LAKE PEND OREILLE, Idaho — For most fishermen, the catch of a lifetime is just an elusive siren song that exists only in dreams.
But for one lucky Coeur d'Alene man, a 27-inch Westslope Cutthroat Trout shattered even the wildest of angler dreams.
On Feb. 1, 2026, Kyle Hatok was fishing Lake Pend Oreille in Northern Idaho when he hooked into a massive Westslope Cutthroat Trout.
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“We’d just got all the lines out when not 10 minutes later, one pole starts singing out the line,” recalled Hatrock. “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 using a tape to measure the colossal catch, they confirmed Hatrick's catch as the new Idaho State Record, beating out Daniel Whitesitt's previous record, which included a 25" Westslope Cutthroat Trout in the Clark Fork River.
Since Westslope Cutthroat Trout (4-8 years) typically have shorter life spans than Rainbow Trout (4-11 years), they rarely exceed 20 inches in length— making this catch especially remarkable.
You can find the state's all-time fishing records via Idaho Fish & Game.
