COEUR D’ALENE, ID — An angler from Coeur d’Alene has landed a record-setting Westslope cutthroat trout from Lake Pend Oreille, earning a place in Idaho’s state record books.
According to the announcement, Kyle Hatrock caught the 27-inch trout on Feb. 1 while fishing the lake, which is known as the deepest lake in Idaho at 1,158 feet and stretches roughly 43 miles from end to end.
Hatrock said the strike came shortly after he and his fishing partners set their lines.
“We’d just got all the lines out when not 10 minutes later, one pole starts singing out the line,” Hatrock said. “The first run took out 450 feet-plus for about 15–20 minutes, and as soon as it hit the net, my friend started freaking out, saying ‘That’s the biggest freaking cutty I’ve ever seen!’”
After measuring the fish, the group realized it had surpassed the previous state record. The trout officially edged out the prior record held by Daniel Whitesitt — caught in the Clark Fork River — by two inches.
Officials noted the fish is unusually large for the species. Westslope cutthroat trout rarely exceed 20 inches in length, making the 27-inch catch an exceptional specimen.
The catch also adds to Lake Pend Oreille’s reputation as one of Idaho’s premier trophy trout fisheries.
Idaho Fish and Game encourages anglers interested in pursuing record fish to review the state’s official record fish listings and requirements. Anglers can also participate in the Western Native Trout Challenge, a multi-state program that rewards anglers for catching native trout species while promoting conservation efforts.
