The Top Watches for Fishing

Whether you’re into fly fishing, coastal fishing, or just want to laze about at your local lake and see if you can get the fish to bite, the best fishing watches in the marketplace today are made to make your life easier. Fishing watches, whether a sports watch or a smartwatch, are loaded with features and specs which take into account the unique and atypical needs and wants of fishermen.

For example, smart fishing watches usually have GPS-connected applications and other features like a digital compass and barometric pressure gauge which will keep your fishing boat on track and headed in the right direction. And while the best sport fishing watches may not have all the next-generation bells and whistles of smart fishing watches, they do offer peak water resistance, good battery life, and key watch construction elements such as a sturdy stainless steel bezel or durable band material like silicone or nylon.

With dozens upon dozens of watch brands out there staking claim to the best fishing watch for your buck, we don’t want you to have to fish through the rest to find the very best. That’s why we’ve sifted through every fishing watch we could get our hands on, paring things down into our in-depth buying guide of the 8 Best Fishing Watches To Buy In 2021. We’ve also included a handy Frequently Asked Questions section which will tell you everything you need to know (and more) about fishing watches.

But first, let’s start with the best of the best. Here’s our list.

The 8 Best Watches For Fishing In 2021

8) Casio G-Shock Watch GWF1000 Frogman Solar Atomic

The Casio G-Shock series is known for their shock-resistant cases and overall durability, and the Casio G-Shock GWF1000 Frogman Solar Atomic Men’s Watch is no different. It’s much more than just your average sports watch, offering plenty of features and the added benefit of atomic timekeeping — the most accurate measurement of time available in watches right now. Casio also doubled down on lasting power with a sapphire crystal dial window and 200 meters of water resistance, making it a beast even among other fishing watches.

Features

Watch Size: 59.2 x 59.3 x 18 mm

Display Window Material: Sapphire

Case Material: Carbon-Reinforced Resin

Strap Material: Resin

Weight: 141 g

Water Resistance: 200 meters

Movement: Solar-Charged Quartz

Pros

• The 200 meters of water resistance and shock-resistant casing are a huge plus.
• This watch takes a beating and then some thanks to its carbon-reinforced resin case.
• Casio known how to make a great solar-powered watch. This watch can charge via both natural and artificial light.

Cons

• It’s bulky and not made for a smaller wrist.
• This isn’t the best digital display Casio has made, which is disappointing considering its atomic timekeeping capabilities.

7) Casio Men Active Dial Multi-Task Gear Sport Watch

Here’s yet another Casio fishing watch to continue our countdown. The Casio Men’s Active Dial Multi-Task Gear Sport Watch offers peak water resistance (200 meters), a moon phase graph, 30 different time zones, and even a fishing mode which measures how suitable a day is for fishing in your area on a scale from one to five. It’s also extremely easy to read in low light thanks to an EL Backlight with afterglow. This makes it a great fishing watch for those hitting the waters at night.

Key Features

Display Type: Digital/Analog

Clasp Style: Buckle

Case Material: Resin

Case Diameter: 46 mm

Case Thickness: 15 mm

Strap Material: Plastic

Strap Length: 9 inches

Strap Width: 26 mm

Strap Color: Black

Dial Color: Digital

Bezel Material: Resin

Water Resistance: 200 meters

Movement: JapaneseQuartz

Pros

• This Casio watch will help you catch fish at night thanks to its strong backlight and moon phase graph.
• Its Japanese quartz movement is pretty dang accurate and among the best for watches at this price point.
• It has an amazing countdown timer which can span from one minute to 100 hours.

Cons

• Casio tried something different with the analog/digital display hybrid, but it’s a bit muddled.
• The plastic strap isn’t the most comfortable you’re going to find for your wrist.

6) Timex Expedition Shock XL Watch

When it comes to easy-to-read fishing watches with digital displays, this might be one of the best watches around that’s not a smartwatch. The Timex Expedition Shock XL Watch is similar to our last entry in that’s it’s a fantastic watch for fishing in the dark, especially with the large negative digital display and its Indiglo backlight. In terms of fishing watches without smart capabilities in our buying guide, this is very close to the very best you can buy.

