A fisherman from Fussach was amazed when he pulled this catfish out of the water at the mouth of the Rhine: his catch weighed 109 kilograms and measured 2.6 meters – the heaviest fish he has ever pulled from Lake Constance.
Feb 20, 2026, 10:28 p.mFeb 20, 2026, 10:28 p.m
“That was the heaviest fish I have ever pulled out of Lake Constance,” says Fussach fisherman Franz Blum ORF Vorarlberg. The professional fisherman managed to catch the fish near the mouth of the Rhine. It wasn’t easy to get the fish into the boat, but he finally managed it. He estimates the catfish’s age to be around 45 years old. A catfish can live up to 80 years.
The fish has already been filleted and sold to his customers, the professional fisherman tells the online portal. Catfish is considered a tasty, mild food fish with firm flesh.
At 109 kilograms and 2.6 meters: the largest catch by fisherman Franz Blum from Fussach.Image: Facebook/ORF
Longest catch measures 2.72 meters
In 2011, a catfish measuring 2.4 meters long and weighing 83 kilograms was pulled out of the mouth of the Rhine. The fisheries supervisor in the canton of St.Gallen described this catch as a record at the time. Fisherman Franz Blum, who specializes in such large fish, caught a catfish that was 2.72 meters long and weighed around 100 kilograms in March 2025. This is prepared and hangs on the wall in Blum’s restaurant. It is his longest catch to date and probably the largest fish ever pulled from Lake Constance.
A lively discussion has broken out on the ORF Vorarlberg Facebook page with over 500 comments about whether one should even catch such a fish. “The fish still had half of its life ahead of it,” writes someone. Another says: “This fish is like the T-Rex in the lake, it literally eats loads of other fish, even small dogs or ducks are on the menu.”
Largest freshwater fish in Europe
The European catfish is the largest pure freshwater fish in Europe and is primarily a nocturnal and crepuscular predatory fish. It feeds on live and dead fish, but also occasionally on small waterfowl and mammals. Its activity is highly dependent on temperature and the availability of prey. The catfish prefers large rivers and lakes with muddy bottoms. (bzbasel.ch/fwa)