With today’s technology, there is an app for everything, so why should fishing be excluded from this list?

You may wonder why you would need a fishing app, so we’re here to answer that for you, along with many other questions you may have, including, “What is the best fishing app?”

We have compiled a list of the best fishing apps available to download to your device with a brief summary of each app. At the end of this article, you will know exactly which fishing app you should download to help improve your day on the water.

ANGLR

ANGLR

The ANGLR fishing app is first on our list for its multitude of features.

GPS Tracking

As soon as you start the application, the ANGLR app will automatically capture your real-time GPS location. This allows you to know where you’re going by knowing where you’ve been. You can find new locations and map out old locations that you have been but will want to return to later.

Weather Conditions

As you know, all too well, a day on the lake can be cut short by a thunderstorm, and the ANGLR app understands this. That is why they have included a built-in weather tracking system that will monitor minute-by-minute weather conditions. The weather information is taken from nearby buoys and weather stations and transmitted to the application to let you know exactly when any imminent weather will be approaching.

Spot Saving

The ANGLR app will automatically save your spots that you fish. This means you don’t have to wonder where you have been and what the conditions were in that spot. With the ANGLR app, each spot is automatically saved, so there is never any fear of losing the spots you have visited.

ANGLR Bullseye Bluetooth Remote

Being on the water with a phone is always a risk, and ANGLR understands this as well. That’s why they have created the ANGLR Bullseye Bluetooth remote that can be purchased separately to use with the ANGLR app.

When you buy the ANGLR Bullseye Bluetooth remote, you can record your catches by clicking the button on the remote. The remote will then transmit the information of the catch directly to the ANGLR app without even having to pull out your phone. This keeps your phone safe while on the water.

Logbook

The ANGLR logbook will store all of your fishing trips in one centralized location. The logbook will include the location, catches, personal statistics, weather information, and water information.

Playback Trips

This feature allows you to watch your saved trips playback. This is an important feature because it lets you see where you have been, shows you your catches, shows you your waypoints, and replays photos that you have taken on the trip.

Uncover Patterns and Trends

As you fish and the data from each trip is stored, you can begin to notice patterns. Patterns are important because they can help you predict future fishing trips. This means you can fish at the right time rather than wasting an entire day on the lake when evening fishing is the prime time. The patterns and trends will take into account the weather conditions and bait you used to predict future fishing trips.

Private or Public Sharing

You get the choice of sharing your profile publicly with other fishermen or keeping it private for yourself. When sharing publicly, you can discuss what you used on your fishing trip that made it a success, while taking advice from other anglers who have mentioned what works for them.

Price: The ANGLR fishing app is free on Google Play and the App Store.

Fishbrain

Fishbrain

Next on our list is the Fishbrain app. There are over 9 million catches recorded on the Fishbrain app, so you know it’s good.

Fishing Forecasts

The fishing forecast feature of Fishbrain will predict the best fishing forecast for your day on the water. It will identify the best species to target during specific fishing times.

Fishing Spots

When you know that you want to go fishing but are unsure where to go, Fishbrain can provide recommendations based on where you’re located. The fishing spots will include the species of fish that are located in each spot.

Waypoints

With the waypoint feature, you can remember where you’ve been and what fish you caught while you were there. The waypoint feature logs those special locations that you will always want to remember how to get back to.

Fishing Logbook

The fishing logbook will store all of the information from every trip. It will store catches, track trends, and record the conditions from that day’s event.

Depth Maps

As you are on the water, the depth map will show you where to go fishing in different depths. The map is color-coordinated, so you know that the light green colors are shallow water and the darker blue colors are deeper waters.

Price: Fishbrain is free to download on Google Play and the App Store but can be upgraded to a pro version for different subscription plans.

1 month = $9.99

3 months = $8.33/month

12 months = $6.25/month

There is also a pro shop built into the app for you to search over 45,000 different products to buy.

Pro Angler

Pro Angler

The Pro Angler fishing app is full of useful information, tools, and features for saltwater fishing. If you need a saltwater fishing app, this fishing app is for you.

Weekly Reports

There are weekly reports that are released by local captains that will give you the most useful and helpful tips for the current fishing conditions. This is ideal for saltwater fishing as the conditions can change from week-to-week.

Solunar Forecast

The solunar forecast will tell you what phase the moon is in, as well as which time is the best time for fishing. The solunar forecast will show the entire month, and you can narrow it down to show you hour-by-hour. Because the moon can affect the tide, this is a great feature to have included in your saltwater fishing app.

GPS Hot Spots

With GPS hot spots, you can see exactly where to go directly on the built-in map. There are 60 major locations built into the map with 7,500 hot spots to choose from. Without this app, you would have to navigate unchartered territory in hopes of finding a great honey hole for fishing.

Species Identifier

Sometimes you may catch a fish that you are unsure of what it is. With the species identifier, you can take a picture of the fish to identify what kind it is. The species identifier will give you tips on how to safely handle the fish once you have unhooked it. If you want to try to catch that same species of fish, the species identifier will give you bait tips, as well as where and how to catch them.

Local Places

The Pro Angler fishing app also includes a map of local places, including bait shops, boat launches, fishing charters, and weigh stations.

Baits, Lures, and Rigs

There is a section in the Pro Angler fishing app that is dedicated to baits, lures, and rigs. This section will tell you how to tie different fishing knots and when to use specific lures and baits.

Recipes

This feature of the app gives you recipes for the type of fish you catch. The recipe also includes nutritional information, so you know the exact nutritional information of what you are eating.

