Venango Co. Man Catches 31-Pound Lake Trout, Sets State Record

ERIE, Pa. (KDKA) -- A Venango County man set a state record when he caught a 31-pound lake trout in Erie earlier this month.

Seventy-three-year-old Keith Miller, of Cranberry Township in Venango County, took a fishing trip to Lake Erie on May 11.

Miller told the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission that he and others on the boat had caught multiple lake trout weighing about 14 pounds earlier in the day.

Eventually, Miller got into a 15-minute tug of war and eventually reeled in a large lake trout that the crew suspected could be a state record contender.

"It was almost like one of those 'You've got to be kidding me' moments," Miller told the Fish and Boat Commission.

The trout was taken to Poor Richard's Bait and Tackle in Fairview, Pennsylvania, to be weighed on a certified scale.

The 40-inch-long lake trout was determined to weigh 31 pounds and 13 ounces, beating the previous record of 29 pounds and 4 ounces.

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Miller gave credit for his catch to Captain Lane Brown and first mate Tom Thompson.

"It was a team effort. Those guys are the ones who know the lake and found where the fish were biting," he told the Fish and Boat Commission.

The fish was turned over to staff at Poor Richard's, so it could be accurately replicated and mounted for display.

More information on Pennsylvania state record fish can be found at fishandboat.com.