A farm pond in Ohio’s most northwest county has just produced a new state record. An Ohio record green sunfish has been certified by the Outdoor Writers of Ohio State Record Fish Committee.
The species was confirmed to be a green sunfish by fisheries biologist Brad Agler from the Ohio Division of Wildlife District Two, St. Joseph River Fish Unit.
The new state record green sunfish, weighing 1.35 pounds, was caught by Jaret Stevens of Pioneer, Ohio.
Stevens caught his record sunfish May 18, 2026, from a farm pond in Williams County, Ohio. The fish measured 11.45 inches long and 10.82 inches in girth, and was landed with a spinning rod spooled with 6-pound-test monofilament and baited with a red worm.
His catch replaces the previous state record green sunfish, which was caught from a Richland County farm pond by SueAnn Newswanger of Shiloh, Ohio, on May 13, 2018, weighing 1.2 pounds and measuring 11 inches long.
Ohio’s record fish are determined on the basis of weight only and are certified by the Outdoor Writers of Ohio State Record Fish Committee with assistance from fishery biologists with the Ohio Division of Wildlife.
For more information on Ohio’s state record fish program, contact Fred Snyder, chairman, OWO State Record Fish Committee, 754 County Road 126, Fremont, OH 43420, phone (419) 307-1515, email fnsnyder@gmail.com, www.outdoorwritersofohio.org.