Common Carp Length - Weight

Common Carp | Credit: USGS

Common carp, a species originally native to Asia and Eastern Europe, have been introduced to environments worldwide.

They are known for their adaptability and size variability, which can be influenced by factors such as habitat, diet, and age.

The common carp's ability to reach substantial sizes is one of the reasons it is prized by anglers and considered a challenging catch.

Typically, a common carp that measures 15 inches in length may weigh around 2 pounds. As they grow, the weight-to-length ratio increases. A 16-inch carp might average closer to 2.5 pounds. This incremental growth continues, with a 17-inch carp possibly weighing around 3 pounds, and an 18-inch carp around 3.5 pounds.

The pattern of growth tends to follow this trajectory, with each inch in length adding roughly half a pound to the carp's weight. By the time a carp reaches 24 inches, it could weigh approximately 6.5 pounds.

Moving towards the upper end of the scale, a 30-inch carp often tips the scales at about 10 pounds. As the carp grows larger, the weight gain per inch can become more variable.

A 35-inch carp might weigh in the region of 15 to 25 pounds, and a 40-inch carp could weigh 25-40 pounds or more, depending on the conditions it has lived in.

It's important to note that these figures are averages and individual weights can vary significantly. 

Notable Carp Catches - Length and Weight

While bowfishing in 2014, Adam Faatz of Hawthorne, NJ, broke the New Jersey state record for common carp with a 45 lb. 6 oz. specimen with a length of 42 inches.

On June 9, 2013, bowfisherman Patrick Johnson took a new Ohio state record carp in Lake Erie. The massive carp weighed 53.65 pounds and measured 45 inches in length.

In 2022, Ayden Minick caught and released a new West Virginia state record common carp caught from Summersville Lake. The record-setting carp weighed 45.2 pounds and was 41.2 inches long. 

In 2012, bowfisherman Zack Seitz reeled in a 59-pound common carp measuring 46 inches long, breaking the Wisconsin state alternate method record.

Related Information

Carp Fishing in North America

Kansas State Record Redear Sunfish

Redear Sunfish Illustration | credit: USFWS

Great Bend resident, Jason Cavender was the last angler to set a Kansas state record for the 2023 fishing season.

Cavender landed a 1.725 pound redear sunfish while fishing at Cheyenne Bottoms Sportsman’s Club in Great Bend. 

The record-breaking sunfish measured a whopping 12 inches in girth and 12.125 inches long.

Cavender’s catch beats out the previous redear sunfish record set in 1995 by Larry Fox of Scott City. Fox caught a 1.69 pound redear from Finney Wildlife Area that measured 11.75 inches long.

The redear sunfish is the largest species of sunfish in North America. Also known as shellcracker and other nicknames, redears can attain weights of 5 pounds or more.

For more on fishing in Kansas, visit ksoutdoors.com

Virginia State Record Blue Catfish (Archery)

Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources recently announced that the Virginia state record for archery blue catfish has been broken.

Jason Emmel from Louisa arrowed a 66-pound, 5-ounce blue catfish from the Pamunkey River for the new state record.

The fish measured 3 feet, 6 inches and had a girth of 35 inches. After biologist verification and review by the State Record Committee, Emmel’s catch was certified and is recognized as the current Virginia Archery State Record Blue Catfish.

The previous record was held by William Bates, Jr. with a 62-pound, 4-ounce blue catfish captured in 2021 from Occoquan Bay in Fairfax.

In Virginia, bowfishing is one of several forms of alternative fishing methods that are increasing in popularity.

North Dakota State Record Buffalo (Bowfishing)

Buffalo Fish | credit: USFWS

In May 2022, a bow fisherman from Bismarck set a new North Dakota bow/spear state record for bigmouth buffalo.

Mitch Estabrook took a 60-pound, 8 ounce buffalo by bow from Heart Butte Reservoir.

Estabrook's fish broke the previous record by 3 pounds, taken at Heart Butte Reservoir in 2017.

Buffalo are a native fish sometimes confused with nonnative and invasive common carp.

