Exotic Eurasian fish, common in reservoirs, small farm ponds and fishing lakes in the South and Southeast. Fights hard and requires patience. Don't release it into a river.
Also called: carpa, carpa-comum, carpa-húngara, carpa-espelho, carpa-couro
Eurasian fish brought in for farming and now found in reservoirs, small farm ponds, lagoons and slow rivers of the South and Southeast. It is exotic and roots through the bottom to feed, muddying the water and uprooting aquatic plants; that harms native fish. Releasing carp into the natural environment without a license is an environmental offense. For anglers it is a fish of strength and patience: it nibbles slowly, but after the hookset it makes long runs. There is specialized fishing with hair rig and boilies, and the traditional method with a feeder and dough.
fun facts
Can live for decades.
Carp fishing with hair rig and boilies has its own championships in southern Brazil.
how to recognize it
identification
Sturdy body, bronze-gold to olive, with a yellowish belly. Two pairs of barbels at the mouth (one at the corners, one short on the lip). Toothless mouth that projects like a tube. Long dorsal fin with a serrated, hard first ray. Varieties: common (large, regular scales), mirror (few large scales) and leather (almost scaleless). The grass carp has no barbels.
how common carp fishing looks
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Exotic, native to Eurasia. Reservoirs, small farm ponds and fishing lakes in the South and Southeast; common in reservoirs in SP and PR and in small farm ponds in RS and SC.
Habitat: Muddy bottoms of reservoirs, small farm ponds and slack water; vegetated banks.
introduced in
ParanáUruguaySouth AtlanticSoutheast AtlanticSão Francisco
states
São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, Minas Gerais
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency. Conservation: Considered invasive in many countries for its impact on the bottom and aquatic vegetation.
Releasing it into the natural environment without a license is an offense
releasing or introducing fish into rivers, reservoirs and lakes is prohibitedSPPRSCRSMGconfirm with the agency
Introducing an exotic species, or one outside its natural range, without a technical opinion and a license is a federal environmental offense. This includes releasing a fish from a tank, pay lake or aquarium into a river or reservoir. In MG, the IEF states that stocking without a license is prohibited.
MS: carp (all species) outside the native-fish limit
specimens may be added to the limit, subject to the closed seasonMS
In MS, carp (all species) is on the list of exotic, allochthonous and hybrid species whose specimens may be added to the angler's limit (1 native + 5 piranhas), subject to the closed season.
PR: exotics allowed; returning them to the water is restricted
exotics may be caught freely; confirm the release rulePRParanáSoutheast Atlanticconfirm with the agency
In PR, non-native fish may be caught in the interior basins. Portaria IAT 650/2025 sets a rule on releasing non-natives, with an exception for catch-and-release events aimed at them. Confirm with IAT before returning the fish to the water.
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Use a mat or wet grass so you don't injure it. At a pay lake, follow the house rules; in the natural environment, don't transport it alive.
in the kitchen
Fatty meat with Y-shaped bones; good smoked, baked or made into fritters.
calculator
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01778, b = 2.95; FishBase). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on the field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data nor a measurement made for this species, and they may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the norm and a link.
