The Great Carp Hunt is scheduled to remove carp from Utah Lake in 2025

UTAH COUNTY — Utah Lake managers want as many carp removed from the lake as possible. To achieve their goal, they hold a fishing competition for an entire year.

It’s the big carp hunt. The Utah Lake Authority is offering $5,000 to the team that removes the most carp from Utah Lake in 2025.

From January to November, teams of up to five people compete in monthly, two-day events.

“During event times, teams go out, catch as many carp as possible, bring them back to the event start to count and dispose of the fish,” ULA said.

ULA also offers monthly prizes of $1,000, as well as prizes for things like the longest, smallest and heaviest carp caught.

The first event is for the 25th-26th. January planned. Teams wishing to take part in the Great Carp Hunt can register online.

Why Catch Carp in Utah Lake?

The Big Carp Hunt is part of the state’s ongoing effort to remove the fish from Utah Lake.

“We see this as a fun way for people to help remove a non-native species that is having a negative impact on the lake and native fish,” ULA Executive Director Luke Peterson said in a news release.

The carp threatened species such as the June sucker, which the state has been working to restore for years.

Peterson said about 75% of carp have been removed from the lake since 2009, but there is still “a lot of work to be done.”