WA Anglers Catch 8 Record-Setting Fish in 2022

It was a monumental year for fishing on and under the waters of Washington State.

According to the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW), the summer of 2022 saw eight state catch records broken, including one on the state’s eastside and two that were reeled in by eastside residents.

Among them was 15-year-old Hudson Terry of Ellensburg who was deep bottom fishing off Neah Bay with his father on August 6 when he hooked a 6.91-pound silvergray rockfish using a copper pipe trailed by a plastic jig.

The species Terry landed wasn’t listed in the WDFW’s 2020 catch record report but was lumped as part of its “Other Rockfish” category.

Just one day after Terry made his groundbreaking record catch, Cathy Clegg also hauled in a once-in-a-lifetime fish on Loon Lake – with a tiger trout that weighed a whopping 27.42 pounds – which broke both the state and International Game Fish Association (IGFA) records.

Clegg’s record-breaking catch broke the previous mark (24.49 lbs.) set by her son, Caylun Clegg, in June of last year. Both fish were reeled in from the same dock at the Clegg’s summer cabin.

Other record-setting fish pulled in by anglers around Washington State this year included a 5.51-pound black rockfish and a 6.65-pound arrowtooth flounder that were caught off the coast of Neah Bay, along with a 5.6-pound starry flounder and a 1.88-pound spotted ratfish that were caught in Clallum Bay.

Fisherpersons who set state records receive a certificate of recognition and letter of congratulations from the WDFW.

The oldest verified record catch in Washington dates back to 1943.