Shortnose Gar
Shortnose Gar are native to Louisiana's waters and are primitive freshwater fish with a distinctive prehistoric appearance. They are efficient ambush predators that are opportunistic feeders.
Scientific Name: Lepisosteus platostomus
- Elongated, torpedo-like bodies covered in interlocking rhomboidal ganoid scales.
- They typically reach 24-35 inches in length and weigh 5-6 pounds, though they can grow up to 88cm.
- Distinguished from other gar species by their shorter, broader snout (about 5.5 times as long as its narrowest width) and lack of the alligator gar's double row of teeth or spotted gar's distinctive markings.
Fishing in Louisiana
Red River
Lake Chicot
Mississippi River
Ouachita River
Kincaid Reservoir
Indian Creek Reservoir
Lake Buhlow
Cotile Lake
Lake Iatt
Calcasieu River
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- Inhabiting the Mississippi River basin and coastal areas including the Calcasieu and Mermentau rivers along Louisiana's Gulf Coast.
Key Locations
- Mississippi River basin and coastal areas including the Calcasieu and Mermentau rivers along Louisiana's Gulf Coast.
- Oxbow lakes like those off the Mississippi River.
Specific Spots
- Target calm backwater areas of rivers, oxbow lakes, bayous, and large quiet pools with vegetation or submerged logs.
- They inhabit calm waters in large rivers and backwaters, oxbow lakes, bayous, and large pools, typically around vegetation and submerged logs.
Shortnose Gar FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What flies work for Shortnose Gar in Louisiana?
Clouser's Swimming Nymph in olive or orange with extra flash, damsel fly nymphs for weedy areas, weightless Woolly Buggers, Crazy Charlies, and terrestrial patterns like beetles and grasshoppers. Downsize your patterns contrary to conventional wisdom - small flies often outperform large ones.
When is the best time to fish for Shortnose Gar in Louisiana?
The best time to target Shortnose Gar is during the hot summer months of July and August when water temperatures are 70-90°F and fish are most active, with peak activity from late May through September.
How do you catch Shortnose Gar in Louisiana?
Focus on precise fly placement just ahead of the fish's eye in its strike zone. Strip set firmly when the fish takes, as penetrating their bony mouths requires significant force. Be patient with the retrieve - let the fish hold and manipulate the bait before setting the hook.
What do Shortnose Gar eat?
Diverse diet consisting primarily of fish, but they consume more invertebrates than any other gar species, including crayfish, insects, and small crustaceans. Young gar feed on insect larvae and zooplankton until reaching 1.25 inches, when fish enter their diet.
Where do Shortnose Gar live in Louisiana?
Inhabiting the Mississippi River basin and coastal areas including the Calcasieu and Mermentau rivers along Louisiana's Gulf Coast.
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