2.92 metres: German angler lands giant catfish from Polish reservoir

By Maja Kunert Published on 26/10/2026 - 11:15 GMT+1 In the moment when Oliver Schäfer from North Rhine-Westphalia feels the weight at the other end of his line, he quickly realises: this is no ordinary fish. The 34-year-old is competing in a predator fishing tournament in the Polish city of Rybnik, together with his Dutch fishing partner Kevin Cremers. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT On 10 and 11 October, according to the newspaper BILD, 70 teams with around 150 anglers from all over Europe took part. Schäfer and Cremers had travelled there specifically for the event. They were using a special rod designed for large catfish and a soft-plastic lure, as Schäfer told the paper. He only grasped how enormous his opponent was when the fish broke the surface for the first time. The struggle lasted more than 30 minutes. Cremers kept the boat on course against the wind, while Schäfer held on and fought the fish. Measured and released again On the shore, the tournament jury measured the animal: 292 centimetres. After that, the catfish was returned to the lake, as required by the tournament rules. Schäfer told BILD that the fish are carried to land on a tarpaulin so that their protective slime layer is not damaged. The catch was not enough to secure overall victory. What counted was the total number of points. According to the Berliner Zeitung and the results list of the PZW Katowice angling association, the pair finished second with 28,930 points. The same fish as last year? The catfish already has a story. Media reports say participants assume it is the same animal that was landed at the tournament in October 2025. The Polish anglers Krzysztof Pyra and Adrian Gontarz also measured 292 centimetres back then. The Berliner Zeitung reports that the fish has not grown any longer since, but has become noticeably more robust. The world body IGFA records catfish records by weight; there is no official list based on length. In 2023, according to Welt, Italian angler Alessandro Biancardi pulled a 2.85-metre catfish out of the River Po. Within the angling community, the Polish city of Rybnik in the Silesian Voivodeship is therefore regarded as the place where the longest known catfish has been caught. Schäfer’s dream of a three-metre catfish is still alive even after this success, he told BILD – he says he is now just a hand’s breadth short. Europe’s largest freshwater fish According to Germany’s Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, the European catfish is the largest native freshwater fish on the continent. It can grow up to three metres in length and reach a weight of 150 kilograms. Striking features include its scaleless body, broad head and six barbels, which it uses to find its way in murky waters. Its diet consists mainly of other fish; larger specimens occasionally prey on small water birds or mammals. For 2026, the national angling association, the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation and the Society for Ichthyology have chosen the catfish as Fish of the Year. Benefiting from warming Originally, the catfish was native mainly to the Danube and Rhine catchment areas. Stocking programmes dating back to the 19th century and waterways such as the Main-Danube Canal have since opened up many more habitats for the species, the agency says. On top of that, the climate is helping it. As a warmth-loving species, the catfish benefits from rising water temperatures. Biologist Jürgen Geist told the magazine Focus that populations are increasing markedly, both in terms of their range and their density. Cold-loving species such as brown trout, on the other hand, are among the losers. Warm water is also a key factor in Rybnik. The reservoir there serves as a cooling pond for a coal-fired power plant, and the heated water flows back into the lake. Because fish feed more actively at higher temperatures, catfish, carp and zander grow faster in these conditions, according to angler Oliver Schäfer. Experts say the animals pose hardly any danger to humans. They have only small, rasp-like teeth, and outside the spawning season there is virtually no risk. In June 2025, a catfish around two metres long in the Brombachsee reservoir in Middle Franconia bit several swimmers and caused minor injuries.