Carp spawning: when does spawning begin, at what temperature

Many anglers practice targeted carp fishing. Carp is a fish that is quite popular among anglers and has many varieties. The wild relative of the carp is the carp. For the first time, carp began to be artificially bred in China, after which it spread throughout the world. Nowadays, it is widely bred, thanks to the delicious meat and the simplicity of its maintenance. From carp meat, you can cook a lot of different, quite tasty dishes.

This fish is also found in natural conditions in many ponds, lakes and rivers. Depending on the nature of the reservoir, carp may vary in appearance. For example, carp that live in still water bodies have a more humpbacked body and larger scales, while carp that inhabit rivers have smaller scales, but grow to a larger size than other relatives living in still water bodies.

Carp fishing is quite an interesting activity that requires appropriate gear and equipment. It will also take a lot of patience.

When do carp spawn in the middle lane?

The spawning of carp has its own characteristics, since it is more of a heat-loving fish, although it has taken root in the middle lane. As early as the end of April, its spawning may begin. In May, it spawns almost en masse, capturing the beginning of June. At the same time, some individuals can continue to lay eggs until August. But this can be attributed rather to exceptions, so you should not focus on individual individuals. Basically, the signal for the start of spawning is the established warm weather, both during the day and at night. The most optimal period is the beginning of summer, when the water already has time to warm up to the desired temperature. Although in some cases, carp spawning is possible both earlier and later than the optimal time, depending on the geographical location of the reservoir and the influence of other factors.

Spawning duration

As a rule, the spawning period lasts about one month, but this is when conditions are right, so the spawning period can be delayed. At the same time, the following sequence should be noted: young carp spawns first, and last, rather large individuals. The spawning process may be delayed if during this period, suddenly, the water temperature drops. In such cases, the fish will wait until the water temperature rises to the desired level.

If we consider the spawning process within one day, then the carp starts the spawning process early in the morning, and finishes it by noon.

At what temperature do carp spawn?

Water temperature plays a major role in the process of fish spawning. With the arrival of spring, when the flood begins, the carp shows increased activity, although this is not yet the period for its spawning. The conditions for laying eggs by carp are:

• The water temperature is about 18-21 degrees.
• In cold water, carp do not lay eggs.
• If warm weather sets in at the end of spring or beginning of summer, and these are just the conditions for active spawning of carp.

Since spawning depends on the degree of water heating, carp spawns first of all, which is found in reservoirs with stagnant water, where the water warms up faster. Then carp spawn in the rivers, where the water warms up more slowly, due to the presence of a current.

Interesting to know! Despite the fact that the water heats up better during the spill, the carp still lays eggs in the riverbed, as if it knows that if the water level drops sharply, then the eggs will disappear. In addition, predatory fish hunt in the spill areas, and especially pike, which prefers to spawn in such areas.

At what age do carp spawn?

Basically, carp begin to lay eggs when they reach 3-5 years of age. By this time, carp can reach a length of about 25 centimeters. And again, much depends on the nature of the reservoir and the availability of forage. The more food, the faster the fish grows and becomes sexually mature.

Spawning period of carp

The spawning process of carp is somewhat different from the spawning of other fish species in terms of characteristic features. For example:

• Males swim alongside females and make splashing noises to attract females. If there are no extraneous sounds on the reservoir, then such bursts can be clearly heard. Many anglers listen to these sounds to determine where spawning is taking place, in order to then choose a catchy spot.
• During the spawning period, the scales of males are covered with numerous small tubercles visible to the naked eye. If you catch such an individual, you should not be alarmed: it is not sick.
• In the process of spawning, females distribute it with the help of their tail to the most inaccessible places or so that it is fixed on the vegetation.
• The male immediately follows the female and fertilizes the eggs.

Carp caviar is easy to distinguish from other fish caviar by the characteristic dots that cover the yolk.

Features of carp spawning

As soon as the heat begins to seriously manifest itself, female carp begin to lead an active life. They rush around the pond in search of suitable places for spawning. Next to them are males. This activity continues until the water warms up to the right temperature, which indicates the start of spawning. Moreover, in warm water, the carp begins to lead a calm and measured life.

