The British Record Pike

By Alex Clayton · Updated 23 October 2026

The british record pike weighs 47lb 5oz (21.46 kg). Lloyd Watson caught it at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset, on 13 February 2024, and the British Record (rod-caught) Fish Committee (BRFC) accepted it later that month.

It broke a UK pike record that had stood for over 31 years, by just 8oz. Watson caught it on his first ever trip to Chew.

It is still the record on the BRFC coarse fish listing dated 10 June 2026, and the Angling Trust has published no newer pike record since. This guide covers the capture, the ratification, the record’s history, the venue, the world record and the claim process if you land one yourself.

British Record Pike at a Glance: Weight, Captor, Venue and Date

Everything you need to quote the British record pike correctly is in this table.

Fact	Detail
Weight	47lb 5oz (21.46 kg)
Captor	Lloyd Watson, an angler from Manchester
Venue	Chew Valley Lake, Somerset (a Bristol Water reservoir)
Date caught	13 February 2024
Accepted by	The BRFC, announced by the Angling Trust on 29 February 2024
Method	Smelt deadbait on a running leger, with chopped herring as feed (per Angling Times)
Fate of the fish	Weighed, photographed, filmed and released
Previous record	46lb 13oz (21.23 kg), Roy Lewis, Llandegfedd Reservoir, 1992
Current status	Still the record on the BRFC listing of 10 June 2026

Sources: the BRFC coarse listing (June 2026), the Angling Trust announcement of 29 February 2024, Bristol Water’s “Catch of the Century” post and the Angling Times capture story.

The BRFC records rod-caught fish from England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands, so this is the UK pike record, not just the English one. Pike from the Republic of Ireland go to the Irish Specimen Fish Committee instead.

How Lloyd Watson Caught the 47lb 5oz Chew Valley Pike

The biggest pike ever caught in Britain came to an angler on his first trip to the venue. Until it was close in, he thought he was playing a small pike wrapped in weed.

His interview with Angling Times gives the details:

He fished from the Woodford Lodge bank at Chew Valley Lake.
He placed a smelt with a bait boat, fished it on a running leger, and fed chopped herring around it.
The run came at about half past seven in the evening, and he netted the fish himself.
Three sets of scales went on the bank. Two read 47lb 5oz and the third read 48lb.
The pike was photographed, filmed and released. Bristol Water says fish welfare was the top priority.

Watson had been pike fishing for 30 years, and his previous best was 24lb (10.89 kg). The record fish weighed almost double that.

The method is ordinary. A running leger lets a pike move off with the bait without feeling resistance, and smelt is a standard soft sea deadbait for pike. Our pike fishing guide covers deadbait rigs and tactics.

Carl Garratt, captor of a 44lb Llandegfedd pike, told Angling Times that Chew had rewritten pike fishing history, and that it was good to see the record back in England. With the biggest pike in the UK on the bank, the next job was getting it into the record book.

How the 47lb 5oz Pike Was Ratified by the BRFC

Big “record” pike get talked about every season and never reach the list. This one did, and quickly.

The BRFC inspected the claim paperwork along with the photographic and video evidence, and accepted the claim at 47lb 5oz. The Angling Trust announced the new British pike record on 29 February 2024, 16 days after the fish was caught. It still appears on the June 2026 listing.

The evidence left little to argue about: several witnesses, three sets of scales, extensive photographs and video, and a healthy fish returned to the water.

One detail comes from Angling Times, not the BRFC release. According to Angling Times, Watson’s scales tested about 1oz light, so the claim went in at 47lb 6oz. Because the scales were tested in 5g increments, the committee kept the original 47lb 5oz.

So the weight on the bank is not guaranteed to be the weight in the book. A big pike weighed alone on untested scales, with one blurry photo, gives the committee far less to check. The full claim process is set out in What to Do If You Catch a Record Pike, below.

British Pike Record History: From Llandegfedd to Chew Valley

Roy Lewis’s 46lb 13oz pike from Llandegfedd Reservoir in South Wales held the British record from 1992 until February 2024. Watson’s fish beat it by just 8oz.

When the Chew fish was announced, Lewis emailed his congratulations to Angling Times from his home in New Zealand. He said he knew the feeling of utter disbelief, and that he was pleased the record had gone to a lifelong pike angler.

The selected steps below are compiled on Wikipedia, not taken from an official BRFC history, so treat them as a guide rather than the full list:

Weight	Venue	Year
40lb (18.14 kg)	Horsey Mere	1967
42lb 2oz (19.11 kg)	River Thurne	1985
45lb 6oz (20.58 kg)	Llandegfedd Reservoir	1990
46lb 13oz (21.23 kg)	Llandegfedd Reservoir	1992
47lb 5oz (21.46 kg)	Chew Valley Lake	2024

Llandegfedd held the British record pike from 1990 until 2024, and Chew brought it back to England. For other species, see our guide to British fishing records, or compare the pike story with the British record carp.

