It's official – North Dakota has a new state record walleye, Game and Fish Department says

Jared Shypkoski walleye.jpg — This 16-pound, 6-ounce walleye caught Saturday, March 13, by Jared Shypkoski of Dickinson, N.D., on the Missouri River south of Bismarck has been confirmed as the new North Dakota state record walleye, the state Game and Fish Department reported Monday, April 12. (Photo courtesy of North Dakota Game and Fish Department)

By Brad Dokken

April 12, 2021 at 10:27 AM

It’s official – North Dakota has a new state record walleye.

The 16-pound, 6-ounce walleye that Jared Shypkoski of Dickinson, N.D., caught March 13, has been confirmed as the new record, Game and Fish Department personnel reported Monday morning.

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Shypkoski reeled in the 33-inch fish while trolling crankbaits in the Eckroth Bottoms area of upper Lake Oahe. He said he knew the walleye was big as soon as he started reeling.

“It's pretty surreal, still, I guess,” Shypkoski said in a previous story. “I can't believe it, that's for sure. It's been my goal for a lot of years, and I actually didn't ever think I would achieve it.”

Shypkoski’s trophy topped the previous record of 15 pounds, 13 ounces taken in 2018 by Neal Leier of Bismarck, approximately 30 miles upstream on the Missouri River near the Fox Island boat ramp.

By Brad Dokken

Brad Dokken joined the Herald company in November 1985 as a copy editor for Agweek magazine and has been the Grand Forks Herald's outdoors editor since 1998.

Besides his role as an outdoors writer, Dokken has an extensive background in northwest Minnesota and Canadian border issues and provides occasional coverage on those topics.

Reach him at bdokken@gfherald.com, by phone at (701) 780-1148 or on X (formerly Twitter) at @gfhoutdoor.

It's official – North Dakota has a new state record walleye, Game and Fish Department says

Jared Shypkoski of Dickinson, N.D., caught the 16-pound, 6-ounce walleye March 13 while trolling crankbaits in the Eckroth Bottoms area of upper Lake Oahe.