The British record carp
On the official coarse list of 30 January 2026, the carp record is a mirror of 68lb 1oz, or 30.875 kg. It was caught in 2016. That's the number. The list has no separate entry for common carp, so that mirror is the biggest carp on the official record. You can read the entry on the committee's list.
Crucian carp have their own entry, because they're a different species, and the crucian record stands at 4lb 14oz, from 2024. Read the full table in our British record fish list.
How big carp usually grow
The Wildlife Trusts describe a large, heavy, deep-bodied fish that grows up to a metre long. Their profile gives a typical length of 25 to 80 cm and a weight of up to 30 kg. The record mirror sits right at the top of that range. Most never get close.
Most carp anglers will never see one. Weights vary a lot from water to water, so a fish that would be ordinary on one lake can be a PB on another. A twenty is a good fish. A thirty is a fish most anglers remember for life, and the photo of it tends to end up as their lock screen.
Mirror, common or leather?
For the record, the coat doesn't matter. A mirror, a common and a leather are one species, Cyprinus carpio, so they all chase the same line on the list. Our types of carp guide shows how to tell them apart on the bank.
That's also why the scales matter on a print, because on a big mirror the pattern is how other anglers recognise the fish.
Carp in Britain
Carp aren't native, so why do they get a British record at all? The committee's 2023 update admits European species that are long established here. Carp arrived in the Middle Ages, which is plenty long enough.
Why headlines don't always match the list
A fish goes on the list only when its captor claims it and the committee accepts the claim. Some anglers never claim, often to keep a water quiet, while others report a weight in the press that's never put forward.
Claims aren't records. Carp caught abroad aren't British records, however big, and nor are fish weighed on scales nobody else saw. Neither are fish of other species that get called carp, such as grass carp.
How to weigh a big carp properly
A big fish deserves a weight you can trust and a quick return. Get everything ready before the fish leaves the water: mat wet, sling wet, scales zeroed and camera set. Angling Times stresses having the scales ready during unhooking, so the fish isn't kept waiting.
- Wet the sling and zero the scales with it. A wet sling weighs more than a dry one.
- Use a weigh tripod or a second pair of hands. Hold the scales steady and read them at eye level. A dial read from above or below can be out by a few ounces. Check twice.
- Keep it low and quick. Lift the sling only as high as you need, over the mat.
- Get a witness if you can. A second person to read the scales helps settle any doubt. No guesswork.
If you think you've caught a record
Stay calm. Look after the fish first. Weigh it carefully on a wet, zeroed sling, with a witness reading the scales. Take clear side-on photos that show the species and the scale pattern. Note when and where. Write it down. Then contact the record committee's secretary through the Angling Trust without delay, as its 2023 update asks. The secretary will explain what comes next. Never keep the fish out of the water waiting for a witness to arrive, because the fish matters more than the claim.
Looking after a big fish
Be patient. Big carp are heavy. And slippery. Angling Times advises always using an unhooking mat, holding the fish with wet hands and never a towel, and kneeling for any photo. When you put it back, hold it upright in the water until its fins ripple and it swims off with a kick.
Never rush that part for a picture, however big the fish and however keen you are to get the shot. A record fish that doesn't swim away isn't worth the claim.
Photographing a big carp
Angling Times warns against forcing your arms out to make a fish look bigger, and against cuddling it tight to your chest. Hold it naturally. Smile, and lose the cigarette. Keep the whole fish in frame, tail and mouth included. A big carp is heavy, so set the shot up first and keep the fish over the mat until it goes back.
Shoot a few frames both wide and tall, because the wide one is the one you'll want to print. Our catch photo guide covers night shots and self-takes.
The language of big carp
Carp anglers have a word for every size of fish, from a double to a lump. Our fishing puns and quotes guide has the glossary, taken from Angling Times. Use them sparingly, or you'll be found out.
Your PB matters more than the record
The record is one fish. Your PB is the one you'll remember. Print it. Put it somewhere you'll see it every day, because a PB photo hidden in a phone gallery is a fish nobody gets to admire. Print the photo as it is, or see it in a house style first, with every scale checked. If you'd rather have a plate, our carp prints cover all three coats. Carp fishing gifts helps if you're buying for someone else. Either way, the fish should look like itself.
Craig Fearn runs Scale & Fin, a UK studio that prints anglers' catch photos and fish art to order. He writes the guides here, and every fact in them links to the body that published it.