Longnose Gar fishing
Lepisosteus osseus. Extremely long, slender snout, its width at the narrowest point going about 15 to 20 times into its length.
Longnose Gar fishing uses a frayed nylon rope lure or live baitfish, during the day. Longnose gar do not appear in any state's stocking data this site tracks.
Published by Fishypedia · Sources last checked October 5, 2026
Drafted by AI from the cited sources and checked before publishing.
- Active times
- Day
- Line
- –
- Hook sizes
- –
- Stocked in
- 0 states
Identification
- Extremely long, slender snout, its width at the narrowest point going about 15 to 20 times into its length.
- Its shorter-snouted look-alikes, shortnose and spotted gar, share its waters; spotted gar also has spots on its head.
- Elongated, cylindrical body armored in hard, diamond-shaped, non-overlapping ganoid scales.
- Olive-brown above fading to white on the belly, with dark round spots on the tail and rear fins.
- Most adults run 2 to 4 feet long; Indiana DNR records fish reaching about 6.5 feet.
Sources: mdc.mo.gov, accessed September 23, 2026 , in.gov, accessed September 23, 2026 , wvdnr.gov, accessed September 23, 2026
Top lures
No hook needed: cast near a surfaced fish and retrieve with a pumping action a few feet under the surface.
Cast to gar cruising or basking near the surface in shallow, weedy water; caught New York's 2024 record longnose gar.
Sources: mdc.mo.gov, accessed September 23, 2026 , in.gov, accessed September 23, 2026 , wvdnr.gov, accessed September 23, 2026 , dec.ny.gov, accessed September 23, 2026
Top baits
Cut fish bait suspended near cover in the slow pools and backwaters gar use to ambush prey.
Sources: mdc.mo.gov, accessed September 23, 2026 , in.gov, accessed September 23, 2026
Line & tackle
- Rod power
- Indiana DNR describes a snare rig, a hook centered in a thin wire loop that closes around the gar's mouth, as one of several methods developed to catch gar.
Sources: in.gov, accessed October 5, 2026
Depth by season
Spring
Spawns over gravel shallows along windswept shorelines and rocky points as water nears 68 F.
Summer
Congregates in schools in reservoirs and deep river pools; can be seen breaking the surface to gulp air.
Fall
Continues the mid-summer surface-gulping ('porpoising') pattern into early fall, per Missouri's Department of Conservation.
Sources: in.gov, accessed September 23, 2026 , mdc.mo.gov, accessed September 23, 2026
Stocked behavior
Longnose gar do not appear in any state's stocking data this site tracks. Indiana's Division of Fish and Wildlife describes gar as an ancient, native fish lineage dating back to the Cretaceous period that is "not stocked or managed by the state," reproducing on its own each spring.
Sources: in.gov, accessed September 23, 2026
Common mistakes
- Relying on a standard hook and treble-hook lures; there is next to nothing in a gar's beak to set a hook into, so few are hooked and landed.
- A gar that grabs a rope lure is held by the nylon filaments tangling in its teeth and around its jaws.
Where it's stocked
No stocking events recorded for Longnose Gar yet.
State records
| State | Weight | Angler | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 15 lbs. 14 oz. | Chuck Zimmerman | Butterfield Lake, Jefferson Co. | 2024 |
| Wisconsin | 21 lbs. 4 oz. | – | Wisconsin River, Richland County | 1990 |
Common questions
What lures work for Longnose Gar?
Frayed nylon rope lure: No hook needed: cast near a surfaced fish and retrieve with a pumping action a few feet under the surface. Topwater swimbait, a soft plastic: Cast to gar cruising or basking near the surface in shallow, weedy water; caught New York's 2024 record longnose gar. Wire-loop snare.
What bait works for Longnose Gar?
Live baitfish (shiners, small perch). Cut fish bait: Cut fish bait suspended near cover in the slow pools and backwaters gar use to ambush prey.
Where do Longnose Gar hold?
Spring: Spawns over gravel shallows along windswept shorelines and rocky points as water nears 68 F. Summer: Congregates in schools in reservoirs and deep river pools; can be seen breaking the surface to gulp air. Fall: Continues the mid-summer surface-gulping ('porpoising') pattern into early fall, per Missouri's Department of Conservation.
How big do Longnose Gar get?
The New York record is 15 lbs. 14 oz. from Butterfield Lake, Jefferson Co. in 2024. The Wisconsin record is 21 lbs. 4 oz. from Wisconsin River, Richland County in 1990.