MCCALL, ID – A new Idaho state record for catch-and-release Lake Trout has been set at Payette Lake, where angler Aaron Goettsche landed a 42-inch fish on June 19, 2025, surpassing the previous record set in 2018.
Goettsche, a fishing rod maker and experienced Lake Trout angler from Stansbury Park, Utah, was trolling alone in about 80 feet of water when he caught the record-breaking fish, according to the Idaho Department of Fish & Game. While well-acquainted with large trout from years spent on Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Goettsche has recently focused his efforts on Payette Lake, and his persistence paid off with the new state milestone.
The catch-and-release record requires a photo of the fish on a measuring device, which Goettsche provided, officially clinching the title and underscoring Payette Lake’s resurgence as a trophy Lake Trout fishery.
Fish and Game officials say Payette Lake has a long history of producing large Lake Trout, but fish populations had declined in health in the early 2000s. Fish and Game biologists observed poor body conditions among the trout and a steep decline in kokanee salmon—their primary food source.
To restore balance, the department launched a two-part recovery strategy in 2018: increasing kokanee stocking and suppressing smaller Lake Trout under 27 inches to reduce competition for food. More than 3,000 juvenile Lake Trout have been removed since the program began.
“We’re thinning out the juvenile Lake Trout so the ones that survive have more food—and they grow big,” said Jordan Messner, Regional Fisheries Manager for Idaho Fish and Game in McCall.
Monitoring data shows steady improvements in fish condition, with Lake Trout gaining weight and anglers reporting more productive trips. In 2023, biologists caught and released a 54-pound Lake Trout, only three pounds short of the all-time weight record for the state.
For those hoping to land a Lake Trout of their own, Idaho Fish and Game recommends trolling or jigging near bottom structures in 35–80 feet of water and using lures that imitate kokanee.
