ROGERS, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A 165-pound fish was caught at Beaver Lake recently, according to a Facebook post from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Fisheries Division.
AGFC says a person on Beaver Lake noticed a large fish in the water and swam out in an attempt to rescue it.
“Unfortunately, this beast of a Paddlefish was hit by a boat prop and had its soft spinal cord severed,” said AGFC.
The fish was weighed on unofficial hanging scales and came in at 165 pounds and measured 75 inches from its beak to its tail.
The fish is not an official state however because it was not caught with a rod and reel but AGFC called it “still a fish of a lifetime”.
Paddlefish are considered to be prehistoric because they don’t have bones made of hard structures but are made of cartilage, like sharks.
There is a small population of giant paddlefish and AGFC is “looking into allowing a snagging season in the future,” according to the post.
Earlier this year, a 102-pound fish was caught near Goshen at the White River. The record for the largest fish caught was 118 lbs 9oz in 2020 at Beaver Lake.
