Associated Press - June 11, 2009 12:04 PM ET

KALISPELL, Mont. (AP) - The state Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks has confirmed that an 8.8 pound largemouth bass caught on the Noxon Rapids Reservoir is a state record.

Darin Williams of Pinehurst, Idaho, caught the 22.5-inch fish on May 2 during a bass fishing tournament. The previous state record was an 8.29 pound bass caught at Many Lakes east of Kalispell in 1999.

Williams released the fish after the weigh-in.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.