Many economically important fish have a long sexual maturation cycle, with the first sexual maturation time exceeding four years, which poses a long-term challenge for the cultivation of excellent varieties of these fish. Gonadal development and reproductive timing of fish are closely related to changes in environmental temperature. This study used the common carp as an economic fish model and set up three aquaculture modes for a one-month old common carp population: constant temperature test group (CTTG), normal temperature control group (NTCG), and variable temperature control group (VTCG). A long-term (approximately 11 months), temperature-controlled aquaculture experiment was conducted. The results of growth traits and gonadal development tests showed that at 10 months, the body length and weight of the CTTG were significantly higher than those of the other two groups. At seven months, the gonadosomatic index (GSI) value of CTTG was also significantly higher than that of the other two groups; At 10 months, the serum estradiol (E2) concentration of CTTG was significantly higher than that of the other two groups, while the testosterone (T) levels of VTCG and CTTG were significantly higher than those of NTCG, and only the 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT) concentration of VTCG was significantly higher than that of the other two groups. Simultaneously, qPCR analysis of sex hormone regulatory genes revealed that the expression of Cyp19a1a in CTTG ovaries was significantly higher than that in NTCG and VTCG ovaries, whereas the expression of Cyp11b and Hsd11b2 in VTCG ovaries was significantly higher than that in NTCG and CTTG ovaries. At 12 months, artificial reproduction revealed that only fish from the CTTG (66.67%) successfully laid eggs and fertilized normally. The results indicate that long-term constant temperature cultivation at 28 °C starting from the juvenile stage is not only beneficial for the body growth of common carp, but also promotes their gonadal development. This may be due to the conversion of T into E2 by Cyp19a1a in the common carp, ultimately facilitating the functional development of gonadal tissue under hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis regulation, normal egg laying, and fertilization. This study reduced the normal first sexual maturation time of common carp by at least 50% and provides a reference for the rapid cultivation of excellent varieties of other economically important fishes. Display omitted •Common carp has a high yield and is an ideal model for the Cyprinidae family.•Constant temperature aquaculture promote the gonadal development of common carp.•This method reduced the sexual maturation time of common carp by at least 50%.•This method can be directly used for rapid cultivation of excellent varieties.