Carl Ludwig Koch (21 September 1778 – 23 August 1857) was a German entomologist and arachnologist.

He was born in Kusel in the Holy Roman Empire, and died in Nuremberg, Germany.

His principal work Die Arachniden (1831–1848) (16 volumes) was commenced by Carl Wilhelm Hahn (1786–1836).

He also co-authored, with Georg Karl Berendt, an important monograph Die im Bernstein befindlichen Myriapoden, Arachniden und Apteren der Vorwelt (1854) on arachnids, myriapods, and wingless insects in amber based on material in Berendt's collection, now held in the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin.

He is not to be confused with his son, Ludwig Carl Christian Koch (1825–1908), who also became a well-known entomologist.