Longnose Gar Fishing Guide

Other SpeciesDocumented in 55 graded lakes across 2 states

Longnose Gar is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 55 lakes carry documentation. Longnose Gar is narrowly distributed — only 43 lakes in Michigan and 12 in Minnesota have a documented record. The constraint is usually habitat: cold water, specific depth profile, or river connection.

Rough-fish-dominant lakes are worth checking the grade on: a rough-fish-heavy fishery often reflects an underlying nutrient-loading problem in the watershed. Cross-reference the Longnose Gar lake list below against the letter grades: lakes with both an A or B grade and Longnose Gar documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

Michigan lakes →

Minnesota lakes →

Avg. Grade

62 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Longnose Gar Lakes

13%

Best Longnose Gar Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with longnose gar ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Ten Mile Lake	Otter Tail	MN	A	51 ft	19
2	Upper Herring Lake; Central Basin; Blaine Township	Benzie	MI	A	-	18
3	Whitefish Lake Southeast Basin; Pierson Township	Montcalm	MI	A	-	21
4	Round Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	37
5	Round Lake Central Basin	Lenawee	MI	A	-	25
6	Houghton Lake	Roscommon	MI	A	-	6
7	Long Lake	Gogebic	MI	A	-	40
8	Lake St Croix	Pierce	MN	B	78 ft	36
9	Stalker Lake	Otter Tail	MN	B	95 ft	17
10	Pool	Washington	MN	B	78 ft	36
11	Portage Lake South Basin; Dexter Township	Washtenaw	MI	B	-	26
12	Crooked Lake	Emmet	MI	B	-	26
13	Pool of Lake St Croix	Washington	MN	C	78 ft	36
14	Round Lake	Shiawassee	MI	D	-	37
15	Mazaska Lake	Rice	MN	F	50 ft	17
16	German Lake	Le Sueur	MN	F	51 ft	19
17	Winona Lake	Winona	MN	F	38 ft	24
18	Unnamed Lake	Otter Tail	MN	NR	95 ft	17
19	Barrett Lake	Grant	MN	NR	28 ft	23
20	Pepin Lake	Pepin	MN	NR	60 ft	47
21	Lake Jefferson	Le Sueur	MN	NR	37 ft	18
22	Long Lake	Cass	MI	NR	-	25
23	Chippewa Lake	Mecosta	MI	NR	-	21
24	Middle Lake	Lapeer	MI	NR	-	20
25	Clark Lake	Livingston	MI	NR	-	20
26	Eagle Lake	Cass	MI	NR	-	22
27	Whitefish Lake	Montcalm	MI	NR	-	21
28	Round Lake	Mecosta	MI	NR	-	37
29	Pickerel Lake	Kalkaska	MI	NR	-	29
30	Eagle Lake	Allegan	MI	NR	-	30
31	Long Lake	Gogebic	MI	NR	-	40
32	Union Lake	Branch	MI	NR	-	22
33	Round Lake	Shiawassee	MI	NR	-	37
34	Upper Herring Lake	Benzie	MI	NR	-	18
35	Round Lake	Oakland	MI	NR	-	37
36	Long Lake	Benzie	MI	NR	-	40
37	Gun Lake	Mason	MI	NR	-	17
38	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	MI	NR	-	40
39	Pleasant Lake	Wexford	MI	NR	-	11
40	Round Lake	Benzie	MI	NR	-	37
41	Crooked Lake	Barry	MI	NR	-	27
42	Diamond Lake	Osceola	MI	NR	-	25
43	Devils Lake	Lenawee	MI	NR	-	27
44	Burt Lake	Cheboygan	MI	NR	-	33
45	Baldwin Lake Northwest Basin	Cass	MI	NR	-	25
46	Pleasant Lake	Oakland	MI	NR	-	11
47	Long Lake	Cheboygan	MI	NR	-	40
48	Pickerel Lake	Emmet	MI	NR	-	22
49	Elk Lake	Antrim	MI	NR	-	27
50	Round Lake	Kent	MI	NR	-	37

Showing top 50 of 55 lakes with longnose gar.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have longnose gar?

Longnose Gar are found in 55 graded lakes: 43 in Michigan, 12 in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of lakes with longnose gar is B (Good).

What are the best lakes for longnose gar?

The best longnose gar lakes by water quality are Ten Mile Lake, Upper Herring Lake; Central Basin; Blaine Township, Whitefish Lake Southeast Basin; Pierson Township, Round Lake, Round Lake Central Basin. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where longnose gar have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with longnose gar?

Longnose Gar are most commonly found alongside longnose gar, bluntnose minnow, bluegill, yellow perch, western banded killifish. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Longnose Gar Lakes

Bluntnose Minnow Lakes

Found together in 42 lakes · 168 total

Bluegill Lakes

Found together in 41 lakes · 1,601 total

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 40 lakes · 1,631 total

Western Banded Killifish Lakes

Found together in 38 lakes · 114 total

Rock Bass Lakes

Found together in 37 lakes · 824 total

Largemouth Bass Lakes

Found together in 37 lakes · 2,593 total

Fish species from state agency survey, stocking, and public fishing-access records; water-quality grades from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys. Species profiles are general reference; always check current state regulations before fishing.