The DNR has announced the award winners for the 2023 fish of the year.
Each year, anglers from across the state submit their largest hook-and-line catches from Indiana waters hoping to top the list for their species.
Winning entries for Fish of the Year are determined by the total length of the fish. Contestants are required to submit information about their fish, including where they caught it and the bait they used. They must also include a photo documenting the measured length of the fish.
Below is a list of local fish of the year caught:
Species Length (inches) Location (County) Angler
Bluegill 11.0 Lake of the Woods (Marshall) Megan Wagner
Bowfin 28.5 Pine Lake (LaPorte) Ron Ryba II
Brown Trout 29.5 Lake Michigan (LaPorte) Walter R. Newman
Channel Catfish 34.0 Private Pond (Lake) Jacob Hutsler
Chinook Salmon 37.0 Deep River (Lake) Eric Alegre
Coho Salmon 33.5 Lake Michigan (Porter) Dennis Sexton
Common Carp 34.0 Saint Joseph River (Elkhart) Craig Baumgardner
Common Shiner 5.6 Plum Creek (Lake) Tom Berg
Creek Chub 11.0 Stoney Creek (Elkhart) lane yoder
Golden Shiner 9.4 Pine Lake (LaPorte) Valerie Bacula
Green Sunfish 8.5 Centennial Park Pond (Lake) Eric Alegre
Lake Whitefish 28.5 Lake Michigan (LaPorte) Robert Johnson
Northern Pike 38.5 James Lake (Kosciusko) Joel Williford
Redfin Pickerel 14.5 Private Pond (Lake) John Clardy
Steelhead Trout 40.0 Lake Michigan (LaPorte) Jeff Winegardner
Striped Shiner 8.5 Wolf Creek (Lake) Tom Berg
Tilapia 13.0 Dowling Park (Lake) Eric Alegre
White Bass 15.5 Lake Michigan (Lake) Eric Alegre
White Crappie 17.2 Ivan Gatlin Nature Preserve Pond (Lake) Elijah Wasinski
White Perch 11.0 Wolf Lake (Lake) Conrad Alegre
Yellow Perch 15.2 Lake Michigan (Lake) Anthony Talarico
To view the full list of winners or learn more about how to participate in the Fish of the Year program, visit on.IN.gov/RecordFish.
