Top 11 Largest Catfish Ever Caught

Catfish are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. More than 3000 species are present on earth in 35 different families. In fact, one of every 20 known vertebrates on Earth is a catfish. It has spread across all continents at one time or another. Extant species inhabit the inland and coastal waters of all other continents, excluding the Antarctic.

Depending on the species, catfish can range in size from 1.5 inches to hundreds of pounds. Some species are like the behemoths. However, many anglers across the world have set world records for landing them in the (IFGA) International Game Fish Association’s World Record database. We have prepared a list of the Top 11 Largest Catfish Ever Caught.

11. Channel Catfish: 26.3 Kg, Santee-Cooper Reservoir in South Carolina

In 1964, W. Whaley used a bucktail bait with Berkley line to trick a record-breaking channel catfish.  The big Chanel Catfish was taken from the Santee-Cooper Reservoir in South Carolina. This specimen was 26.3 kilograms in weight and it also measured 3.93 feet in length with 2.41 inches girth.

10. Sharp Tooth Catfish: 42.18 Kg, Orange River in Kakamas, South Africa

The species’ all-tackle world record is held by Hennie Moller. This 42.18-kilogram sharp tooth was caught in 2003 from the Orange River in Kakamas, South Africa. Moller’s catfish was 6.23 feet long with a girth of 2.91 feet. He was using a mudfish as bait, along with a custom rod and a Shakespeare reel spooled with 7.71 kilogram Stren line.

09. Spotted Sorubim or Surubi: 53.5 Kg, Rio Parana River in Corrientes, Argentina

The world record for Spotted Sorubim was caught from the Rio Parana River in Corrientes, Argentina. This specimen was 53.5 kilogram in weight.

08. Flathead Catfish: 55.79 Kg, Elk City Reservoir, Kansas, USA

The world angling record for flathead catfish was caught by Ken Paulie in 1998 from Elk City Reservoir, Kansas, USA. Paulie’s flathead catfish weighed 55.79 kilogram and was over 5 feet in length.

07. Redtail Catfish or Pirarara Catfish: 56 Kg, Amazon River, Brazil

Gilberto Fernandes holds the world record for redtail catfish, also known as pirarara. This freshwater giant was 56 kg in weight and was 4.61 feet long with a 4.16-foot girth. Fernandes caught it in 2010 in the Amazon River, Brazil. Using a whole dead fish as bait, he was bottom fishing.

06. Blue Catfish: 64.86 Kg, Kerr Lake, Virginia-North Carolina

In 2011 a record blue catfish was landed from Kerr Lake, on the Virginia-North Carolina border by an angler named Richard Nicholas Anderson. This specimen surprised the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries chief Gray Martel and he certified this specimen as the new state record. This freshwater monster weighed in at 64.86 kilograms and had a length of 4.75 feet and a girth of 3.91 ft.

05. Goonch or Giant Devil Catfish: 75 Kg, Ramganga River, India

The record for the largest Goonch ever caught belongs to Jakub Vagner, the host of National Geographic’s “Fish Warrior. Vágner’s Goonch weighed 75 kilograms and was over 5.15 feet in length. This river monster was caught in 2019 in the Ramganga River in India.

04. Jau Catfish  or Gilded Catfish: 90 Kg, Orinoco River system,  Amazon Basin

The Jau catfish was estimated by experienced Amazon guide Steve Townson at around 90 Kilogram after it was landed by one of his guests, Martin Content, during a trip to pristine water that never used a rod and line to fish. This water monster was taken from the Orinoco River system in the Amazon Basin, and it was 5.91 feet in length.

03. Lau Lau or Piraiba:  155 Kg, Rio Solimoes, Brazil

Jorge Masullo De Aguiar currently holds the world record for the largest Lau-Lau, caught from Rio Solimoes, Brazil. Masullo de Aguiar’s Piraiba was caught in 2009 and weighed 155 kilograms. This giant South American catfish was also over 6.5 feet long.

02. Wels Catfish: 134.97 Kg, River Po, Lombardy region of Northern Italy

In 2023, Alessandro Biancardi, an Italian angler, pulled an enormous wels catfish from the shallow waters of the River Po in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. This monster was 9.4 feet long and weighed 134.97 kilograms.

01. Mekong Giant Catfish:  293 Kg, Mekong River, Chiang Rai, Northern Thailand

In 2005, a behemoth Mekong Giant Catfish was netted in the Mekong River in the Chiang Khong district of Chiang Rai, Northern Thailand. The heaviest recorded specimen was a female weighing in at a scale-tipping 293 kilograms and in addition to weight, this freshwater monster was 9 feet 8 inches long. Experts believe that this monster Mekong giant catfish is not only the largest catfish ever caught in the world but also one of the largest freshwater fish.

15 Most Largest Freshwater Monsters in the World

This was our list of the largest catfish ever caught across the world. If any of these largest catfish have surprised you, or if you think another river monster should be added to this list, tell us in the comments section.