THE RPTR RAN OUT OF FUEL WITH GAUGE READING 3 QUARTERS FULL AND AFTER HAVING VISUALLY CHKED THE QUANTITY IN THE TANK SUBSEQUENT TO 45 MINS FLYING.

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PRIOR TO DEPARTING PETALUMA ARPT; I PERFORMED A NORMAL PREFLT INSPECTION INCLUDING VISUALLY LOOKING INSIDE FUEL TANK AND OBSERVING FUEL GAUGE INDICATION WHICH WAS 3/4 FULL. APPROX 45 MINS AFTER DEP; WITH THE FUEL GAUGE STILL INDICATING 3/4 FULL THE ENG QUIT DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. THE ACFT; A LAKE LA4; HAS ONLY 1 40-GALLON TANK AND SUBSEQUENT TO MY LNDG; I PUMPED 39.2 GALLONS OF FUEL INTO IT. AFTER THE ENG FAILED AT 3000 FT AND 2 OR 3 MI FROM THE NEAREST ARPT (GNOSS FIELD); I MANAGED TO EXECUTE AN EMER LNDG ON THE RWY AT GNOSS AND EXIT THE RWY ONTO THE TXWY BEFORE THE PLANE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE EMER LNDG CAUSED NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES. I CREDIT MY TRAINING IN EMER PROCS AS THE ONLY THING THAT KEPT THIS FROM BECOMING A DISASTER. I WAS ABLE TO GLIDE TO THE RWY; EXTEND MY LNDG GEAR WHEN I WAS CLOSE AND CONFIGURE THE AIRPLANE FOR LNDG AND EXECUTE A SAFE EMER LNDG. THIS DOES NOT MAKE UP FOR MY INITIAL ERROR OF NOT BEING MORE VIGILANT IN ASSURING THAT I HAD ENOUGH FUEL ON BOARD TO SAFELY COMPLETE THE FLT. IT MIGHT ALSO BE A GOOD IDEA TO FIND OUT HOW OFTEN FUEL GAUGES GIVE FALSE INDICATIONS OF FUEL AMOUNTS. I PLAN ON HAVING MY FUEL GAUGE AND SYS CHKED IMMEDIATELY.