Key Features

Display Type: Digital

Clasp Style: Buckle

Case Material: Resin

Case Diameter: 50 mm

Case Thickness: 17 mm

Strap Material: Plastic

Strap Length: Men’s Standard

Strap Width: 22 mm

Strap Color: Black

Dial Color: Black

Bezel Material: Resin

Water Resistance: 200 meters

Movement: Quartz

Pros

• There’s water resistant, and then there’s water resistant. It says 200 meters in the specs, but this watch may be even more water resistant than that!
• Less fuss, less price. This is one of the more affordable watches on our countdown!
• We love the minimalist look of this watch. It really catches the eye compared to most digital sports watches.

Cons

• Don’t fish for crazy features on this watch because there aren’t many.
• The plastic strap is not one of this watch’s best features.

5) Garmin Epix Watch

While we wanted to include the Garmin Quatix 5 Watch in this compendium of the best fishing watches in the marketplace, it’s currently having stock issues both online and in brick-and-mortar retailers. However, the Garmin Epix is no slouch and it’s actually in the conversation when talking about the best fishing watch money can buy. Its water resistance may not be up to par with other watches on our countdown, but its GPS tracking capabilities, comfortable silicone watch band material, and litany of useful features make it the right watch for fishing or any other active pursuit.

Key Features

Watch Size: 50.8 x 53.3 x 17.8 mm

Display Size: 1.4 inches

Display Resolution: 205 x 148 pixels

Case Material: Fiber-Reinforced Polymer

Strap Material: Silicone

Water Resistance: 50 meters

Memory: 8 GB

Battery Life: 24 hours in GPS Mode, 50 hours in UltraTrac Mode

Pros

• The GPS system is really accurate and works well even when you’re far away from land.
• It features a smart notification system which will keep you connected to your smartphone even when you can’t look at it.
• This watch is heavy on maps and memory, which pairs well with the awesome GPS tracking system.

Cons

• It not as water resistant as other options on our list.
• It’s not as fast or pretty as the smartwatches elsewhere in our buying guide.

4) Victorinox Men’s AirBoss Automatic Watch

In terms of pure aesthetics, the Victorinox Men’s AirBoss Automatic Watch is our pick for the most attractive fishing watch that money can buy. If you want a fishing watch that can double as the perfect watch for a night on the town, this is it. Its 100 meters of water resistance make it a reliable companion when the waters get choppy, and its Swiss automatic movement and anti-reflective sapphire glass lens window are quality at its purest. It may not have a ton of features like tens of time zones, moon phases, or a sunrise and sunset function, but it makes up for that with durability and sheer looks.

Key Features

Display Type: Analog

Clasp Style: Push Button Deployment Clasp

Case Material: Stainless Steel

Case Diameter: 42 mm

Case Thickness: 11 mm

Strap Material: Nylon

Strap Length: Men’s Standard

Strap Width: 20 mm

Strap Color: Black

Dial Color: Black

Water Resistance: 100 meters

Movement: Swiss Automatic

Pros

• It’s such a well-crafted fishing watch in so many respects. It looks great and runs better.
• This is a versatile watch which bodes well both on and off the water.
• The Swiss automatic movement is of great quality, especially for this watch’s price tag.

Cons

• It’s very light on features, so beware if you’re looking for a true fishing assistant.
• Automatic movements are great, but they’re not as accurate as quartz movements.

3) Apple Watch Series 6 (44 mm)

The newest Apple Watch is one of the best smart watches ever produced, so why do we have it at #3? Well, it’s not exactly a watch for fishing and fishing alone. It does provide access to plenty of useful applications centered on fishing, moon phases, and other useful information for the waters, but it’s up to you to customize it to be a fishing watch. However, there’s so much to like about the Apple Watch Series 6 — the watch display resolution on both the 40 mm and 44 mm is astounding, the band material feels almost organic around your wrist, and it’s quite possibly the best watch ever released in the smartwatch genre.

Key Features

Watch Size: 44 x 38 x 10.4 mm

Display Type: Always-On Retina LTPO OLED display

Display Resolution: 368 x 448 pixels

Chips: S6 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor, U1 Chip, W3

Available Case Materials: Aluminum, Stainless Steel, Titanium

Connectivity: LTE/UMTS, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi

Battery Life: Up to 18 hours

Pros

• The Apple Watch Series 6 is customizable in so many ways. From apps to multiple color choices, it allows you to be picky.
• The display resolution is breathtaking and almost feels like looking at a smartphone.
• This is a complete smartwatch through and through. It even has a great heart rate monitor!

Cons

• The Apple Watch may be a bit pricey for some, especially the 44 mm version.
• The battery life tends to dip with time, and it’s not super long to begin with.

