SPOTTED GAR Lepisosteus oculatus


12". Buffalo Bayou @ Hwy 6, Harris County


13". Buffalo Bayou @ Hwy 6, Harris County


8" specimen collected 1.0 mile south Jct. cr 185 on Rt. 3090, Grimes County





Four shots of a specimen from Buffalo Bayou @ Hwy 6, Harris County. The first three were taken at 4" length. The fourth picture taken at 10"

Spotted gar are by far the most common gar in the Houston area. The best spot I've found for collecting them is Buffalo Bayou at Hwy 6. At that location is a spillway from Barker Reservoir; plus two canals are confluent with the bayou a few hundred feet downstream. Where these canals enter the bayou I once caught four adults with one throw of a cast net. Another time I caught three in one throw. They tend to leave the area quickly after the disturbance of cast net throwing commences and the first throw is usually the most productive. The best conditions are when the water level is high. Prior to netting I've watching for a couple minutes and it's easy to these gar milling about at the surface.

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© Dan Johnson 2006