North Dakota Game and Fish Department records indicate that Estabrook’s fish is the largest weighed in the state that was not a paddlefish or pallid sturgeon.

Buffalo fish are identified by their heavyset bodies, large scales, and blue-green to bronze coloration.

They have relatively large, forward-opening mouth for a member of the sucker family.

Bigmouth buffalo are the largest member of the sucker family.

Buffalo are commonly mistaken for, but not related to common carp.

The species is not commonly caught by anglers, but are a primary target for those who bow fish.

Recent studies have shown bigmouth buffalo can live to very old ages, with some fish over 100 years old recently documented in neighboring Minnesota.

source: North Dakota Game and Fish Department

New York State Record Channel Catfish

Channel Catfish

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recently announced that on May 8, 2022, Bailey Williams of Watertown set a new State record for channel catfish.

Williams landed the 35-pound, 12-ounce channel catfish from the Black River in Jefferson County using cut bait while bottom fishing.

Williams' record-breaking catch surpassed the previous State record catfish, caught from Lake Ontario in 2017, by 9 ounces.

Channel catfish are the largest catfish that live in New York. They feed primarily on the bottom and are most often caught using live bait such as worms or baitfish. They can also be caught with artificial lures, especially soft plastics worked along channel edges or other bottom structure. 

Williams submitted details of his winning catch as part of DEC's Angler Achievement Awards Program, which tracks State-record fish.

Through this program, anglers can enter freshwater fish that meet specific qualifying criteria and receive official recognition of their catch and an embroidered patch commemorating their achievement.

The three Angler Achievement Awards categories are: Catch and Release, Annual Award, and State Record.

A photo of the new state record channel catfish can be found on the New York State Freshwater Fishing Records page of DEC's website. For more information about the Angler Achievement Awards Program, visit dec.ny.gov.

The Black River originates in the western Adirondacks and follows the divide between the Tug Hill Plateau and the Adirondack foothills to Carthage. The lower section of the river follows a wide curve to Watertown and then a gorge leading to Lake Ontario.

The stretch of the river around Watertown contains a variety of fish species and habitats ranging from riffles and pools to weedy backwaters. The lower Black River is popular with kayakers and other small craft enthusiasts.

Maryland State Record Muskellunge

muskellunge

In March 2022, a dedicated Maryland angler set a new nontidal state record for muskellunge, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Kyle Mullenix of Hagerstown caught the 33-pound, 49-inch long record muskie on March 2 along the banks of the upper Potomac River.

Often called the "fish of ten thousand casts," muskellunge are the largest freshwater fish in Maryland and among the most difficult to catch.

Mullenix is credited with the first Maryland state fishing record of 2022. The 32-year-old lifelong angler said he has spent decades trying to catch a muskie. His record catch was made using a 7-foot spinning rod and live bait.

The catch surpassed the previous Maryland state record held also by a Washington County resident, Tessa Cosens, whose catch tipped the scales at 32.5 pounds. 

The catch was weighed on a certified scale by George Rowe of Ernst Country Market in Clear Spring and verified as a muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) by a DNR biologist. 

DNR maintains state records for sport fish in four divisions; Atlantic, Chesapeake, Nontidal and Invasive, and awards plaques to anglers who achieve record catches. Fish caught from privately-owned, fee-fishing waters are not eligible for record consideration.

Anglers reporting a potential record catch should call 443-569-1381 or 410-260-8325. The fish should be immersed in ice water to preserve its weight until it can be checked, confirmed and certified by the department.

The upper Potomac is one of the most popular areas in Maryland for muskie fishing. One of the largest rivers in the region, the Potomac River has several important recreational fisheries including smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, crappie, blue catfish, and northern snakehead.

source: Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Lake Trolling Techniques

Lake Trout

Trolling is a popular technique for catching fish in lakes, reservoirs, and other large impoundments.

Lake trolling allows anglers to cover a large amount of territory while fishing at multiple depths.

Lake trolling techniques vary regionally. In some areas, anglers employ downriggers, planers, umbrella rigs, or other complex equipment.

In other situations, anglers use only simple tackle such as spoons, crankbaits, or jigs.

