Common Carp

About Common Carp

Common Carp are a heavy-bodied, bronze-gold fish with distinctive barbels near the mouth, and they’re one of the most widespread, and most UNWANTED, fish in Utah’s waters. Unlike nearly every other species on this site, Carp aren’t something DWR wants you to protect or manage carefully. They’re a real nuisance species, and Utah actively encourages anglers to remove as many as possible.

When Carp Were Introduced

Common Carp aren’t native to Utah. They were brought to Utah Lake by the federal government in the 1880s, intended as a hardy protein source for pioneer settlers who had already overfished the lake’s native fish populations. Carp were a deliberate choice specifically because they could survive and multiply in nearly any condition Utah’s seasons threw at them, which, as it turned out, was exactly the problem.

That resilience let Carp explode far beyond anyone’s original intention. By the early 2000s, Common Carp made up a staggering 91 percent of all fish biomass in Utah Lake, meaning nearly 9 out of every 10 pounds of fish swimming in the lake was Carp.

Why Carp Are a Problem

Carp feed by rooting through soft lake-bottom sediment, stirring it up in the process. That constant disturbance does real damage to an ecosystem, It uproots aquatic vegetation before it can establish, clouds the water, and releases nutrients that had been locked in the sediment. These are nutrients that then fuel algae blooms instead of healthy plant growth. At Utah Lake specifically, this has been especially damaging to the recovery of the June Sucker, an endangered fish found nowhere else on Earth.

Utah Lake has become the center of one of the largest carp removal efforts in the country, run by the June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program (JSRIP) in partnership with DWR and the Utah Lake Commission.

• Commercial netting is the primary tool. Licensed commercial fishing crews use large nets to remove Carp in bulk, taking care to release native and desirable sportfish which include Catfish, Walleye, Bluegill.
• Since the program’s large-scale effort began in 2010, crews have removed over 29 million pounds of Carp from Utah Lake. It's still considered an ongoing, permanent commitment, not a one-time fix. Researchers don’t believe total elimination from a lake this size is possible. The actual goal is reducing the population by roughly 75% from 2010 levels. Then maintaining it there indefinitely with periodic removal.
• Removed Carp are typically composted into fertilizer or sent to mink farms as feed. They are not eaten, since Utah Lake’s Carp carry contamination concerns that make them unsafe for human consumption.

Fun Ways to Harvest Them

Because Carp carry no bag limit in most Utah waters, they’re one of the few species where you’re actively encouraged to take as many as you can. This has made them a favorite target for some fun, non-traditional fishing methods:

• Bowfishing is the big one. Carp are a classic bowfishing target nationwide, and Utah is no exception. They’re large, often visible in shallow water, and there’s no limit to worry about. Many bowfishers go out at night with bright lights mounted on the boat, which draws Carp to the surface and makes them easy to spot before taking a shot.
• Spearfishing is another legal option in Utah for Carp, for anyone who’d rather get in the water than shoot from a boat.
• Hand-grabbing during the spawn is a novelty method some anglers swear by. In late spring, Carp move into shallow, weedy water to spawn and become genuinely catchable by hand if you’re patient and quick.
• Simple bait fishing still works great too, if you’d rather keep it traditional. Use bread, corn, or dough bait on the bottom and you'll produce bites, and it’s a forgiving, easy way to introduce a kid to catching a very big fish.

Fishing Regulations

There’s no limit on Common Carp in most Utah waters, and some waters actively encourage harvest given the damage Carp cause to native ecosystems. Always check the current Utah Fishing Guidebook to confirm current rules for the specific water you’re fishing.