Experiments on the flow around stationary circular cylinders with very low aspect ratio piercing the water free surface were carried out in a recirculating water channel. Eight different aspect ratios were tested, namely L/D=0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0; no end-plates were employed. Forces were measured using a six degree-of-freedom load cell and the Strouhal number was inferred through the transverse force fluctuation frequency. The range of Reynolds number covered 10000<Re<50000. PIV measurements were performed in some aspect ratio cases, namely L/D=0.3, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 for Reynolds number equal to 43000. The results showed a decrease in drag force coefficients with decreasing aspect ratio, as well as a decrease in Strouhal number with decreasing aspect ratio. The PIV measurements and the PSD of forces showed different behavior for cylinders with L/D≤0.5, in which cases the free-end effects were predominant. Even without von Kármán street main characteristics around the majority length of the cylinder, in the range of 0.2<L/D≤0.5, the vortex shedding around it is capable of producing alternating forces in the transverse direction. Therefore, alternating forces were not observed in the transverse direction for cylinders with L/D≤0.2.