Lake trolling techniques have been proven to produce trophy-class fish. While trolling, anglers catch lake trout, musky, pike, salmon, striped bass, white perch, largemouth bass, panfish, and other fish.

The following are a few state record catches that were caught by trolling:

In September 2010, James Brooks was trolling in Bluestone Lake when he set a new West Virginia state record for striped bass. Brooks caught the 47.16-inch, 45.70-pound striper while trolling a crankbait.

In June 2014, Jeffery Todd Smith set a new North Carolina state record with a kokanee salmon that weighed 4 pounds, 1 ounce. Smith caught the fish while trolling in Nantahala Lake.

In 2016, James Stiars of Maryland broke his own non-tidal record for white perch in Loch Raven Reservoir near Baltimore.

Stiars landed his second Maryland state record non-tidal white perch with a 1.74-pound, 14.25 inch fish. His previous record was a 1.70-pound fish caught in 2014.

“We were trolling Shad Rap crank baits and catching them pretty well when this one came over the rail, and I thought it looked bigger than the one from a couple of years ago,” explained Stiars.

Carp Fishing in North America

Maryland State Record Carp (Chesapeake Bay)

Once considered a non-game fish in North America, the common carp is gaining popularity as a freshwater sportfish.

Bait fishing, fly fishing, and bowfishing are popular techniques for taking carp. In some locations, carp are caught by chumming an area close to shore and still-fishing in the middle of chummed area.

To meet the demand for information, a wide range of carp-specific fishing magazines, clubs, television shows, and internet forums have taken hold throughout the U.S. and Canada as more anglers become active in carp fishing.

How big do common carp get in North America? State records for common carp provide clues about trophy-class carp weights and lengths. Across the USA, state records continue to be broken as the popularity of carp fishing grows.

State Record Highlights

Idaho

In May 2021, an Idaho angler shattered the state rod-and-reel carp record Monday with the catch of a 34-pound common carp on the Snake River. The Idaho archery record for common carp stands at 67.65 pounds, taken in C.J. Strike Reservoir in 2011.

Maryland

In May 2022, Logan Kuhrmann of Essex set a new Maryland state record common carp (Cyprinus carpio carpio) in the state’s Chesapeake Division. Kuhrmann, 24, caught the 49-pound carp while bass fishing in the Susquehanna Flats area of the Chesapeake Bay.

Massachusetts

In April 2012, the Massachusetts state record for carp was broken by Shane Felch of Shrewsbury, with a 46 pounds, 5 ounce mirror carp, taken by crossbow from Lake Quinsigamond. According to local anglers, mirror carp are the most common variety caught from the Lake.

New Jersey

While bowfishing on the night of May 19, 2014, Adam Faatz of Hawthorne, NJ, broke the New Jersey state record for common carp with a 45 lb. 6 oz. specimen. The massive carp was 42" long and had a girth of 32".

New Hampshire

In 2016, Donald St. Lawrence set a new hook-and-line New Hampshire state record for common carp. Tipping the scales at 35 lbs 13.12 oz "Carpzilla" bested the current rod and reel-caught carp record by almost 3 lbs. The record setting carp was caught in Merrimack River near Manchester.

Ohio

On June 9, 2013, bowfisherman Patrick Johnson of Toledo, Ohio, took a new state record carp in the Sandusky County portion of Lake Erie's waters. The massive carp weighed 53.65 pounds, measured 45 inches in length and 32-1/4 inches in girth.

Pennsylvania

Despite increased participation in American carp fishing, a few state records have withstood the test of time. The Pennsylvania state record for common carp stands at 52 pounds, caught in the Juniata River in 1962.

West Virginia

In 2022, Ayden Minick caught and released a new West Virginia state record common carp while fishing from the bank of Summersville Lake in Nicholas County. The record-setting carp  weighed 45.2 pounds and was 41.2 inches long. 

Wisconsin

In 2012, bowfisherman Zack Seitz reeled in a 59-pound common carp measuring 46 inches long with a 32.5 inch girth, breaking the Wisconsin state alternate method record.

