Fish, carp family
Bighead carp
- Maximum length
- 146cm
- Maximum weight
- 40kg
- Best water temperature
- 18–28 °C
- Water today (3.5 °C)
- Out of range
About the species Bighead carp
How to recognise it
Large head, upper mouth, dark spots on the sides and a golden sheen. Originates from East Asia.
Where it lives
Large still waters and reservoirs.
What it feeds on
Plankton, mainly small animals (zooplankton), but also algae.
Spawning
It does not reproduce naturally here.
It rarely takes a hook.
Closed season, minimum size and daily limit
What the Fisheries Act says about bighead carp. For guidance only; check it in the fishing regulations of the district.
Minimum size
§ 12 of the Decree45 cm
below the size limit: return it to the waterfrom the size limit: you may keep it
You must not keep a fish shorter than 45 cm. The total length is measured from the front of the head to the end of the longest ray of the tail fin (§ 12, para. 4). The district user may raise the size; the one in the permit and the fishing regulations applies.
Summary of Act no. 216/2018 Coll. and Decree no. 381/2018 Coll. (as of 6 Nov 2026). It may be out of date or contain an error, and exceptions apply on some waters. The permit and the fishing regulations of the district are binding. The fishing law, rule by rule.
Water temperature and requirements
At what temperature the species is active and how well today's water suits it.
Out of rangeTypical water on the Slovakia is 3.5 °C today. That is outside the range the species tolerates (4 to 30 °C). Fish are less active or move to water with a more suitable temperature.
- tolerates 4 to 30 °C
- best 18 to 28 °C
- spawning at 18 to 26 °C
- typical water today 3.5 °C
- Length
- up to 146 cm
- Weight
- up to 40 kg
- Oxygen
- Typical oxygen requirements
- Position in the food chain
- 2.7plants and small animals
The values are indicative and come from the FishBase database. In a particular water, fish behave according to the weather, air pressure, oxygen and food.
Where it was recorded
Fishing districts around which a record of this species exists (GBIF).
We do not yet have records of this species at any fishing district. The data are supplemented from the GBIF database.
Catches of Bighead carp
Approved catches by anglers on this portal.
Nobody has logged a catch of this species yet. Be the first; once approved it will appear here and on the leaderboard.
Similar species
Photo credits
- Bighead carp: Photo: Dezidor, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Silver carp: Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Grass carp: Photo: Emőke Dénes, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Minimum sizes, protection periods and permitted fishing methods are set by the fishing regulations and the conditions of the specific fishing district. Check them before you fish.