BOISE, Idaho — Reeling in the “big one” is every angler’s dream, but it became a reality for one Stansbury Park, Utah man who caught a record-setting lake trout in Payette Lake.
On June 19, 2025, Aaron Goettsche was trolling solo early in the morning on the water when he “caught the fish of a lifetime,” the Idaho Department of Fish and Game wrote in a news release. The trout measured over 42 inches, setting a catch-and-release state record.
“Aaron has spent the past three years chasing lake trout in Payette Lake, steadily dialing in the fishery and landing some incredible catches along the way,” Idaho Fish and Game wrote Monday. “Congratulations to Aaron Goettsche!”…