There is a juxtaposition between lake fishing and river fishing among carp fishing enthusiasts. Some carp fishermen prefer lakes over rivers (and vice versa).
- Catching carp in lakes can be easier than catching carp in rivers. Generally, catching multiple fish of significant size (i.e., greater than 25, 30, or even 35 pounds is more likely in a lake.
- Catching carp in rivers is a little more complex, and catching carp of larger size is less consistent and requires more of a "hit or miss" approach and a level of "luck."
In lakes, the boundaries remain fixed, and the fish has nowhere to go outside the lake's edges. To catch them, one needs to find their location at a given time and fish at the site. In rivers, the borders stretch in two directions over considerable distances. Of course, the lake's size makes a difference, and the larger the lake, the higher the level of difficulty.
The chief challenge in river fishing for carp outside of the boundaries is the current strength. Lakes might have a small current, but compared to a river, it's usually negligible.
The contours of a lake are generally stagnant and predictable. Outlines of a river can change from week to week and day to day because the current causes a shifting in the items deposited in the river bed.
In periods of a strong current, things may move from one area to another. And likewise, items may be washed from shore into the river during periods of high water or flooding and deposited downstream, creating unseen and unpredictable snags.
In lakes, articles are dumped on the lake floor by boaters or other means (i.e., construction crews); however, once they reach the lake bottom, they seldom move more than a few feet from their original location.
In rivers, fish are constantly swimming with or against the moving water, and fish are continually swimming, burning energy, making it more challenging to put on weight and maintain it.
Food sources constantly move in rivers, and food sources move around less in lakes. Depth is a more prominent factor in locating food sources in lakes since depth contributes to specific location. Once lake fish locate the food, they have an easier time finding it consistently and maintaining weight.
It's a matter of personal preference when deciding whether to focus on the lake fishing or river fishing. Doing a little of both is an excellent strategy to take advantage of the challenges involved with river fishing. Still, carp fishing in lakes usually provides larger fish sizes once you locate them.
