33-inch Lake Superior steelhead sets Minnesota catch-and-release record

Minnesota has a new catch-and-release record for steelhead (rainbow trout). The state confirmed on Nov. 2 that a 33-inch fish caught by Ryan Pierce of Bloomington is the new record. Pierce caught it on Lake Superior in St. Louis County on Aug. 5, 2026.

The fish beats the 30-inch record set just this May by 12-year-old Sadie Spatafore on the Stewart River in Lake County.

Pierce was fishing with the Minnesota Sportfishing charter. According to mlive, the steelhead hit a Moonshine Lures RV bloody nose spoon trolled on 10-color leadcore. The Minnesota DNR's catch-and-release records list now shows the new mark.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: mlive (Brandon Champion) (Nov. 3, 2026); record confirmed on the Minnesota DNR catch-and-release records page.

Photo: Minnesota Fish and Wildlife, via mlive.