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Largest Freshwater Fish in the World – 661 lb Giant Stingray
Quick answer: The largest freshwater fish ever recorded is a giant freshwater stingray caught and released in the Mekong River in Cambodia in June 2022. It weighed 300 kg (661 lb) and measured about 4 m (13 ft) from snout to tail. It beat the previous record, a 293 kg (646 lb) Mekong giant catfish caught in Thailand in 2005.
A giant freshwater stingray. Photo: Amelia Guo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Giant river fish are rarely seen and many species are endangered, so verified records are few. Here are the largest freshwater fish ever measured, the giants of US rivers, and the rod-and-line catches that made headlines.
Largest freshwater fish on record
| Fish | Where | Record size |
|---|---|---|
| Giant freshwater stingray | Mekong River, Cambodia (2022) | 300 kg (661 lb), about 13 ft |
| Mekong giant catfish | Mekong River, Thailand (2005) | 293 kg (646 lb), about 9 ft |
| Arapaima | Amazon basin, South America | up to about 200 kg (440 lb) reported |
| Alligator gar | Mississippi, USA (2011) | 148 kg (327 lb), 8 ft 5 in |
The record stingray
The 2022 stingray was hooked by a local fisherman near Stung Treng in northern Cambodia. Scientists from the Wonders of the Mekong project weighed it on a scale, tagged it and released it alive; locals named it "Boramy", meaning "full moon". Giant freshwater stingrays also live in Thailand's Mae Klong and Bang Pakong rivers, where anglers have landed several fish estimated at over 600 lb, including a famous catch by a British angler in 2009.
Largest freshwater fish in the US
The white sturgeon of the Pacific Northwest is the largest fish found in North American rivers; historic reports describe fish over 12 ft long, and anglers in the Fraser and Columbia rivers still catch and release sturgeon over 10 ft. Because white sturgeon also spend time at sea, most lists treat the alligator gar as the largest fully freshwater fish in the US. The biggest on record, 327 lb (148 kg), was caught in a net in Mississippi in 2011.
Frequently asked questions
What is the largest freshwater fish in the world?
The giant freshwater stingray; the record fish weighed 300 kg (661 lb) in 2022.
What is the biggest freshwater fish caught on a rod?
Several giant stingrays and arapaima caught in Thailand and South America are estimated at over 600 lb and 400 lb, but most were released without being officially weighed.
What is the largest freshwater fish in North America?
The white sturgeon by length; the alligator gar is the largest that lives only in fresh water.
Last checked: 13 November 2026.
Sources: Wikipedia – Giant freshwater stingray · Wikipedia – Mekong giant catfish
