Paul -

In March '08, I caught a Mountain Whitefish on the South Fork of the Snake in SE Idaho that was a full 23" long. The following is quoted from a thread I started at that time -

"Did some research on State Records. Turns out the biggest mountain whitefish length-wise on record in the U.S. was a 23" ( 5 Lb 11 oz ) fish caught 10-07 in Hauser Reservoir in Montana. The biggest weight-wise is the Idaho State Record at ( 22.5" ) 5 lb 14 oz taken at Island Park Reservoir in 1997.

I didn't weigh the one I caught yesterday, but suspect he was in the 5.5-6 pound range. He certainly was healthy and fat.

Didn't just throw back a potential Idaho State Record mountain whitefish - may have thrown back a U. S. record ??!! "

A couple years later, I caught another 23" mountain whitefish on the South Fork and threw it back, too.

Used to catch lots of whitefish during the winter down in Idaho. Up here in Montana, not so much.

John