Carp calendar

Water temperatures are typical ranges for a UK stillwater, not measurements. Every water is different: a shallow pond warms and cools far faster than a deep pit, and a mild winter or a cold spring can shift everything by weeks. Use this as a starting point and trust what you see on the bank.

month	typical water	carp behaviour	bait	rigs and tactics	read
January	3–6°C	Slow and often shoaled tightly in the deeper, sheltered areas. Feeding comes in short spells, often around the warmest part of the day.	Very light. A single hookbait or a small PVA bag.	Bright or washed-out pop-ups, single hookbaits, zigs on mild days. Move to fish you see.	winter carp
February	3–6°C	Much like January, but a mild south-westerly spell can bring a short burst of feeding.	Very light.	Singles, small bags and zigs. Fish the warm wind after a mild night.	winter carp
March	5–8°C	Waking up. Fish start to move into shallower water that catches the sun.	Light, building slowly.	Zigs and small bags. Fish the shallows on sunny afternoons.	spring and autumn
April	8–12°C	More active and feeding more often. Fish often cruise in the upper layers on warm days.	Light to moderate. A few spods or a scattering of boilies.	Zigs, PVA bags and pop-ups. Margins and shallow bars come into play.	spring and autumn
May	12–16°C	Feeding hard before spawning. Fish may stop feeding for a few days when they spawn, usually late May or June.	Moderate.	Most tactics work. Surface fishing starts on warm days. Leave spawning fish alone.	surface fishing
June	15–19°C	Spawning on many waters, then a strong recovery feed. Weed grows fast.	Moderate to heavy after spawning.	Chods or hinged rigs over weed, surface and margin fishing.	summer carp
July	17–22°C	Active but often high in the water in the day. Best feeding is at dawn and in the evening. Low oxygen on hot, still days.	Moderate. Particles and pellets work well.	Surface and margin fishing in the day, bottom baits at night. Look for fish on the wind.	summer carp
August	17–21°C	Like July. Thick weed and warm water make location vital.	Moderate.	Chods in weed, stalking, surface fishing. Keep fish in the water as much as you can in the heat.	margin fishing
September	14–18°C	The autumn feed begins. Weed starts to die back and fish put on weight.	Heavier. Boilies come into their own.	Bottom baits over a bed of boilies and particles. Spodding at range.	spodding
October	10–14°C	Often one of the best months. Big fish feed hard before winter, especially on a mild wind after a low-pressure front.	Heavy to moderate, easing as it cools.	Boilies over a baited spot, PVA bags. Fish the new wind.	spring and autumn
November	7–10°C	Slowing down as the water cools. Feeding becomes patchier.	Light to moderate, and cutting back.	Smaller beds, bright hookbaits, zigs on mild days.	winter carp
December	4–7°C	Winter mode. Fish hold up in a few areas and feed only in short spells.	Very light.	Single hookbaits, small bags, zigs. Watch for fish showing and move to them.	winter carp

Reading the conditions

• Wind. A warm wind pushes food and fish to the far bank, especially in spring, summer and autumn. A cold wind in winter often pushes fish away from it.
• Pressure. Falling pressure ahead of a mild, cloudy front often brings a feeding spell. A run of high pressure and bright, still days is often slow.
• Temperature trend. Rising water is better than falling water, whatever the month. A few mild days in winter can switch the fish on.

Not sure which rig suits the month? Try the rig finder.