An Official Website of the Commonwealth of Kentucky
Gars are an ancient group of fishes that belong to the Family Lepisostidae. There are four species of gar in Kentucky: Alligator Gar, Longnose Gar, Shortnose Gar, and Spotted Gar. They occur in a variety of habitats, although they are usually associated with large bodies of water such as rivers and reservoirs. More...
The Lake Sturgeon is considered critically imperiled in Kentucky. Historically, its native range included the entire Great Lakes and Mississippi River drainage. Most populations in the Ohio River and middle Mississippi River drainages have been drastically reduced or eliminated due to overfishing, pollution, habitat destruction, and impoundment of larger rivers. More...
The Alligator Gar (Atractosteus spathula) is the largest of the living gars and one of the largest freshwater fishes in North America. These fish are capable of reaching lengths of over 9 feet and weights of over 300 lbs. The largest reported size of an Alligator Gar is 9 feet, 8 inches. This specimen weighed approximately 302 lbs. Its native range once occurred from the Florida panhandle west into the Gulf Coastal Plain to Veracruz, Mexico and throughout the Mississippi River Basin, including the lowermost Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers. More...