Rods
Fishing rod size chart: published line and lure ratings by power
Two rods can both say Medium and be rated 6-12 lb and 8-20 lb. The label is a hint; the printed ratings are the specification.
By Sawyer V. · Last updated · How we pick
The short answer
Read the printed line and lure rating, not the power word. An Ugly Stik GX2 Medium publishes 6–15 lb and 1/8–5/8 oz; a St. Croix Premier Medium publishes 6–12 lb and 1/4–5/8 oz. Same word, different rods.
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The chart
Every figure below is published by the maker on the rods this site already covers. Nothing here is a typical range we have averaged — each row is a real rod.
| Power | Rod | Line | Lure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultra Light | Ugly Stik GX2 5 ft | 2-6 lb | 1/32-1/4 oz |
| Light | Ugly Stik Carbon Crappie 7 ft | 4-8 lb | 1/16-1/4 oz |
| Medium Light | Abu Garcia Max Elite 6 ft 10 in | 6-10 lb | 1/8-1/2 oz |
| Medium | Ugly Stik GX2 7 ft | 6-15 lb | 1/8-5/8 oz |
| Medium | Ugly Stik Elite 7 ft | 6-14 lb | 1/4-5/8 oz |
| Medium | Ugly Stik Carbon 7 ft | 6-12 lb | 3/16-5/8 oz |
| Medium | St. Croix Premier 7 ft 6 in | 6-12 lb | 1/4-5/8 oz |
| Medium Heavy | Ugly Stik GX2 combo 7 ft | 8-20 lb | 1/4-3/4 oz |
| Medium Heavy | Ugly Stik Catfish 7 ft | 15-30 lb | 1/2-3 oz |
Four rods say Medium. None of them match
Look at the four Medium rows. The line ratings run from 6–12 lb to 6–15 lb, and the lure ratings start anywhere from 1/8 oz to 1/4 oz.
The two Medium Heavy rows are worse: 8–20 lb against 15–30 lb, and a lure ceiling of 3/4 oz against 3 oz. Those are not the same class of rod, and both are labeled the same.
This is why our pike rods page tells you to buy on the lure rating rather than the power word: a Medium Heavy rated to 3/4 oz cannot throw the baits a Medium Heavy rated to 3 oz handles easily.
Casting rods are rated heavier than spinning rods
| Rod | Power | Line | Lure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ugly Stik GX2 spinning 7 ft | Medium | 6-15 lb | 1/8-5/8 oz |
| Ugly Stik GX2 casting 6 ft 6 in | Medium | 8-20 lb | 1/4-5/8 oz |
| Ugly Stik GX2 casting 7 ft | Medium Heavy | 10-25 lb | 1/4-3/4 oz |
Same brand, same blank family, same word: the casting rod is rated 8–20 lb where the spinning rod is rated 6–15. That is not an inconsistency, it reflects what each is used for — and it means power labels are not comparable across disciplines either.
Our baitcasting rods page covers why a casting rod is built differently rather than just having the guides moved.
Ice rods are a separate ladder entirely
An ice Ultra Light is published at 1/64–1/16 oz. An open-water Ultra Light is published at 1/32–1/4 oz — a lure ceiling four times higher.
A short blank of the same stiffness also feels much stiffer, because there is less length to distribute the bend. Do not carry summer sizing onto the ice. Our panfish ice rods page covers that ladder.
How to actually use the chart
Start from the lure. Weigh or read the weight of the baits you throw most, then find a rod whose published lure rating brackets it with room at both ends. A rod fished at the very bottom of its rating will not load; fished at the top it will feel dead.
Check the line rating against your reel. A rod rated 6–12 lb on a reel published at 130 yd of 8 lb is a matched pair. Our reel page covers the other side.
Treat braid by diameter. Line ratings are quoted in mono. Fifteen-pound braid measures about the same as 4 lb mono, so it sits well inside a 6–12 lb rating despite the number. Our diameter chart has the figures.
Then read action separately. Power is how much force bends the blank; action is where it bends. They are independent, and our power and action page explains why a fast Medium and a moderate Medium fish completely differently.
What the chart cannot tell you
Rod weight. Almost nobody publishes it. Of every rod in the table above, only the St. Croix states a handle length and none state a blank weight.
How the ratings were arrived at. There is no industry standard test. Each maker sets its own, which is exactly why the four Medium rows disagree.
Whether you will like it. Two rods with identical published ratings can feel entirely different in the hand, and no chart fixes that.
So what do I actually buy?
If the chart points you at Medium, these are the three the site covers at that power, from toughest to most sensitive.
Ugly Stik GX2 Spinning Rod (7' Medium, 4-piece)
$59.956-15 lb and 1/8-5/8 oz, four-piece. The widest published window here.
#ad how this is funded · price as of October 12, 2026
Ugly Stik Elite Spinning Rod (7' Medium)
$84.956-14 lb and 1/4-5/8 oz with a stated 35% more graphite than the GX2.
#ad how this is funded · price as of October 12, 2026
Ugly Stik Carbon Spinning Rod (7' Medium)
$99.956-12 lb from a published 3/16 oz on a carbon blank. The most feel.
#ad how this is funded · price as of October 12, 2026
Questions people actually ask
What do the numbers on a fishing rod mean?
The line rating is the mono pound test the blank is built around, and the lure rating is the weight range it will load with. Both are printed just above the handle, and both matter more than the power word.
Are fishing rod power ratings standardized?
No. There is no industry standard test. Four rods labeled Medium in this chart publish line ratings from 6-12 lb to 6-15 lb and lure ratings starting anywhere from 1/8 to 1/4 oz.
Why is a casting rod rated for heavier line than a spinning rod?
Because it is used for heavier work. The same Ugly Stik GX2 family publishes 8-20 lb for a Medium casting rod and 6-15 lb for a Medium spinning rod.
Does the line rating apply to braid?
Not by the number. Ratings are quoted in monofilament, and braid is far thinner at the same strength — 15 lb braid measures about the same as 4 lb mono, so it sits comfortably inside a 6-12 lb rating.
Read next
Prices on this page come from the retailer at request time and change without notice. If we cannot get a live one we say “check price” rather than show you a number that has gone stale. How we pick.