Spotted Gar Fishing Guide, 27 Best-Graded Lakes

Spotted Gar is a rough-fish species — typically common in productive, nutrient-rich lakes, sometimes treated as a management nuisance by anglers targeting game-fish. 27 lakes carry documentation. Spotted Gar is narrowly distributed — only 27 lakes in Michigan 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 Spotted Gar lake list below against the letter grades: lakes with both an A or B grade and Spotted Gar documented are the best places to start for recreational targeting.

Total Lakes

Michigan lakes →

Avg. Grade

54 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Spotted Gar Lakes

11%

Best Spotted Gar Lakes by Water Quality

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

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Duck Lake	Muskegon	MI	A	-	22
2	Round Lake	Benzie	MI	A	-	37
3	Sugarloaf Lake	Washtenaw	MI	A	10 ft	2
4	North Pond	Chippewa	MI	C	-	11
5	South Pond	Chippewa	MI	D	-	6
6	Round Lake	Shiawassee	MI	D	-	37
7	Silver Lake	Cheboygan	MI	NR	-	15
8	Long Lake	Gogebic	MI	NR	60 ft	40
9	Silver Lake	Van Buren	MI	NR	-	15
10	Shavehead Lake	Cass	MI	NR	70 ft	26
11	Duck Lake	Calhoun	MI	NR	50 ft	2
12	Silver Lake	Cheboygan	MI	NR	-	15
13	Long Lake	Grand Traverse	MI	NR	88 ft	40
14	Round Lake	Oakland	MI	NR	15 ft	37
15	Round Lake	Oakland	MI	NR	-	37
16	Long Lake	Benzie	MI	NR	-	40
17	Silver Lake	Genesee	MI	NR	-	15
18	South Lake	Lenawee	MI	NR	-	6
19	Lake of the Woods	Branch	MI	NR	70 ft	16
20	Silver Lake	Lenawee	MI	NR	26 ft	15
21	Silver Lake	Washtenaw	MI	NR	-	15
22	Round Lake	Shiawassee	MI	NR	-	37
23	Silver Lake	Cheboygan	MI	NR	91 ft	15
24	Long Lake	Cheboygan	MI	NR	61 ft	40
25	Round Lake	Kent	MI	NR	-	37
26	Duck Lake	Muskegon	MI	NR	-	22
27	Lehr Lake	Branch	MI	NR	-	9

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have spotted gar?

Spotted Gar are found in 27 graded lakes: 27 in Michigan. The average water quality grade of lakes with spotted gar is B (Good).

What are the best lakes for spotted gar?

The best spotted gar lakes by water quality are Duck Lake, Round Lake, Sugarloaf Lake, North Pond, South Pond. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where spotted gar have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with spotted gar?

Spotted Gar are most commonly found alongside spotted gar, pumpkinseed, bluegill, bluntnose minnow, yellow perch. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Spotted Gar Lakes

Pumpkinseed Lakes

Found together in 24 lakes · 1,328 total

Bluegill Lakes

Found together in 23 lakes · 1,550 total

Bluntnose Minnow Lakes

Found together in 23 lakes · 160 total

Yellow Perch Lakes

Found together in 23 lakes · 1,577 total

Largemouth Bass Lakes

Found together in 22 lakes · 2,489 total

Green Sunfish Lakes

Found together in 22 lakes · 753 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.