Priest Lake produces record Westslope cutthroat trout

A Spokane angler hooked a monster cutthroat trout — and a new state record — while fishing Priest Lake on May 29. The fish measured 24 inches long, beating the previously held record of 21 inches set by Tom Weadick in 2020.

The Westslope cutthroat trout is a native trout that is common in both lakes and streams throughout Idaho’s Panhandle Region, along with other regions of the state. Catch-and-release state records are based on total length, and are kept for each of the four subspecies of cutthroat trout found in Idaho, including: Bonneville, Yellowstone, Westslope and Lahontan cutthroat trout.