Features: Common carp are deep-bodied, heavy-looking fish with short heads and forked tails. They have large (really large) scales ranging from grey to bronze. Two barbels hang from each side of the upper lip of their subterminal (near the bottom of the head) mouth. This distinguishes them from goldfish that have no barbels.  The dorsal fin is elongated.

Habitat: Though tolerant of most conditions, common carp prefer large bodies of slow moving or standing water with soft sediments like mud or sand, and good growths of aquatic vegetation. They’re omnivorous bottom feeders that prefer aquatic insects, worms, mollusks and zooplankton. But they will also occasionally feed at mid-water or even on the surface. As they root in the mud or sand to find food, they will also consume aquatic plants and algae, but the small animals attached to the vegetation are more important than the plants themselves.

Techniques: In deeper water, fish with bait under a bobber. Suspend bait so it’s near or on the bottom. Popular baits include canned corn and bread dough balls. Yummm.  Carp will also take flies and lures.

In shallower waters, try sight-fishing for cruising carp. This is a popular technique with fly-anglers and bow-anglers.

Common carp in Oregon: Common carp are highly invasive and have become naturalized in waterbodies throughout the state. They tolerate of a wide range of conditions – including warm and turbid water with low oxygen levels – and can live in a variety of river, lake and reservoir habitats.

Originally native to Asia, carp were introduced into the United States in the late 1800s from Europe, where they were and continue to be valued as a food and sport fish. Carp fishing has long been popular in many parts of this country.

Their success often comes at the expense of waterfowl, amphibians and other fish populations. As carp root in the muddy/sandy bottoms looking for food, they uproot aquatic vegetation and increase water turbidity. Their feeding also releases large quantities of sediment-bound nutrient that can lead to algae blooms that further deplete oxygen levels for other fish.

Ironically, while common carp are considered one of the most broadly distributed and  invasive species in the United States, wild carp are considered at risk in their native habitats in eastern Europe and Asia.