A 44-pound 6-ounce common carp taken from the Vermont waters of Lake Champlain has set a new Vermont state record for the species. The fish was taken with a modified compound bow by angler Darren Ouelette while fishing for in a backwater area of southern Lake Champlain.
The previous state record carp was taken in May 2013 on the Connecticut River and weighed 42-pounds 8-ounces.
Lake Champlain is one of the top areas in Vermont for carp fishing, according to Shawn Good, Vermont Fish & Wildlife’s fisheries biologist.
“Full grown adult carp in Lake Champlain average well over 20 pounds in size, with a real opportunity to catch them in the 30-pound range and higher,”
According to Goode, the common carp has been established in Lake Champlain since 1883.