9 Monster Fish in American Lakes That Grow Bigger Than the People Who Catch Them

The wild never left. It just got quiet. In 2021, a federal crew pulled a fish out of the Detroit River that weighed 240 pounds - longer than the man holding it, heavier than the man holding it, and over 100 years old. It wasn't a shark. It was a lake sturgeon, living in freshwater Americans swim in every summer. We think we know how big a fish gets: something you reel in and fit in a cooler. American fresh water is hiding animals that break that idea completely. In this countdown we rank 9 monster fish that grow bigger than the people who catch them, from the muskie nobody ever sees to the century-old giant on the bottom of the Great Lakes. What's the biggest fish you've ever seen pulled out of the water? Drop it in the comments. SOURCES: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service - 240 lb lake sturgeon, Detroit River, 2021 Missouri Department of Conservation - 327 lb / 99-year-old alligator gar, Mississippi River, 2011 USGS - largest freshwater fish in North America (white sturgeon, alligator gar) Alligator gar: to 10 ft, 300+ lb; lineage over 100 million years White sturgeon: reported to 15-20 ft, approaching 1 ton, can live 100+ years Blue catfish: largest catfish in North America; rod-and-reel record 140+ lb Flathead catfish: rod-and-reel record 123 lb Lake sturgeon: oldest and largest native fish of the Great Lakes; can live 100+ years DISCLAIMER: This video is for educational and entertainment purposes. Many of these species are protected, threatened, or catch-and-release only; sturgeon in particular are highly protected in most waters. Always check and follow local fishing regulations. Wildlife encounters are rare and these fish pose little danger to swimmers. ------------------------------------------------- HASHTAGS: #MonsterFish #Fishing #Sturgeon #AlligatorGar #GreatLakes #Freshwater #Catfish #RiverMonsters #Wildlife #Nature #BullShark #Mississippi