Common Carp
Cyprinus carpio
For common carp, only one carp 33 inches or greater may be retained each day. There is no daily bag limit for carp less than 33 inches in length.
Gear restriction: Outboard motors are prohibited; electric trolling motors may be used.
Identify your catch
Barbels near the mouth help distinguish common carp from native buffalo.
Habitat on Lady Bird Lake
Bank-side trees, cypress roots, brush and shoreline plants dominate cover; the lower lake has some submerged vegetation.
Fishing approach
Lake guide guidance: TPWD suggests spinnerbaits, topwaters or jigs near bank cover for bass, small tackle for sunfish, and prepared bait for common carp.
Fishing guidance describes documented approaches, not a promise of fish activity today.
No active lake-specific advisory or possession ban was named in the reviewed DSHS directory. This does not guarantee that fish are safe to eat.
Harvest permission and eating restrictions are separate.
General species guide
An introduced fish that feeds on the bottom in lakes and rivers.
General Common Carp profile →Sources & lake evidence
TPWD lake guide and reviewed fisheries evidence establish the listed species or group. Historical survey records do not establish current abundance.
Lake harvest rules ↗Eating guidance ↗Lake habitat & fishing guide ↗Species identification ↗