Carp and drum
Common carp
Cyprinus carpio.
Length to weight chart, typical size by age, and how to photograph a common carp so fishline measures it well.
- Typical top length
- 36 in
- about 28.3 lb
- A 27 inch fish
- 11.6 lb
- 11 lb 10 oz
- Age at 27 inches
- about 7 years
- rough, varies by water
- Growth levels off
- about age 20
- gains slow to a crawl after
Common carp length to weight chart
Estimated weight for a common carp in average shape at each length, from the formula W = L^3.1 / 2,360 (W in pounds, L in inches). It is the same relationship fishline uses when it measures a common carp from a photo.
| Length | Weight | Rough age |
|---|---|---|
| 12 in | 0.94 lb | about 2 years |
| 14 in | 1.5 lb | 2 to 3 years |
| 16 in | 2.3 lb | about 3 years |
| 18 in | 3.3 lb | 3 to 4 years |
| 20 in | 4.6 lb | about 4 years |
| 22 in | 6.1 lb | 4 to 5 years |
| 24 in | 8.0 lb | 5 to 6 years |
| 26 in | 10.3 lb | 6 to 7 years |
| 28 in | 13.0 lb | 7 to 8 years |
| 30 in | 16.1 lb | about 9 years |
| 32 in | 19.6 lb | about 11 years |
| 34 in | 23.7 lb | 14 to 15 years |
| 36 in | 28.3 lb | 20+ years |
| 38 in | 33.5 lb | 20+ years |
Total length, nose to the tip of the pinched tail. Weights are for a common carp in average shape. A fat fish, like a female before the spawn, weighs more and a thin one less, which a girth measurement picks up. Rows past 36 inches are bigger than typical for the species.
Size by age
fishline's growth model puts a typical common carp at around 36 inches when fully grown, with most of its growth done by about age 20. Younger fish add length fast; older fish mostly add weight.
Age from length is rough. Fish in warm water with plenty to eat grow faster than this, and fish in cold or crowded water grow slower. For a quick estimate from any length, use the fish age calculator.
| Age | Length | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 6.5 in | 0.14 lb |
| 2 years | 11.9 in | 0.91 lb |
| 3 years | 16.2 in | 2.4 lb |
| 4 years | 19.8 in | 4.5 lb |
| 5 years | 22.8 in | 6.8 lb |
| 6 years | 25.2 in | 9.3 lb |
| 8 years | 28.7 in | 14.1 lb |
| 10 years | 31.1 in | 18.0 lb |
| 12 years | 32.7 in | 21.1 lb |
| 15 years | 34.2 in | 24.1 lb |
| 20 years | 35.3 in | 26.7 lb |
From a von Bertalanffy growth curve. Fish in warm, food-rich water grow faster than this and fish in cold or crowded water grow slower, so treat every row as a rough middle.
Weigh your common carp
Enter the length, and the girth if you taped it, for an estimate on your fish.
Photo tips for common carp
fishline reads length from the photo using whatever is in frame for scale, so a clean, side-on shot gives the tightest number.
- 1Kneel and hold the fish low over an unhooking mat or wet grass, one hand under the head and one under the belly.
- 2Turn the fish so the camera sees the full side profile, not the belly. Level and side-on measures best.
- 3Put something of known size in the frame: your hand on the fish, a bucket, or the rod handle laid alongside.
More carp and drum
Or skip the tape. Snap a photo and fishline measures it.
Species, length and weight from one photo. 5 free measurements every month.