By Myrek Zastavnyi
WARWICK / GREENWOOD LAKE — A quiet winter afternoon on Greenwood Lake may have produced a catch for the record books.
Warwick resident Viktor Gelman, owner of Warwick’s Chocolate Factory, landed what officials say could become the new New Jersey state record on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026.
The fish was officially weighed later that evening at the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife hatchery on a certified scale. According to documentation submitted for record consideration, the fish measured 52 1/8 inches in length, had a 26.5-inch girth, and weighed 45.02 pounds.
If confirmed, the catch would surpass New Jersey’s current state record of 42 pounds, 12 ounces, set in 1997. An application for the state record has been formally submitted and is currently pending review.
Before heading to the official weigh-in, Gelman made a stop at another local institution, Sam’s Meat Warehouse, to verify the fish’s weight and confirm its potential eligibility for record consideration.
Greenwood Lake, which straddles the New York–New Jersey border, has long been known for producing trophy muskellunge and northern pike. The species has a storied history in the Northeast, including the famed 46-pound, 2-ounce northern pike caught in 1940 on Great Sacandaga Lake by Peter Dubuc — a fish that stood as a benchmark record in North America for decades.
Gelman’s fish, identified as a muskellunge, or musky, at just over 45 pounds, places it in elite company and among the largest pike ever reported from the region.
Officials have not yet confirmed whether the catch qualifies for any New York State records, and confirmation from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is still pending.
This is a developing story. Updates — including NY state, regional and world records, as well as an exclusive interview with Viktor Gelman detailing the moment of the strike, the fight, and the landing — will appear in the next published edition of the Warwick Valley Dispatch.
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