# What is the largest fish in Lake Tahoe? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 15, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-largest-fish-in-lake-tahoe/647323 "2013-01-15T19:56:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FlippyFly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@FlippyFly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlippyFly)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-largest-fish-in-lake-tahoe/647323/1 "2013-01-15T19:56:25Z")
What would likely be the largest fish in Lake Tahoe? How large and what species? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-largest-fish-in-lake-tahoe/647323/2 "2013-01-15T19:59:51Z")
"Fishing: The biggest fish ever caught in Lake Tahoe, a Mackinaw lake trout, weighed 37 pounds and 6 ounces. [http://www.virtualtahoe.com/Community/TahoeFAQs.html](http://www.virtualtahoe.com/Community/TahoeFAQs.html) ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-largest-fish-in-lake-tahoe/647323/3 "2013-01-15T20:00:26Z")
I don’t know for sure, but Mackinaw lake trout are pretty much the largest fish found in the high Sierras. ETA: Missed it by that much! ---
**Author:** ![FuzzyOgre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@FuzzyOgre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuzzyOgre)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-largest-fish-in-lake-tahoe/647323/4 "2013-01-15T20:10:16Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > I don’t know for sure, but Mackinaw lake trout are pretty much the largest fish found in the high Sierras. > > ETA: Missed it by that much! I guess you could say someone else took your fish. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-largest-fish-in-lake-tahoe/647323/5 "2013-01-15T20:34:43Z")
Mackinaw lake trout in Lake Tahoe 😕 ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-largest-fish-in-lake-tahoe/647323/6 "2013-01-15T20:45:49Z")
NB: if you’ve heard of Lake Trout, Mackinaw is the same fish. Striped bass is the largest fish in the area, but I don’t think they like Tahoe much (too cold?). Those and carp and channel catfish, but they trail a bit in max size. According to my handy-dandy fishing book (may only cover NV side of lake, not sure), the largest was indeed a laker of 37/6, and I can add it was 44 inches, and caught by Robert Aronsen on June 21, 1974. Other biggest Tahoe fish by species (meaning probably not a #2 or 3, which are likely other lakers): Kokanee Salmon (same fish as Sockeye salmon, the latter term usually for those who don’t migrate): 4 lbs 13 oz 25.7" in 1973 Mountain Whitefish: 3 lbs 20 oz 20" in 2004 These sound small, but the world records are only 9/6 and 5/14, respectively, these don’t get as big as larger trout. Some guy just caught a [large brown trout](http://www.sfgate.com/outdoors/article/Huge-brown-trout-pulled-from-Lake-Tahoe-4170207.php) that was a bit shy of the record. 15 lbs 9 oz. Edit: lake trout are oily and aren’t well regarded for their taste compared to others, but they’re plenty good IMHO. Seriously: don’t forget to eat the “cheeks.” ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2013, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-largest-fish-in-lake-tahoe/647323/7 "2013-01-16T04:16:57Z")
Gatopescado 😉