Why Chew Valley Lake Grows Record Pike

The biggest pike in the UK came from a water-supply reservoir in Somerset, not a wild Scottish loch. Size and food explain a lot of that.

Chew Valley Lake covers about 1,200 acres and is described as the UK’s fifth largest man-made lake. It is Bristol Water’s largest reservoir, and it is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Bristol Water’s Fisheries and Recreations Manager, Luke Cox, has said the lake’s shallow water and abundance of food are a huge factor in the size of its pike. He also says the pike population there is carefully managed.

Pike fishing at Chew is run by Bristol Water Fisheries through an application process, with set pike fishing dates and predator season tickets. Dates, tickets and prices change, so check with Bristol Water Fisheries before you travel.

If you want a shot at a pike anywhere near this size, Chew is the model: a big, food-rich, managed water, not a small, hard-fished pond.

The World Record Pike: The Biggest Pike Ever Caught

The biggest pike ever caught under international rules weighed 55lb 1oz (25.00 kg). It was caught in Germany in October 1986, and the IGFA has recorded nothing heavier since.

The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) lists Lothar Louis’s northern pike from Lake of Grefeern, Germany, caught on 16 October 1986, as its approved all-tackle world record. He took it on a spoon after a fight of about 40 minutes. The IGFA’s May 2026 round-up confirms no larger northern pike has been recorded under its rules.

Record	Weight	Captor	Venue	Year
World (IGFA all-tackle)	55lb 1oz (25.00 kg)	Lothar Louis	Lake of Grefeern, Germany	1986
British (BRFC)	47lb 5oz (21.46 kg)	Lloyd Watson	Chew Valley Lake, Somerset	2024

The British record pike sits 7lb 12oz short of the world mark.

The lists differ because different bodies keep them: the BRFC covers rod-caught fish from the UK and the Channel Islands, and world records are an IGFA matter. The IGFA also keeps length records, including a 128 cm all-tackle length record for a pike from the Lena River in Russia, caught in August 2025. For the same comparison in another species, see the biggest carp ever caught.

What to Do If You Catch a Record Pike

The worst time to learn the claim process is with a giant pike in your landing net. The BRFC procedure, from the Angling Trust’s make-your-claim page, runs like this:

Contact the BRFC Secretary before anything else, using the details on that page. The number has changed since 2024, so don’t use an old one.
Give the details. The Secretary records date, place, method, species, claimed weight and scales used. Take clear colour photographs.
Confirm by email. You’ll receive claim forms and advice on testing your scales.
Return the forms and evidence within 56 days.
Wait for ratification. Provisional confirmation comes first, then ratification at the committee’s next meeting (it meets twice a year), then a certificate.

Copy the Chew claim: use more than one set of scales, get independent witnesses, film the weigh-in and keep your scales for testing.

Keep the fish wet on an unhooking mat throughout, weigh it in a wet sling and return it quickly. On Windermere I have long-nosed forceps and a mat ready before the first cast.

Bookmark the claims page on your phone before your next big-pike session. Our predator fishing guides cover the tactics.

Frequently asked questions

What is the British record pike?

The British record pike weighs 47lb 5oz (21.46 kg). Lloyd Watson caught it at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset, on 13 February 2024, and the BRFC accepted it. It replaced Roy Lewis's 46lb 13oz fish from Llandegfedd Reservoir.

Was the Chew Valley pike officially ratified?

Yes. The BRFC accepted the claim at 47lb 5oz and the Angling Trust announced it on 29 February 2024. It is still on the June 2026 BRFC listing. The ratification section above has the detail.

What is the biggest pike ever caught in the world?

The IGFA all-tackle world record northern pike weighed 55lb 1oz (25.00 kg). Lothar Louis caught it at Lake of Grefeern, Germany, on 16 October 1986. That is 7lb 12oz heavier than the British record.

Was the record pike released?

Yes. Lloyd Watson's 47lb 5oz pike was weighed, photographed, filmed and then returned to Chew Valley Lake. Bristol Water says fish welfare was the top priority at the weigh-in.

Can you fish Chew Valley Lake for pike?

Yes. Pike fishing at Chew is run by Bristol Water Fisheries through an application process on set pike dates, with predator season tickets. Dates, tickets and prices change, so check with Bristol Water Fisheries before you travel.