A Warwick, New York, angler is now the man behind what appears to be the new New Jersey state record muskellunge. On February 24, 2026, Victor Gelman pulled a massive 45.02-pound musky through the ice on Greenwood Lake — a fish that eclipses a record that had stood since 1997.
Gelman, who owns the Warwick Chocolate Company, had long told customers he’d top the musky photo hanging on his shop wall — a 52-inch fish he caught on New York’s St. Lawrence River two years prior. On a brutally cold February afternoon, he made good on that promise.
If the record is confirmed, Gelman plans to have a taxidermy mount made of the fish — a fitting upgrade to the St. Lawrence River musky photo that started all those conversations in his chocolate shop.
A Full Day on the Ice for One Strike
Conditions on Greenwood Lake were far from hospitable. Temperatures hovered around 20°F with 25 mph winds in the wake of a major winter storm. Gelman walked through the snow to the New Jersey side of the lake in Passaic County, drilled five 10-inch holes with a power auger, and set tip-ups baited with live 8-to-10-inch suckers.
Then he waited. From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. — eight full hours in the elements — Gelman sat alone on the ice watching for a flag. He got exactly one strike all day, and it happened to be a fish of a lifetime.
The tip-up was roughly 80 yards away when it triggered. Gelman hustled over, broke away ice that had formed around the hole, and began pulling 50-pound braided line by hand to bring the fish up.
Official Weigh-In: 45.02 Pounds, 51.125 Inches
Gelman intended to release the fish, but it was hooked deep and bleeding — unlikely to survive if returned to the water. Knowing he was looking at a potential record, he contacted New Jersey Fish and Wildlife and brought the musky to the Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery, which has been stocking Greenwood Lake with muskellunge for years.
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Hatchery superintendent Craig Lemon weighed and measured the fish on a certified scale. The numbers were as follows:
Pending NJ State Record Muskellunge — Key Stats
Weight: 45.02 lbs
Length: 51.125 inches
Girth: 27 inches
Date: February 24, 2026
Method: Ice fishing — tip-up with live sucker bait
Gelman donated the fish to the hatchery, where biologists will examine it to learn more about the factors that helped it grow so large.
Previous Record Stood for Nearly 29 Years
The previous New Jersey state record muskellunge was caught by Bob Neal in January 1997 on Monksville Reservoir in Ringwood. Neal’s fish weighed 42 pounds, 13 ounces — also caught through the ice. Gelman’s musky tops that mark by more than two pounds.
If certified by New Jersey Fish and Wildlife, Gelman’s catch will replace a record that has stood for nearly three decades — one of the longest-standing freshwater records in the state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where was the New Jersey record musky caught?
The pending state record musky was caught on the New Jersey side of Greenwood Lake in Passaic County. Greenwood Lake is a 1,900-acre body of water straddling the New York-New Jersey border that is regularly stocked with muskellunge by the state.
What was the previous New Jersey state record for muskellunge?
The previous record was a 42-pound, 13-ounce muskellunge caught by Bob Neal in January 1997 on Monksville Reservoir in Ringwood, NJ. That record stood for nearly 29 years.
Can you catch musky on Greenwood Lake?
Yes. Greenwood Lake is one of New Jersey’s top muskellunge fisheries. Pure strain and tiger muskellunge are stocked annually by New Jersey Fish and Wildlife. The lake is also popular for walleye, bass, and panfish year-round, including through the ice in winter.