Bighead Carp in Illinois
IDNR limits, the state record and Illinois waters for bighead carp.
- no statewide rowlimit
- 72 lbs 9 ozrecord
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Illinois bighead carp in brief
None of the 13 statewide rows in the 2026 IDNR digest is written for bighead carp. A water's own digest entry may still set gear or harvest rules that reach it.
At 72 lbs 9 oz, the hook and line record came from Humboldt Park Lagoon (2021).
Illinois state-record bighead carp
| Division | Weight | Water | County | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hook and line | 72 lbs 9 oz | Humboldt Park Lagoon | Cook County | November 6, 2021 |
| bow and arrow | 92 lbs 1.6 oz | Private Pond | Logan County | June 2, 2023 |
IDNR Illinois state record fish list (keeper: Illinois Department of Natural Resources; no angler names printed), read November 4, 2026.
Relatives of bighead carp on the IDNR list
- Common Carpno statewide row
- Grass Carpno statewide row
- Silver Carpno statewide row
How the shoreline by Bighead Carp looks
Photo: Alaina McDavid, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Tripp, CC BY 2.0
Photo: D.L, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
Short Illinois answers on bighead carp
How many bighead carp can go on an Illinois stringer?
The 2026 digest prints no statewide row for it, so check the site-specific entry for your water.
Which Illinois lake or river produced the top bighead carp?
Humboldt Park Lagoon produced it in 2021: 72 lbs 9 oz. The angler is not printed.
Which Illinois waters hold bighead carp?
IDNR lists name no water for it that has a page here yet.
Is the bighead carp rule the same on every Illinois water?
No entry changes its rule by name, but all-fish entries still count.
Which Illinois waters got bighead carp from IDNR?
IDNR listed no stocking of it from 2021 to 2026.
Must a visitor buy a license for Illinois bighead carp?
Anglers 16 and older carry an Illinois fishing license ($15 a year for residents, $31.50 for nonresidents in 2026).
Does the Illinois bighead carp record list count bow fish?
Two: hook and line, and bow and arrow. For it, IDNR shows 2 record rows.
Where do IDNR biologists rate bighead carp?
The IDNR outlooks on these lake pages give it no grade.
Plan an Illinois trip for bighead carp
Open a lake or river above for launches and local rules.