stephan Gockel 2010 Meuse River Pike - Hecht / Gädda / Brochet / Luccio (Esox lucius) 26.7 kg 58 lb 14 oz Lukas Matejka October 2019 Lake in Bohemia Prussian carp - Silver or Gibel karpfen / Karpe / Carpe / Carpa (Carassius gibelio) 4.84 kg 10 lb 11 oz Jan Zablocki 2009 Kocher River, Germany Roach - Rotauge / Mört / Gardon / rutilo (Rutilus rutilus) 2.625 kg 5 lb 12 oz M. Müller 1981 Weser Black Sea roach - Perlfisch / Pärlfisk (Rutilus meidingeri) 6.57 kg 14 lb 8 oz Cosimo Radler 2015 Wolfgangsee Cactus roach - Neitsisärg (Rutilus virgo) 3.34 kg 7 lb 6 oz Peter Sagl 2021 Danube River Danube Roach - Frauennerfling / Gardon galant / pigo (Rutilus pigus) 2.56 kg 5 lb 10 oz Jurgen Perl 3 July 2016 Danube River, Bavaria Rudd - Rotfeder / Sarv / Gardon Rouge / Scardola (pinne rosse) (Scardinius erythrophthalmus) 2.7 kg 5 lb 15 oz S.Nagel 1976 Weser Tench - Barn / Sutare / Tanche / Tinca (Tinca tinca) 6.899 kg 15 lb 3 oz 6 dr Darren Ward June 2001 Sheepwalk big pit, Shepperton, Middlesex Atlantic Salmon - Atlantischer Lachs / Lax / Saumon / Salmone (Salmo salar) 35.89 kg 79 lb 2 oz Henrik Henriksen 1 Jan 1928 Tana River (total weight only estimated) Wels Catfish Europäischer Wels / Mal / Silure glane / Siluro (Silurus glanis) 134.97 kg 297 lb 9 oz Attila Zsedely 11 March 2010 River Po Siberian sturgeon - Sibirischer Stör / Esturión siberiano / Esturgeon sibérien / Storione siberiano (Acipenser baerii) Note 2 32 kg 70 lb 8 oz catcher ? 2012 Fishing paradise, Pielachtal Adriatic sturgeon - Adriastör / Adriatisk stör / Esturgeon de l'Adriatique / Storione (Acipenser naccarii) Note 1 19 kg 41 lb 14 oz Josef Hotzl 2012 Fishing paradise, Pielachtal Sterlet - Kleiner Stör / Sterlett / Esturgeon du Danube / Storione sterleto (Acipenser ruthenus) 7.85 kg 17 lb 5 oz Gábor Burián-Kozma 2002 River Danube European sturgeon - Europäische Stör / Esturgeon d'Europe / Sturys (Acipenser sturio) Note 1 176 kg 388 lb Alec Allen 1932 River Towy, Nantgaredig, Carmarthenshire Trout, Brown - Seeforelle / Truite De Lac / Trota Di Lago / Insjööring (Salmo trutta) 17 kg 37 lb 8 oz Kurt Stenlund 16 Oct 1991 Storsjön, Gällivare kom Lappland Vendace - Kleine Maräne / Corégone blanc / Muikku (Coregonus albula) 0.55 kg 1 lb 3 oz unknown 1 Oct 2004 Inarijärvi Vimba - Zährte / Vimma / Vimbe (Vimba vimba) 2.325 kg 5 lb 2 oz J. Müller 21 May 1975 Weser Whitefish - Renke / Sik / Siika (Coregonus lavaretus) 7.08 kg 15 lb 10 oz Markku Taponen 15 July 2000 Sodankylä Zander - European Pikeperch / Gös / Sander / Luccioperca (Sander lucioperca) 18.7 kg 41 lb 4 oz Friedrich Kraus 1990 Danube Ziege - Rasoir / Garda / Ožka (žuvis) (Pelecus cultratus) 0.91 kg 2 lb Markku Pesonen 2008 Saimaar Lake Zingel - Tsingeli / Magyar bucó / Czop czarny (Zingel zingel) 1.23 kg 2 lb 11 oz Gregor Käfer 2011 River Danube Blue Bream - Zope (Ballerus ballerus) 2.2 kg 4 lb 14 oz Alexander Schulz 2022 Elbe
Previous records
Image Species Weight kg Weight lb oz Captor Date Water Country References / Notes Barbel (Barbus barbus) 9.58 kg 21 lb 1 oz Grahame King 22 April 2006 Great Ouse, Adam's Mill, Gayhurst, Buckinghamshire Carp - karpfen / Karpe / Carpe / Carpa - Common, Mirror, Leather (Cyprinus carpio) 49 kg 108 lb Marco Eichner 21 Oct 2017 Euro Aqua Fishery, Nemesvita 48 kg 105 lb 13 oz Thomas Krist May 2015 Euro Aqua Fishery, Nemesvita 45.93 kg 101 lb 4 oz Roman Hanke 2 June 2012 Euro Aqua Fishery, Nemesvita 45.49 kg 100 lb 8 oz Colin Smith April 2013 Etang La Saussaie, Champagne (province) 44.91 kg 99 lb Ambrose Smith 5 June 2010 Les Graviers, Dijon 42.64 kg 94 lb Martin Locke 6 January 2010 Rainbow lake, Bordeaux 41.28 kg 91 lb Nick Greenall April 2009 Les Graviers, Dijon 41.28 kg 91 lb Andre Komornicki April 2009 Les Graviers, Dijon 40.09 kg 88 lb 6 oz Graham Slaughter 22 May 2007 Rainbow lake, Bordeaux Pike - Hecht / Gädda / Brochet / Luccio (Esox lucius) 25.3 kg 55 lb 12 oz Petar Filipov January 2019 5 hectare Lake Bulgaria 25 kg 55 lb 1 oz Lothar Louis 16 October 1986 Lake of Grefeern, Buhl Wels Catfish - Europäischer Wels / Mal / Silure glane / Siluro (Silurus glanis) 113.5 kg 250 lb 3 oz Roberto Godi 5 Feb 2010 River Po, Mantua, Lombardy 112 kg 246 lb 14 oz Christophe Dubreuil September 2009 River Ebro, Mequinenza, Province of Zaragoza 110 kg 242 lb 5 oz Jakub Vagner 5 February 2009 River Po
See also Angling records in the UK
Notes Note 1 - European eel (Anguilla anguilla), Adriatic sturgeon (Acipenser naccarii) and European sturgeon (Acipenser sturio) are listed as Critically Endangered species (IUCN) status by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Any of these fish caught, must be photographed, then returned to the water immediately.
Note 2 - Siberian Sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) and Huchen (Danube salmon) (Hucho hucho)are listed as Endangered species (IUCN) status by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Any of these fish caught, must be photographed, then returned to the water immediately.
References