Fishing License

Most states have a wildlife department that allows fishing licenses to be purchased online and saved on your phone. The Pro Angler app takes away the hassle of opening an additional app when you need to access your fishing license by adding a section directly into the app for you to store your fishing license information.

Price: Pro Angler is free to download on Google Play and the App Store.

Fishidy

Fishidy

The Fishidy fishing app is free to download and gives anglers a real-time feed of recent catches in waterways near you.

In the free version of the Fishidy app, you can see an activity feed with information on current conditions, recent pictures, and posts that you have made. You can view the waterway map that will have different icons pinpointed all throughout the map.

  • Orange icons = landmarks or hazards in the water (rocks, brush, creek beds, river mouths, etc.)
  • Green icons = catches
  • Purple/blue boat icons = boat ramp/parking lot

The premium version gives you access to fishing insights, offline mapping when you don’t have internet access, depth information, bottom composition (mud, rock, or sand), submerged vegetation, submerged structures, and fishing hot spots with GPS coordinates.

Price: Free basic download, premium upgrade at $49.99/year ($4.16/month), or $9.99/month.

BassForecast

BassForecast

The BassForecast app has been rated the #1 bass fishing app.

Most of the BassForecast features require a premium subscription but just downloading the app will give you a free version that gives you access to the following features:

  • BassForecast Rating – this is the rating that the app gives you for today’s fishing. The rating will range from 1 (poor) to 10 (epic) and will give you the current weather conditions
  • Calendar – this will tell you the moon phases for each day
  • Catch Logs – you can record and view your catches

The premium version of the BassForecast app will give you access to much more content.

Premium content includes:

  • 10-day forecast BassForecast Rating lets you know the BassForecast Rating 10 days in advance
  • GPS specific peak feeding times lets you know exactly when and where to fish
  • Daily fishing tips to include bait recommendations based on weather and location conditions
  • Archived weather information stores weather information for 10 days
  • Complete solunar coverage stores sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moonset, and major and minor feeding times

Price: Free to download on Google Play and the App Store with premium upgrade available. Subscriptions are available in monthly or yearly subscriptions. The monthly subscription is $2.99/month, and the yearly subscription is $9.99. You can also try the app free for 60 days, and then it will be $9.99/year.

FishAngler

FishAngler

The FishAngler app is equipped with maps, weather forecasts, a logbook, store, and community pages and groups, all for free.

Feed

When you first open the FishAngler app, you will get a feed that will show you global and local information, including catches and the setup the angler used to make the catch. You can also follow different accounts, such as friends, family, and business accounts.

Maps

The map section of the app has different colored icons pinned on the map that represent different pieces of information.

  • Green icons = catches
  • Light gray icons = photos
  • Orange icon = fishing spot
  • Dark gray icons = guage/station

Weather Forecast

The FishAngler app will show the current temperature, wind, barometric pressure, moon phase, and fish forecast. The fish forecast will tell you if there is no activity, minor activity, and major activity.

Logbook

When you log a catch, you can add a photo of your catch and attach the current weather conditions and location information of the catch. This will keep all of your catches organized.

FishAngler Store

The FishAngler store has men and women’s apparel and accessories that you can order directly from the app to ship directly to your house.

Community

There is a large community section within the app for you to find groups, pages, and anglers to connect with. The groups vary from bass fishing groups to fish identification groups. There is essentially a group for any type of fishing you choose.

There are also community pages that you can follow that will give you helpful information related to that group. Some of these groups include fly fishing groups, kayaking groups, and charter fishing groups.

To find other fellow anglers to connect with, you can go to the “Find Anglers” section in the app. This will give you a list of anglers in the FishAngler app that you can connect with.

Price: Free on both Google Play and the App Store.

Why You Need a Fishing App

As you have seen from the many apps we have listed above, a fishing app can give you access to so much information that you otherwise would not have access to without the app. One of the most beneficial features of a fishing app is GPS hot fishing spot location accessibility.

Knowing where the local hot spots are can cut down your time on the water searching for the place where the fish are biting the most. With GPS hot spot locations, you will know exactly where to go and how to get there through the fishing app.

The other feature with the most benefits is the forecast tracker information that will let you know what time the fish are biting the best. Combining this feature with the GPS hot spot location feature will tell you exactly which hot spot to go to and when to go there.

Free vs. Paid

Some fishing apps are free, and some are paid. We recommend installing the fishing app on your phone and seeing just how much access you will have on the free version. Most apps that require a paid subscription will at least grant limited access to certain features of the app. Sometimes you can get enough out of the free version of the app without having to purchase a subscription. You will likely need to download the app to see just how many features you have access to and for how long.

Which brings us to the next option: free trial subscriptions. If a fishing app offers a free trial subscription, do it. You will be able to cancel before the trial ends, which prevents you from having to pay for the subscription. Plus, it gives you access to premium features that you may only need access to for one weekend.

Let’s say you have a fishing tournament that you could really use the help from a premium fishing app. With a free trial, you can have access to all of the premium content for that day on the water without having to pay for the app. Once the tournament is over, you can cancel your app – or buy a subscription!

Paid apps often offer different payment and subscription options for users to pick from. If you aren’t fishing year-round, then you will probably save money by choosing a monthly subscription for those few months you will be on the water. If you fish in tournaments year-round and will spend each month on the water, you will save money by choosing a yearly subscription to the app.

Conclusion

There are many fishing apps to choose from, and not all of them require a paid subscription to offer helpful and quality content to improve your fishing experience.

We recommend downloading each of these apps on our list to get a feel for the one that is right for you. See what content is offered for free and what content requires a subscription and compare them. This will help you decide which is the best fishing app for you.