View Popular Fishing Destinations
Some of the Best Fishing Destinations Listed Below
Alaska
Kenai Peninsula - The Kenai Peninsula might be one of the most well-known vacation destinations in Alaska. The Kenai River has been featured on fishing shows and talked about among fly fishermen as well as other anglers for years. The salmon run is incredible on the Kenai River with 40 to 50 pound chinook salmon being common each year.
Prince William Sound - This area provides some spectacular scenery as it is ringed by the steep and glaciated Chugach Mountains. Whitter, Cordova and Valdez are popular fishing vacation destinations for salmon and halibut.
South Central Alaska - Home to Anchorage, Copper Valley and Mat-Su Valley, this area of Alaska has some excellent river fishing for all 5 species of Pacific Salmon, rainbow trout, dolly varden, and grayling. Some of the stocked lakes also have excellent northern pike fishing with some fish up to 30 pounds.
Southeast Alaska (Inside Passage) - Southeast Alaska, also known as the inside passage, is known for having some tremendous fishing opportunities. In this area, you will be primaily fishing out of the saltwater ports of Ketchikan, Petersburg, Wrangell, Sitka, Juneau, Haines and Skagway. You can expect to catch a variety of fish here such as salmon, halibut, lingcod and rockfish.
Southwest Alaska - Southwest Alaska offers its visitors some tremendous fishing opportunities. Whether you plan on visiting the Alaska Peninsula, Kodiak Island, Bristol Bay or the Aleutian Islands, you should be able to find some fantastic fishing opportunities for salmon & halibut.
Alabama
Gulf Shores & Orange Beach - For the fisherman trying to plan a family vacation that allows for some fishing time as well, the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area will keep everyone happy. The coast offers some wonderful inshore and offshore fishing. You can catch blue marlin, amberjack, yellow fin tuna, cobia, red snapper and more in this area.
Arkansas
Beaver Lake - Beaver Lake is known for its striped bass fishing. There are numerous guides available and it is not uncommon to get your limit with a guide. Many stripers will be over 10 pounds and there are fish caught in the 20 to 30 pound range all the time. We have even seen pictures of striped bass over 40 pounds caught from Beaver Lake.
Bull Shoals Lake - The lake covers 45,400 acres with about 730 miles of shoreline consisting of rubble, limestone, ledges, gravel points, clay banks and silty areas at the upper ends of the creek arms. The lake offers good fishing for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, spotted bass, channel catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish, rainbow trout and white bass.
Norfork Lake - Fishing is very good here for a variety of species. Most anglers target striped bass, hybrid bass, smallmouth and largemouth bass. Walleye, crappie, bream and catfish are also available. The nice thing about visiting Norfork lake is that you have the White and North Fork Rivers nearby if you want to go after rainbow trout and brown trout. You can catch 1 lb. rainbow trout all day and there are some huge brown trout if you are looking for a trophy.
White River - Visitors come here for a chance at landing brown trout in the double digits. 15 – 20 pound brown trout are caught every year. Rainbow trout fishing is fast and exciting with stocked fish averaging 12 inches. Some bigger rainbow trout do exist with quite a few fish in the 2 to 5 pound range and some are even bigger. Anglers that target rainbow trout can have 30 – 80 fish days because they are so abundant.
Bahamas
Bahamas - Fishermen come to the Bahamas from all over the world to experience the excellent saltwater fishing. Bonefish get a lot of the recognition, but that’s not all that you can catch here. There are numerous fishing charters available for offshore fishing and some of the species that are available are marlin, sailfish, wahoo, mahi mahi, tuna and kingfish.
Canada
Canada offers some of the best fishing opportunities in North America for smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleye, muskie and lake trout. There are other species of fish to target as well and there are plenty of fishing resorts, lodges, cabins & cottages that will accommodate you on your next Canadian fishing trip.
Ontario - If you want to experience some excellent fishing for walleye, northern pike, muskie, smallmouth bass, lake trout, perch and even crappie, you will be able to find plenty of places to fish in Ontario. Some of the most popular drive-in fishing destinations are Lake of the Woods, Lac Seul, Red Lake, Eagle Lake and Lake Nipissing. There are a number of boat-in and fly-in fishing destinations that offer some unbelievable fishing opportunities for numbers of fish and quality-sized fish.
Other Parts of Canada – Ontario gets most of the attention from anglers planning fishing vacations, but there are some unbelievable fishing destinations in the other provinces of Canada. Take a look at Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, the Northwest Territories, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Yukon Territory for more information.
Caribbean
Caribbean - The Caribbean offers a lot of exciting opportunities for a variety of saltwater fish. Bonefish get a lot of attention, but you can also find plenty of fishing resorts that offer good fishing for tarpon, barracuda, sharks, grouper and a variety of offshore species.
Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming
Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah & Wyoming all offer some fantastic fly fishing destinations that attract people from across the country. Some of the species that are available are trout, salmon and smallmouth bass. known for its outstanding fly fishing destinations. Some areas are well-known vacation destinations that offer excellent fishing to go along with tons of family activities. There are other areas that may not be popular vacation destinations, but there are a few places to stay, some fishing guides & outfitters and some excellent river fishing.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica is an amazing tourist destination with some awesome fishing opportunities. The deep sea fishing in Costa Rica is outstanding and there are many fishing charters that can help make your trip a great one. Some of the fish you can catch are marlin, sailfish, dorado, wahoo, tuna, tarpon and snook.
Florida
Northwest Florida is home to some outstanding saltwater fishing opportunities. Destin, Panama City Beach and Pensacola may get most of the attention from tourists, but don’t overlook some of the other destinations in this area such as Apalachicola, Beaches of South Walton, Cape San Blas, Carrabellle, Fort Walton Beach, Mexico Beach and Port St. Joe. There are so many different types of fish to target in Northwest Florida. Redfish, flounder, sea trout, sheepshead, snapper, grouper and tarpon are some of the most popular fish that anglers target.
Northeast Florida is not as popular as some of the other areas of Florida, but there is still some very good fishing in this part of Florida. Amelia Island, Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach and St. Augustine all offer some exciting fishing opportunities. Anglers target redfish, sea trout, black drum, tarpon, sharks and many other species of fish.
Central Florida is home to some excellent bass fishing. With Kissimmee, Lake County and the Orlando area, you have plenty of places to go fish for largemouth bass. The Kissimmee Chain of Lakes get the most attention in this area, but there are so many lakes to fish within an hour drive or so from Walt Disney World. It is not uncommon to catch bass up to and over 10 pounds in this area.
Central East Florida offers some excellent fishing off the Atlantic Coast. Daytona Beach, Flagler County, New Smyrna Beach and the Space Coast highlight some of the best places to target a variety of saltwater fish such as redfish, sea trout, jacks, grouper, snapper, sharks, flounder and many others.
Central West Florida is extremely popular because of the Tampa Bay area. There are so many areas to fish inshore and offshore for so many different species of saltwater fish. You can fish the flats, docks, passes, bridges, piers, beaches or offshore over reefs and wrecks. Grouper, snapper, redfish, sea trout, sheepshead, flounder, sharks and tarpon get a lot of attention here from anglers. Sarasota is also a very popular tourist destination and there is some excellent fishing for the same species of fish listed above. There are also some other areas to fish in central west Florida that are not as well known. Cedar Key, Crystal River, Homosassa and Steinhatchee are all very good fishing destinations with much less fishing pressure.
Southwest Florida offers some tremendous fishing opportunities. This part of Florida is known for excellent fishing for snook, grouper, snapper, tarpon and many other species of saltwater fish. Some of the most popular areas to visit in Southwest Florida are Captiva Island, Charlotte Harbor, Marco Island, Naples, Sanibel Island, Pine Island and Fort Myers Beach.
Southeast Florida has very good inshore and offshore fishing as well as some of the best largemouth bass fishing in the country on Lake Okeechobee. It is very possible to catch bass up to and over 10 pounds. Most of the fishing guides target these real big bass with live shiners. Some of the best saltwater fishing destinations in southeast Florida are Fort Lauderdale, Fort Pierce, Jensen Beach, Stuart, Port St. Lucie, Miami and Palm Beach County.
The Florida Keys are arguably the top fishing destination in the United States. This area offers so many fishing opportunities for so many different species of fish. The quality of fish are remarkable here as well with numerous fishing records coming from the Florida Keys. Anglers target all types of fish such as tarpon, sharks, grouper, snapper, redfish, sea trout, permit, barracuda, marlin, mahi mahi, tuna and so many others. The Florida Keys is broken into different areas: Big Pine Key (& the Lower Keys), Islamorada, Key Largo, Key West and Marathon.
Kentucky
Kentucky Lake is known for its tremendous crappie fishery. Spring and fall are the best times to plan a trip for the crappie fishing. During the spawn, 1 – 1.5 pound crappie are considered common. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are also plentiful on Kentucky Lake. Most people overlook the bass fishing, but if you know what you are doing, you can get into some excellent bass fishing.
Lake Barkley - Spring crappie fishing is a favorite for most anglers. The crappie spawn is an excellent time to fish with fish all over the shallows from 4 to 6 feet deep. In some areas, you can find them in as shallow as 1 foot of water or less. Bass fishing is also excellent on this lake. May and June are excellent times for catching trophy bass.
Lake Cumberland - Fishing is very popular for a variety of species, however, most people come here for the tremendous striped bass fishery. Stripers from 5 to 15 pounds are common with many fish in the 20 to 30 pound class. Many other species are also present such as brown trout, rainbow trout, lake trout, walleye, sauger, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, crappie and bluegill.