Carp behavior after spawning

After the spawning process, the process of restoring the normal, measured life of the carp begins, which lasts about 2 weeks. At the same time, the carp fully restores its strength in early July. During this period, the carp does not show much activity, and its bite is not very active. During this period, he, like most species of fish, may refuse to eat at all. As for young individuals who have not yet reached puberty, their biting practically does not stop.

Do carp bite during spawning?

As a rule, with the onset of the spawning process, the activity of carp biting decreases by about 70%. Therefore, during this period, one should not particularly count on the capture of carp. At the same time, do not despair, because after spawning, somewhere in a couple of weeks, the carp will be happy with everything that is offered to him as bait.

Spawning carp in the pond

The process of carp spawning in a pond is somewhat different from the process of spawning in rivers. The fact is that the ponds rarely overflow and the carp comes close to the shore to lay their eggs. As a rule, females choose hard-to-reach areas with thickets of aquatic vegetation or other obstacles, in the form of a pile of roots or blockages of trees. The carp tries to protect its eggs from the encroachments of predatory fish by laying them in practically inaccessible places. Since the water in the ponds warms up faster, the spawning period can begin earlier, already at a water temperature of +15 degrees, although, basically, spawning occurs at a temperature not lower than +18 degrees.

Spawning carp in Belarus

In Belarus, carp spawn somewhere at the same time as in Ukraine and Russia. The only thing is that during this period in Belarus there is a very strict ban on any fishing during the spawning season. In other countries, the bans are not so strict and they often just turn a blind eye to this.

For each type of fish, time periods have been set that prohibit fishing. As for carp, the ban is valid from May 31 to July 1.

How carp spawns in the Urals

The temperature regimes of the Urals make their own adjustments to the process of carp spawning. As you know, here the water warms up a little more slowly, and the fish can start spawning at a temperature of +16 degrees. Here, another feature of the carp’s behavior is manifested: after spawning, it begins to actively feed on the third day. Therefore, here you do not have to wait long for the start of biting this fish.

When do carp peck after spawning?

After the carp has spawned, it rests for 2 or 3 weeks and only then begins to actively feed. It is absolutely unrealistic to single out the exact dates, since the spawning process can stretch for an indefinite time. As for colder regions, such as the Urals, for example, everything happens a little differently here.

Therefore, it is impossible to determine exactly when carp will spawn for a number of reasons. At the same time, we can say that somewhere in the beginning or middle of July, you should count on the active biting of carp.

Rest after spawning

Any fish after spawning behaves in a special way, and carp is no exception. After spawning, they behave inactively and do not pay attention to any bait. During this period, they even stop eating, being constantly in shelter. It is very difficult to catch carp during this period, although some experienced fishermen succeed. Most likely, they use a whole range of attractants to awaken the carp’s appetite.

Quiet backwaters, thickets of aquatic vegetation or heaps of fallen trees are considered the most interesting places for carp during this period.

Naturally, it will also not be possible to calculate exactly this period, since for each reservoir it can be different for various reasons. The spawning period, or rather its beginning, depends on many factors. The duration of the rest of the fish also depends on the same factors.

Do artificially bred carp spawn?

The fact is that there are several types of carps, and what one species does, another is not capable of. In fact, almost all artificially bred carps are able to breed. If the carp were not capable of this, then it could hardly be found in wild waters around the world.

In conclusion, it can be noted that the spawning of carp, although slightly, differs from the spawning of other fish species. This is due, first of all, to temperature conditions, which indicates the thermophilicity of this fish. Despite this, carp can be found even in the Urals.

Carp is a cautious and strong fish, therefore, many anglers practice catching it. Every angler wants to test his strength and his skills in a duel with carp. Unfortunately, in order to catch a carp, especially a weighty one, you need to arm yourself with reliable gear and know the characteristics of its behavior, as well as its gastronomic preferences. Especially for carp fishing, a number of special baits, such as boilies, have been developed.

Carp is mainly grown artificially in paid reservoirs or in fish farms, where anglers hunt it.