Angler Aaron Goettsche broke the Idaho state record by reeling in a massive 42-inch lake trout from Payette Lake in McCall. This amazing achievement was not just a matter of good luck. It was the rewarding result of three years of hard work, daily dedication, and carefully studying the lake’s deepest waters to track down giant fish.

Aaron Goettsche is a professional fishing rod builder and a highly experienced angler. Early on the morning of June 19, 2025, he went out fishing all by himself on the cold waters of Payette Lake. He was trolling his boat very slowly across a deep area of the lake, letting his line sink about 80 feet down into the dark water. For this specific trip, he used a custom “Mama Hog Fishing Rod” that he built with his own hands, along with a strong 50-pound test braided line.

Suddenly, a massive fish hit his bait and the battle began. After a tough 15-minute fight with the powerful lake trout, Aaron successfully netted the giant and brought it onto his boat. When he laid the fish down on a measuring board, the lake trout was exactly 42 inches long. This beat the old state record of 41.5 inches set back in 2018 by Dylan Smith on the very same lake. Following the strict rules of catch-and-release fishing, Aaron quickly took photos and videos for official proof. He then carefully placed the giant fish back into the water and watched it swim away safely. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game officially approved his new state record.

Catching this giant trout was a very proud moment for Aaron, but it was also a great sign for nature. It proved  bigfishmccall.com that Payette Lake is once again a healthy home for monster fish. In the early 2000s, the lake faced a major food shortage crisis. The population of Kokanee salmon, which is the main food for lake trout, dropped heavily. This left the lake trout skinny and starving. Wildlife experts said some 30-inch trout looked as thin as garden snakes because they had nothing to eat.

To fix this environmental issue, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game started a smart two-part recovery plan in 2018:

• Stocking Kokanee salmon: They added millions of young salmon into the lake to bring back the food supply.
• Removing small trout: They net and removed over 3,000 lake trout under 27 inches to stop them from eating up all the food.

Because of this wildlife plan, the remaining trout had plenty of rich food to eat. They began to grow much faster, thicker, and heavier than before. Aaron’s 42-inch record catch proves that the state’s hard conservation work really worked.

Aaron Goettsche’s three long years of patience on Payette Lake paid off in a big way. His exciting story inspires other anglers to practice catch-and-release fishing. This helps keep these giant fish alive so they can grow even bigger for future generations. It also puts Payette Lake back on the map as a top spot for world-class fishing.