Longnose Gar

Habitat Distribution

• Native to eastern Canada — present in the Ottawa River, St. Lawrence River, Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Huron, and Lake Michigan; absent from Lake Superior.
• Healthy populations exist in Quebec along the St. Lawrence corridor and throughout much of southern Ontario.
• Prefer large rivers, connected backwaters, and the weedy shallows of lakes — slow to moderate current with abundant aquatic vegetation.
• Tolerant of low-oxygen conditions thanks to a modified swim bladder that lets them gulp air at the surface, which allows them to thrive in warm, weedy bays where other species struggle.

Key Locations

• Ottawa River (Eastern Ontario/Quebec border) — home to Canada's largest documented longnose gar, with multiple fish over 16 lbs recorded; the back bays and weedy shallows are prime sight-fishing water in late spring and summer.
• St. Lawrence River — healthy gar populations along the Quebec corridor and the upper river near the Ontario border.
• Lake Erie and Lake Huron shallows — weedy bays and connected backwaters hold fish through the warm months; less targeted here than on the Ottawa but present in good numbers.
• Lake Ontario nearshore bays — gar use the weedy, warmer shallows of the north shore, particularly in areas with slow-moving tributary mouths.

Specific Spots

• Shallow, sun-warmed bays with emergent or submerged weed growth — gar cruise these areas actively hunting baitfish schools and are visible from the surface.
• Back eddies and slow pools just downstream of current breaks in large rivers like the Ottawa; they hold in calmer water adjacent to flow rather than fighting the main current.
• Weedy shoreline margins in the Great Lakes bays, especially where reeds or lily pads meet open water — gar use the edge as a hunting lane.
• Surface-oriented fish: look up, not down. On calm, sunny days they're visible as dark shadows just below the surface, often motionless before moving.