A record number of fish have been caught in the state’s deepest lake.
Kyle Hatrock of Coeur d’Alene caught a 27-inch Westslope cutthroat trout in February on Lake Pend Oreille, which has since been certified as a state catch-and-release record, according to the Idaho Fish and Game Department.
“We just pulled out all the lines and less than 10 minutes later a pole started singing the lines,” Hartrock said. “The first round was over 450 feet away and lasted about 15 to 20 minutes, and as soon as the ball hit the net, my friend started freaking out and saying ‘This is the biggest monster I’ve ever seen!'”
The trout beat the previous record by about two inches.
Lake Pend Oreille, which is 1,158 feet deep and 43 miles long from end to glacier-carved end, is famous for being home to some of the largest fish. Idaho records show the state has produced at least four record-sized trout over the years, in addition to many other records.
A national record bull trout caught in 1947 still holds the world record for the species at 32 pounds.
Officials said the lake “no doubt hosts some fabulous aquatic animals” as there are “lots of deep blue space for monster fish to hide”.
Officials said the new record fish was caught from the lake, rather than one of its tributaries, and was an unusually large specimen of the westslope cutthroat trout, which rarely exceeds 20 inches in length.
“This continues to solidify Lake Pend Ore’s reputation as Idaho’s top trout fishery,” the post concluded.
In addition to being a world-class fishing ground, the lake was used as a training ground for the U.S. Navy during World War II. The Navy continues to conduct underwater submarine research there.
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