2) Suunto Traverse Alpha Fishing Watch

From a complete smartwatch to a fishing watch that’s doesn’t try to be anything more, the Suunto Traverse Alpha Fishing Watch doesn’t have all of the features of the aforementioned Apple Watch. However, it is a fishing watch that is tailored for your life on the waters. That means an easy-to-access moon phase calendar, a GPS tracker that will unlock all the best fishing spots in your area, a durable water-resistant casing, and a strong battery life made for long fishing excursions. It’s kind of basic compared to the Apple Watch, but that’s definitely not a bad thing when all you care about is fishing.

Key Features

Display Glass: Sapphire

Weight: 70 g

Water Resistance: 100 meters

Battery Life: 10 to 100 hours, depending on mode

Pros

• This watch is made for fishing enthusiasts by fishing enthusiasts.
• The GPS tracker is super accurate and tailored to find fish where they’re biting.
• The easy-to-decipher moon phase calendar makes it easy to fish when it’s dark out.

Cons

• It’s not a true smartwatch, especially when it comes to customization.
• The lack of a color screen is a bit of a drag.

1) Garmin Fenix 5 Sapphire Watch

A unreal balance of style and function, the Garmin Fenix 5 has it all. The best of all fishing watches for so many reasons, the Garmin Fenix 5 is the type of fishing watch that has something to appeal to anyone — whether they’re into fishing or not. The GPS/GLONASS satellite reception is crystal clear and will help you find all the best locales for fishing, and the combination of a triple-axis compass and a barometric altimeter will provide the ultimate tool kit for all of your upcoming fishing expeditions. It’s not heavy on features like the Apple Watch 5, but it’s a finely-calibrated watch which boasts everything you need and everything you didn’t know you needed.

Key Features

Watch Size: 47 x 47 x 15.5 mm

Display Diameter: 1.2 inches

Display Resolution: 240 x 240 pixels

Case Material: Stainless Steel

Strap Material: Rubber

Weight: 85 g

Water Resistance: 100 meters

Battery Life: 24 hours in GPS mode, 60 hours in GPS UltraTrac mode, 14 days in Smartwatch mode

Pros

• The Garmin Fenix 5 offers the best battery life of any of the smartwatches on our countdown.
• The triple-axis compass and barometric altimeter are game-changers for fishermen.
• Everything about this watch is primed for fishing trips, even if it’s not a fishing watch by name.

Cons

• The widget interface is kind of confusing.
• The heart rate monitor needs a chest strap for true accuracy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the key features of the best fishing watches available for sale?

Whether you’re headed out in search of an elusive deep sea fish or you’re at a starting point on your journey to becoming a true fisherman, you should only concern yourself with the best fishing watch at a price point you’re comfortable with. Regardless of where your fishing adventures take you and whether you want a sports watch or smartwatch for your next fishing trip (and subsequent fishing trips to come), there are a host of specs and nuances to look for.

These include features like a strong water resistant construction and/or a stainless steel case, a digital compass and barometric pressure gauge, a moon phase calendar, top-tier battery life, a sturdy dial window made of sapphire crystal glass or something comparable, an easy-to-read LC display, a world time function and/or multiple time zones, a comfortable watch band such as a nylon strap or silicone strap, an easy-to-access countdown timer, a heart rate sensor and other fitness tracking applications, a sunrise and sunset tracker, and a watch composition that’s shock resistant enough to satiate even the most adventurous fishing enthusiast.

Are tide watches and fishing watches the same thing?

A great tide watch and a great fishing watch share many similarities, but they’re not necessarily one in the same. A good fishing watch will have fishing-specific features and/or a durable construction built to withstand the rigors of fishing trip after fishing trip. Most great tide watches will include the latter, but the former may be hit and miss depending on your normal fishing spots.

The tide information included in a good tide watch will help coastal fishermen read the waters and track moon phases, but it won’t be as useful for fishermen who prefer to set up shop in lakes and freshwater streams. Looking at a tide graph may not be of any help at your local man-made lake, but it will definitely be one of the best things you can have if you end up taking your boat out on the ocean.

In short, the best fishing watch for you may or may not also be a great tide watch. However, it won’t hurt to have key elements of both wrapped around your wrist.

Closing Thoughts

With our ultimate fishing watch buying guide bookmarked on your mobile device or laptop, you’ll never have to settle for merely a good fishing watch again. The seven fishing watches profiled above at the best of the best in the fishing watch oeuvre, containing all the features you need on your wrist yo make your next fishing expedition a successful one. in