All recognized fish must be harvested by a legal manner of taking for recreational fishing, originate from North Dakota waters that are open for public fishing, and must have been caught by the angler seeking “state record” recognition.
All new state record fish must be weighed on a scale used commercially and certified by the North Dakota Public Service Commission, or an equivalent authoritative agency in other states or Canadian provinces. All weights must be rounded to the nearest ounce.
Angler must thoroughly complete and submit to the Department a “Whopper” card application or a hand-written or typed note with all similar information. The angler’s signature must be included in the submitted documentation.
At least one witness must verify the weight and provide their signature.
The actual fish (not pictures) must be visually verified by an employee of the North Dakota Game and Fish Department within 30 days of the catch.
A recognizable photo of the fish must be furnished to the Department.
The Department may –
Further investigate whether a fish was legally taken including interviews with the applicant and/or witnesses,
Use some/all of the fish for genetic analysis and/or a thorough physical examination of the fish, and
Reject any applications which are questionable.
After a waiting period of at least four weeks and when all conditions above are met, the Department will recognize a fish as a state record.
