longnose gar Lakes in Minnesota, Wisconsin & Michigan

Other SpeciesFound in 13 lakes

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. 13 lakes carry documentation. longnose gar is narrowly distributed — only 13 lakes 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 LakeGrade rubric: lakes with both an A or B grade and longnose gar documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

Minnesota lakes →

Avg. Grade

63 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of longnose gar Lakes

23%

32%

29%

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

Showing top 50 of 56 lakes with longnose gar.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have longnose gar?

longnose gar are found in 13 graded lakes: 13 in Minnesota. The average water quality grade of lakes with longnose gar is C (Fair).

What are the best lakes for longnose gar?

The best longnose gar lakes by water quality are Unnamed Lake, Whitefish Lake Southeast Basin; Pierson Township, Whitefish Lake, Pickerel Lake, Round Lake. 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 · 171 total

Bluegill Lakes

Found together in 41 lakes · 240 total

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 40 lakes · 113 total

Western banded killifish Lakes

Found together in 38 lakes · 116 total

Largemouth bass Lakes

Found together in 37 lakes · 172 total

Rock bass Lakes

Found together in 37 lakes · 117 total

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.