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| Burbot | Credit: USGS |
The burbot is one of North America's lesser-known freshwater fish. They are the only member of the cod family found in freshwater environments.
Burbot are found in freshwater lakes and rivers throughout North America and Eurasia, southward to about 40 degrees north latitude.
Distinguishing features of this unusual fish include a prominent single chin barbel and dorsal and anal fins that extend to a rounded caudal fin.
Other names include eelpout, freshwater cod, freshwater cusk, lawyer, loche, lush, lingcod, maria, and methy.
Burbot livers are said to be rich in vitamins and grow to around 10% of their bodyweight.
Record Burbot Catches
As the popularity of burbot fishing has increased, a number of state, provincial, and other records have been set by anglers. These are a few record-setting catches from North America:
On March 27, 2010, Sean Konrad landed a 25.2 pound burbot from Lake Diefenbaker in Saskatchewan, Canada. The fish is recognized by the International Game Fish Association and the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame as the new all-tackle world record for the species.
In 2017, Sebastien Roy caught a new Ontario record burbot while fishing in Lake Simcoe. The fish weighed 17.85 pounds with a length of 39 inches.
In 2004, a record burbot weighing 18 lbs 11.6 oz was landed from Lake Marie in Alberta.
In February 2022, Swanton angler Matt Gingras landed a new Vermont record burbot while fishing on northern Lake Champlain in the West Swanton area. The burbot weighed 10.9 pounds and measured 32 ½ inches long with a 17-inch girth.
Just two months later, Stephen Estes of Auburn, New Hampshire, caught an 11.0 pound burbot while bass fishing on Lake Champlain. The fish measured 34 inches in length and had a 17 ½-inch girth.
In December 2020, Saro Kevorkian caught an Illinois record burbot from Lake Michigan waters. Kevorkian’s burbot weighed 11 pounds, 12 1/2 ounces and was 33 inches long with a girth of 15.5 inches.
Anthony Burke was fishing in Lake Michigan in January 2024 when he landed an Indiana state record burbot that weighed 14 pounds, 3.6 ounces and was 37.25 inches long.
In December 2023, Scott Skafar broke the previous Indiana state burbot record with a 10.2-pound fish he caught from Lake Michigan. In January 2024, Phillip Duracz caught a new state record burbot weighing 11.4 pounds, also from Lake Michigan.
The Wisconsin record burbot was a 37.8-inch fish that weighed 18 pounds 2 ounces; it was caught in 2002 in Lake Superior.
The Wyoming state record burbot (ling) weighed 19 pounds, 4 ounces with a length of 44 inches. The fish was caught from Pilot Butte Reservoir by K. E. Mooreland in 1965.
Shane Johnson caught a North Dakota state record burbot in January 2023. The fish was 41 3/4 inches long and 19 pounds, 8 ounces.
In March 2019, a new South Dakota state record burbot was caught by Joshua Bible Pierre while ice fishing on Lake Oahe. The 12 pound 7 ounce burbot was 33 3/4 inches long with a girth of 16 1/4 inches.
The Idaho state record burbot, which weighed14 pounds, was caught from the Kootenai River by P.A. Dayton in 1954.
The largest angler-caught cusk (burbot) in Maine weighed 18 pounds 8 ounces.
