Longnose Gar regulations in Virginia

· Freshwater · 2026 season

Is it a keeper? Longnose Gar has no size limit today, with a daily limit of 5.

Longnose Gar size limit, season and daily limit

Where	Season	Size limit	Daily limit
Virginia inland waters (statewide; special waters differ)	Open year-round	None	5 (1 during Apr 15 – Jun 30)

Notes

A 2026-10-31 check against the official source found a discrepancy in this species' aliases and notes. Read the official wording before keeping the fish: https://dwr.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/media/creel-and-length-limits.pdf

Exact Virginia Marine Resources Commission wording

Season: Open year-round
Size: None
Limit: July 1 to April 14: 5 per day; April 15 to June 30: 1 per day
Inland waters — as printed: “Longnose Gar and Bowfin: July 1 to April 14: 5 per day; April 15 to June 30: 1 per day”

Source: Virginia Marine Resources Commission, captured 2026-09-21 (2026 season).

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About the longnose gar

Species of fish

The longnose gar, also known as longnose garpike or billy gar, is a ray-finned fish in the family Lepisosteidae. The genus may have been present in North America for about 100 million years. References are made to gars being a primitive group of bony fish because they have retained some primitive features, such as a spiral valve intestine, but they are not primitive in the sense of not being fully developed.

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Regulations on this page come from Virginia Marine Resources Commission, not Wikipedia.

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Frequently asked

What is the size limit for Longnose Gar in Virginia?

None in Virginia state waters.

How many Longnose Gar can you keep per day in Virginia?

5 (1 during Apr 15 – Jun 30).

When is Longnose Gar season in Virginia?

Open year-round.

Is my Longnose Gar a keeper today?

Longnose Gar has no size limit today, with a daily limit of 5.