RIVER FISH · Quiet water & backwaters
Longnose gar
Lepisosteus osseus
A primitive-looking native fish with a long beak-like snout and armored scales, often cruising quiet vegetated water.
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Meet the fish
- Habitat
- Weedy quiet lakes, streams, backwaters, large creeks and shallow mud flats.
- On the menu
- Primarily small fish, along with crustaceans and other aquatic prey.
- Size context
- Longnose gar are elongated large-bodied fish; adults can reach several feet in length in productive systems.
- Range & local context
- Widely native across eastern and central North America in Atlantic, Great Lakes and Mississippi-connected drainages.
Living with the river
Water & habitat
Backwater access, temperature and shallow habitat can matter more than the main river's center-channel discharge.
Seasonal life
Spawning occurs in warmer shallow water, often around vegetation or flooded shoreline habitat.
Before you go
Gar are native predators in much of their range. Regulations and harvest attitudes vary by state; identify the species correctly before acting.
Use the linked agencies and the relevant river guide for current regulations, closures and consumption advisories. A species profile is not a fishing license or a statement that harvest is allowed.
Editorial review: . Regional size examples are labeled; maximum lengths are not typical sizes.
More river fish
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