Vermont

In May, 2014, a bowfisherman set a new Vermont state record for carp with a 44-pound 6-ounce fish taken from Lake Champlain. The massive carp was taken while bowfishing in a backwater area of southern Lake Champlain. The previous state record carp, also taken by bowfishing, weighed 42-pounds 8-ounces.

World Record Carp

In addition to fish caught in the USA, monster-sized carp are caught around the world. While vacationing in Thailand in 2013, a British tourist landed a 134-pound carp, believed to be the biggest ever caught. The massive fish weighed 134 pounds 7 ounces, which could set a new world record.

Kentucky Cave Run Lake Muskie Fishing

Cave Run Lake is located on Kentucky’s Licking River in the Daniel Boone National Forest. The 8,700-acre reservoir is often called "the Muskie Capital of the South," due to its outstanding muskellunge fishery.

Angler Sarah Terry of Mt. Sterling, Kentucky, caught the current Kentucky state-record muskellunge in Cave Run Lake in November 2008. The record setting muskie was 54 inches long and weighed 47 pounds. A clipped fin revealed that the fish was stocked by the KYDFWR.

Since 1973, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KYDFWR) has stocked 105,000 muskellunge into Cave Run Lake. Cave Run Lake is one of three quality muskellunge reservoirs managed by the agency.

source: Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources

Potomac River Blue Catfish

Recently, Potomac River blue catfish have been in the spotlight. On February 23, 2012, a Pennsylvania angler caught an 80-pound, 12-ounce blue catfish in the Potomac River near Fort Washington. The enormous blue catfish broke the Maryland State record, surpassing the previous record holder by 13 pounds. The previous record fish was caught in 2008 not far from where Wetzel caught his fish.

Blue catfish are native to the Mississippi River Valley and were introduced to the James and Rappahannock Rivers in the 1970s. Since then, the fish have reproduced and spread throughout the tidal Potomac River system. Flathead catfish, another non-native invasive species, and blue catfish have subsequently turned up in the Nanticoke, Susquehanna and Northeast Rivers, Upper Chesapeake Bay and other waters.

source: MD DNR

New York State Record Brook Trout

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has certified Dan Germain as the new holder of the state record for brook trout.

The record setting brook trout measured 22 inches and weighed in at 5 pounds, 8 ounces, surpassing the previous state record set in 2009 by 3.5 ounces.

Mr. Germain submitted details of his winning fish as part of DEC's Angler Achievement Awards Program. Information about the Program, including past winners and a downloadable application form, can be found on DEC's website.

source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

New Jersey State Record Bowfin

A bowfin caught by Chris Hoffman of Hamilton, NJ, has been confirmed as a new state record for the species by the NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife.

Mr. Hoffman was fishing for largemouth bass from his boat in the Delaware River near the Mercer Generating Station in Trenton, NJ. on July 4, 2011, when the fish grabbed a 4" soft plastic Senko lure on 6 pound line.

The 10 lb. 14 oz. bowfin, was 29.9" long and had a girth of 14.6". It broke the old record, set 23 years ago in 1988, by 2 lb. 10 oz.

The bowfin is a predatory fish that feeds on frogs, fish, and other prey.

For details on the New Jersey State Record fish program, see: www.njfishandwildlife.com

New Virginia State Record Blue Catfish

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) State Record Fish Committee recently confirmed that a 143-pound blue catfish is a new state record. This is the second time the state record for blue catfish has been broken in 2011.

The enormous blue catfish was caught by Richard Nicholas "Nick" Anderson in John H. Kerr Reservoir (Buggs Island Lake) on Saturday, June 18.

At 143 pounds and 57 inches in length with a girth of 43.5 inches the new state record blue catfish is noteably larger than the previous Virginia state record blue catfish.

The monster blue catfish is the third confirmed freshwater fish over 100 pounds caught in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

If certified by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA), the Virginia blue catfish will shatter the previous world record, a 130-pound blue catfish caught in the Missouri River in 2010.

source: Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries

Kansas Lake Shawnee Yields 2 State Record Rainbow Trout

In Kansas, rainbow trout fishing in Lake Shawnee has been outstanding this spring. On April 2, Bob Lorson caught an 11.02-pound rainbow that was confirmed by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) as a new state record.


