In this study we have investigated cathodoluminescence (CL) and structural properties of thin film $ZnGa_2O_4:Mn$ oxide phosphor by using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), photoluminescence (PL), and cathodoluminescence. PL emission peaked at 506 nm was observed from the $ZnGa_2O_4:Mn$ phosphor target and it was attributed to the $^4T_1-^6A_1$ transition in $Mn^{2+}$ ion. The color coordinates of the emission were x = 0.09 and y = 0.67. The $ZnGa_2O_4:Mn$ films showed the excitation spectrum peaked at 294 nm by $Mn^{2+}$ ion absorption. It was found that the higher intensity of CL emission at 505 nm appears to result from the denser and closely-packed structure in $ZnGa_2O_4:Mn$ phosphor films deposited at lower pressures. The CL intensity did not show any systematic dependence on film surface roughness.