Longnose Gar Fishing Guide: 51 Lakes by Water Quality

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. 51 lakes carry documentation. Longnose Gar is narrowly distributed — only 39 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 phosphorus and chlorophyll-a readings 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 each lake's clarity, phosphorus and algae readings: lakes with low nutrient readings and Longnose Gar documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

Michigan lakes →

Minnesota lakes →

57 ft

Avg. Depth

Best Longnose Gar Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with longnose gar, ranked on nutrient and algae readings.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Depth	Species
1	Ten Mile Lake	Otter Tail	MN	51 ft	19
2	Round Lake	Lenawee	MI	67 ft	25
3	Whitefish Lake	Montcalm	MI	-	21
4	Round Lake	Benzie	MI	-	37
5	Houghton Lake	Roscommon	MI	21 ft	6
6	Crooked Lake	Emmet	MI	50 ft	26
7	Lake St Croix	Pierce	MN	78 ft	36
8	Stalker Lake	Otter Tail	MN	95 ft	17
9	Pool	Washington	MN	78 ft	36
10	Pleasant Lake	Oakland	MI	-	11
11	Pool of Lake St Croix	Washington	MN	78 ft	36
12	Round Lake	Shiawassee	MI	-	37
13	Mazaska Lake	Rice	MN	50 ft	17
14	German Lake	Le Sueur	MN	51 ft	19
15	Winona Lake	Winona	MN	38 ft	24
16	Unnamed Lake	Otter Tail	MN	95 ft	17
17	Barrett Lake	Grant	MN	28 ft	23
18	Pepin Lake	Pepin	MN	60 ft	47
19	Lake Jefferson	Le Sueur	MN	37 ft	18
20	Lake Bellaire	Antrim	MI	95 ft	22
21	Crooked Lake	Barry	MI	-	27
22	Long Lake	Gogebic	MI	60 ft	40
23	Chippewa Lake	Mecosta	MI	40 ft	21
24	Pleasant Lake	Wexford	MI	10 ft	11
25	Clark Lake	Jackson	MI	50 ft	19
26	Eagle Lake	Cass	MI	35 ft	22
27	Pickerel Lake	Kalkaska	MI	72 ft	29
28	Eagle Lake	Allegan	MI	-	30
29	Upper Herring Lake	Benzie	MI	25 ft	18
30	Jordan Lake	Barry	MI	-	23
31	Portage Lake	Jackson	MI	40 ft	34
32	Crooked Lake	Oakland	MI	60 ft	27
33	Middle Lake	Lapeer	MI	-	20
34	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	MI	88 ft	40
35	Round Lake	Oakland	MI	15 ft	37
36	Round Lake	Oakland	MI	-	37
37	Long Lake	Benzie	MI	-	40
38	Clark Lake	Livingston	MI	40 ft	20
39	Baldwin Lake	Cass	MI	-	25
40	Long Lake	Cass	MI	42 ft	25
41	Diamond Lake	Newaygo	MI	25 ft	25
42	Baldwins Lake	Cass	MI	55 ft	33
43	Union Lake	Branch	MI	-	22
44	Round Lake	Shiawassee	MI	-	37
45	Diamond Lake	Osceola	MI	60 ft	25
46	Burt Lake	Cheboygan	MI	73 ft	33
47	Long Lake	Cheboygan	MI	61 ft	40
48	Pickerel Lake	Emmet	MI	74 ft	22
49	Elk Lake	Antrim	MI	150 ft	27
50	Round Lake	Kent	MI	-	37

Showing top 50 of 51 lakes with longnose gar.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have longnose gar?

Longnose Gar are documented in 51 lakes: 39 in Michigan, 12 in Minnesota.

What are the best lakes for longnose gar?

The best longnose gar lakes by water quality are Ten Mile Lake, Round Lake, Whitefish Lake, Round Lake, Houghton Lake. These lakes carry the lowest nutrient and algae readings 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, bluegill, bluntnose minnow, yellow perch, largemouth bass. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Longnose Gar Lakes

Bluegill Lakes

Found together in 38 lakes · 1,550 total

Bluntnose Minnow Lakes

Found together in 38 lakes · 160 total

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 37 lakes · 1,577 total

Largemouth Bass Lakes

Found together in 35 lakes · 2,489 total

Western Banded Killifish Lakes

Found together in 34 lakes · 100 total

Rock Bass Lakes

Found together in 33 lakes · 786 total

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