<p>Starch is widely used in aquaculture as an economical energy source; however, low utilization and adverse response to carbohydrates in carnivorous fish limit the potential of the industry. This study investigated the long-term dynamic effects of feeding high-starch diets on the growth and metabolic liver disease of typical carnivorous fish, as well as the potential gut microbiota markers associated with them. We fed largemouth bass (<i>Micropterus salmoides</i>) with isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets containing 6%, 10%, 14%, 18%, and 22% starch for 8&#xa0;weeks, and samples were taken once a week. The results show that the optimal dietary starch content for largemouth bass was 7.53%. Dietary high starch (&gt; 14%) significantly reduced the survival rate and weight gain rate but elevated the viscera somatic index and hepatosomatic index. Plasma alanine aminotransferase and glutaminase levels, along with semi-quantitative scores of liver tissue pathological sections, indicated that the liver first underwent steatosis at week 5, followed by ballooning degeneration, inflammation, and fibrosis at week 6 that persisted until week 8. High-starch diets induced disorders of glycolipid metabolism and oxidative stress in the middle stage and multiple proliferations of liver collagen fibers in the late stage. Spearman correlation analysis showed that <i>Lactococcus</i> and <i>Kluyvera</i> were positively and <i>Sphingomonas</i> negatively correlated with liver damage indices. Dietary high-starch (&gt; 14%)–induced liver damage in largemouth bass is a time-dependent dynamic process accompanied by oxidative stress, disruption of glycolipid metabolism, and fibrosis. This study contributes to providing a theoretical basis for the development of high-carbohydrate feeds for carnivorous fish.</p>