What’s the Biggest Alligator Ever Found in the Mississippi River?

The Mississippi River is the largest river in the U.S. by volume and the second-longest. If the lengths of its tributaries, the Missouri and Ohio Rivers, are included, the Mississippi becomes the third largest river system in the world. The river spans over 2,300 miles, running through or bordering ten states before emptying into the Gulf of America. The mighty Mississippi River and its floodplain sustain a wide variety of wildlife, including over 50 mammal species, at least 260 fish species, 326 bird species, and over 145 reptile species, including alligators. Keep reading to learn more about alligators in the Mississippi and find out just how big the biggest gator ever found in the Mississippi River is.

Where Do Alligators Live in the Mississippi River?

American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) are found throughout the southeastern U.S., including Florida, Mississippi, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, South Carolina, and parts of Oklahoma, North Carolina, and Tennessee. The highest number of alligators in the country is found in Florida and Louisiana, with over a million wild alligators in each state.

Alligators can be found in many different freshwater habitats, including ponds, marshes, swamps, bayous, lakes, canals, streams, and rivers. They can also sometimes be found in brackish water. Alligators prefer murky water for ambush hunting. The Mississippi River is naturally murky due to large amounts of sediment in the water, including silt, clay, and sand. So, the Mississippi River and the river delta are perfect habitats for gators. Alligators can be found in the Mississippi River from the Louisiana-Mississippi border northward to Arkansas and Tennessee.

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks estimates that there are around 32,000 to 38,000 alligators in the state. Most of these gators are concentrated in the Mississippi Delta and in the areas along the Mississippi River. There are no specific population estimates for alligators living in the Mississippi River within Louisiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee.

How Big Do Alligators Normally Get?

Adult male alligators can measure up to 15 feet in length. However, few exceed 13 feet, and most are around 10-11 feet. Large females may reach 10 feet in length, but they usually only grow 8-9 feet. Females are considered mature when they reach 6 feet long.

Male alligators typically weigh 500 pounds or more, with some exceptionally large individuals reaching up to 1,000 pounds. Large females can weigh over 200 pounds, but most are between 100 and 200 pounds.

The Biggest Alligator Ever Found in the Mississippi River

There have been a number of large alligators caught in the Mississippi River. However, the record for the biggest gator ever caught was 13 feet and one-half inch long and weighed 822 pounds. Hunter Clayton Gibson caught the gator in the Mississippi River near Natchez, Mississippi in 2015. Gibson used a rod and reel and a snatch hook to capture and subdue the massive gator.

After battling the beast for over an hour, the party was able to pull the gator to the side of the boat. However, the gator resisted by slamming its head against the side of the boat and biting a chunk out of the splash rail. After dispatching the alligator, the party found its head was too heavy to hold up, indicating their gator was something out of the ordinary. A decade later, Gibson still holds the record for the heaviest alligator ever taken in Mississippi.

Other Contenders for the Biggest Alligator Ever Found in the Mississippi River

The longest gator ever caught in the Mississippi River was also the previous Mississippi record-holder for weight. In 2013, Vicksburg resident Dustin Brockman, his brother, and a friend caught a gator that measured 13 feet and 4.5 inches and weighed 727 pounds. The hunters pursued the alligator by motorboat along the Mississippi River for two hours. They eventually got close enough to hook it with a crossbow, leading to a two-hour struggle before they could dispatch it with a shotgun. The party finally killed the alligator around 4 a.m., but had to wait until 6:30 a.m. to call friends for help. It took four hours to load the massive gator into the boat.

Another notable gator caught in the Mississippi River was taken by Jim White, of Ventress, Louisiana in 2013. White was alligator hunting on Solitude Point, a cape surrounded by the Mississippi River, when he spotted a gator basking on the riverbank. He was able to get a clean shot, but the gator submerged again. After watching the water for signs of the gator, it finally surfaced, allowing White to terminate it. White called his brother-in-law for assistance. The men had to bring a tractor with a front-end loader to get the alligator in White’s boat. The gigantic beast measured 13 feet and 4 inches and weighed 760 pounds.