On April 20, Ed Ames of Tecumseh was fishing the same lake when he landed a monster 13.65-pound rainbow, more than 2.5 pounds larger than Lorson’s catch.

An official from KDWP confirmed the species of the fish, which measured 31 7/8 inches with a girth of 17 1/4 inches. After a 30 day waiting period, KDWP entered Ames’ rainbow as the new state record.

For more information on Kansas state record fish, anglers can obtain a copy of the 2011 Kansas Fishing Regulations Summary, available wherever licenses are sold, or visit the KDWP website, www.kdwp.state.ks.us.

source: Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks

World Record Shellcracker?

On May 2, 2011, an Arizona angler landed what could be a world record shellcracker (redear sunfish). Robert Lawler of Lake Havasu caught the 5.55 pound, 16.75-inch redear sunfish in Arizona's Lake Havasu, using a Texas-rigged 7-inch Power Worm..

The existing Arizona state record shellcracker weighed 4 pounds 2.24 ounces and was 15.5 inches long. The record catch was made on Feb. 16, 2010 at Lake Havasu by an angler from California.

source: Arizona Game and Fish Department

Iowa State Record White Bass

An 18.7-inch, 4.16 pound white bass is a new Iowa state record. Josh Zylstra, 23, was fishing on Big Sprit Lake when he landed the record setting fish.

The angler was fishing a shiner under a bobber for walleyes, but instead, it hooked a new state record white bass.

The new record was verified by fisheries biologist Mike Hawkins who weighed the fish on a certified scale.

source: Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Virginia State Record Blue Catfish

An enormous blue catfish from Buggs Island Lake has taken the Virginia state record back from the James River, where anglers routinely catch monster blue catfish.

For 2011, the State Record Fish Committee of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has certified a new state record blue catfish that is only the second confirmed freshwater fish over 100 pounds ever caught in the Commonwealth.

The incredible catfish was caught on March 17, 2011, weighed in at exactly 109 pounds and measured 53 inches in length with a girth of 41 inches.

The big cat was caught by Tony Milam of South Boston, Virginia, in Buggs Island Lake near the confluence of the Dan and Roanoke rivers. Mr. Milam caught his fish using cut shad for bait on 30-pound test line.

The world record blue catfish weighed 130 pounds, caught in the Missouri River in 2010.

For a complete listing of Virginia state record freshwater fish, visit the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries website at www.HuntFishVA.com

source: Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries

Maryland State Record Musky

A 12 year-old West Virginia boy has set a new Maryland state record for musky (muskellunge) with a 31.75 pound fish.

On April 14, Kenneth Files of Falling Waters, W. Va., and his father were fishing in the Potomac River, which was in a flood stage.

The young angler spotted an eddy and cast a large white plastic grub lure into the stained waters and a large fish took the bait

The monster musky, measuring 45 inches long with a girth of 24 inches, was eventually maneuvered  into shallow waters and landed.

The previous Maryland state record musky of 28.25 pounds was also caught in the Upper Potomac River.

Angler Accidentally Catches Florida State Record Yellow Bullhead

A yellow bullhead caught in Florida's Crystal River is the new state record for the species of catfish, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) biologists.

Tom Flynn of Homosassa was fishing with minnows when he hooked into the catfish. The new state record yellow bullhead weighed 5.75 pounds and was 20 inches in length.

"Actually, I was fishing for mangrove snapper," Flynn said. "However, I started catching catfish and decided to keep them. I caught seven and took them home."

Yellow bullhead are similar in appearance to the more common brown bullhead, with a nearly square tail, but the chin barbels (whiskers) are pale yellow or pink, unlike the somewhat larger brown bullhead (state record: 5 pounds, 12 ounces) that has darker pigmented chin barbels.

The world record for this species is a 6-pound, 6-ounce yellow bullhead that John Irvin caught in Bates County, Mo., on May 27, 2006.

"I can't believe what good eating these fish are," Flynn said. "I think I'm going to keep going for them and see if I can catch the new world's record."

source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission press release