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You never know what's lurking in Iowa's lakes and rivers! Aaron Young/The Register

Whoa!

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources shared a photo on its official Facebook page of a walleye the agency says it found while collecting broodstock on Rathbun Lake.

And it's a biggie.

"It weighed in at 12.74 pounds and measured 28.8 inches," Iowa DNR said in its post, adding that the fish is a repeat visitor as was first tagged in April 2014.

It's just a few pounds and inches shy of the Iowa record for walleye, however: The current mark still belongs to Gloria Eoriatti of Ankeny, who caught a 14.8-pound, 30.5-incher in 1986 in the Des Moines River, Iowa DNR says.

Walley can be found across Iowa in the state's natural lakes and are common in major interior river drainages. Spawning typically starts this time of the year, Iowa DNR says, when water temperature ranges from 42 to 54 degrees.

"As summer approaches, look for walleyes in deeper water in lakes and reservoirs," Iowa DNR says.

And you'll still have your shot to reel in this mammoth fish, as the Iowa DNR sent it back into the water.

Interested in trending Iowa news? Follow @AaYoung15 on Twitter.

More: Popular Iowa animal stories from 2017

 

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