Louisiana
Venice, LA is a small, unincorporated community located about 75 miles south of New Orleans. This community was almost completely destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. The rebuilding process is ongoing, but there is still a lot of work to do in the area. Fishing is excellent around Venice, Lousiana. The nutrient-driven Mississippi River helps create one of the most exciting fisheries in the entire world. With all of the oil rigs and deep water located just miles offshore, anglers can expect to catch a variety of fish on a regular basis.
Maryland
Chesapeake Bay - The Chesapeake Bay Watershed is the largest estuary in North America. It covers more than 64,000 square miles encompassing parts of six states — Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. The bay is a popular tourism destination for fishing, boating, hitting the beaches or just relaxing and taking in the beautiful scenery. Some of the popular fish that are caught here are striped bass (rockfish), bluefish, drum, sea trout, flounder, spot, and croaker.
Ocean City, MD is a resort town on the Atlantic Ocean. This resort town is known as a very popular vacation destination because of its beaches, entertainment, shopping, dining, fishing and boating. The fishing charters target striped bass, bluefish, white perch, sea trout, shark, tuna, wahoo and dolphin.
Massachusetts
Cape Cod, Gloucester, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket give anglers the opportunity to target a variety of saltwater fish. Striped bass and bluefish get the most attention in this area of the country. When the enormous striped bass are around, anglers get out as much as they can for that opportunity to catch fish up to 40 pounds or more.
Minnesota
Minnesota has too many popular fishing destinations to name them all. Some of the very best tourism destinations for fishing are featured below. To view a full list of Minnesota fishing destinations, please visit our “Fish Minnesota“ page.
Bemidji, MN Area - The Bemidji area lakes provide many recreational opportunities. With over 400 lakes in a 25 mile radius, there are plenty of options for boaters and fishermen. Most fishermen come here for the tremendous walleye fishing, but you can also target northern pike, smallmouth and largemouth bass, perch, crappie and other panfish.
Boundary Waters - If you love to fish, explore the outdoors and are ready for an adventure, this might be the perfect place for you to visit. You will be able to fish for walleye, northern pike, smallmouth and largemouth bass, lake trout, stream trout, whitefish, perch, crappie and sunfish. The area lakes, streams and rivers provide some of the finest smallmouth bass fishing in the country.
Brainerd Lakes - Numerous resorts and hotels are located in Brainerd giving you many options for either a family trip or a weekend fishing trip with friends. The fishing is good on most of the lakes in the area. Most anglers target walleye, northern pike and bass. There are good numbers of fish as well as some trophies in the Brainerd Lakes Area lakes.
Kabetogama Lake is part of Voyageurs National Park on the Minnesota, Ontario border. This lake has miles of pristine, undeveloped shorelines and 25,000 acres of water. It is a popular vacation destination for people who love the outdoors. There are many resorts waiting to accommodate you and most of them have boat rentals available at the resort. Lake Kabetogama has built a reputation for being one of the top walleye lakes in the state. The lake offers some outstanding structure for walleye to thrive here. Fishing is also very good for northern pike and perch.
Lake of the Woods - The Minnesota and Canada portions of this lake both provide some fantastic fishing as well as numerous fishing resorts and lodges. Lake of the Woods is one of the most popular lakes to fish in Canada and Minnesota. You can catch northern pike, walleye, smallmouth bass, perch, crappie and muskie.
Lake Vermilion is an excellent lake that has 40,000 acres of water, 365 islands and 1200 miles of shoreline. If that wasn’t enough, it stretches 40 miles across the heart of Minnesota’s Arrowhead Region. This lake is a great place for an outdoor getaway. There are plenty of resorts along the lake to take care of your accommodations. Because of the size of this lake, you should have no problem finding an area on the water all for yourself. Many trophy muskie and walleye are caught on Lake Vermilion every year. Largemouth and Smallmouth bass are plentiful and they are underfished. If you like northern pike, 10 to 15 pound fish have become common because of the slot limit.
Lake Winnibigoshish is one of the best, if not the best, walleye lakes in Minnesota. Visitors love coming to Lake Winnie for the outdoor recreation. Boating, fishing, hunting, swimming, hiking and biking are very popular in this area. There are plenty of resorts around the lake to make your trip a comfortable one. The fishing is remarkable. If you are looking for a lake that has lots of walleye and northern pike, you might want to plan a trip to Lake Winnie.
Leech Lake is one of the most popular tourism destinations in all of Minnesota. There are numerous recreational opportunities here such as fishing, boating, hunting, golfing, hiking, biking and much more. You will find a variety of accommodations here to fit your needs. Leech Lake has been recognized as one of the most consistent walleye fisheries in the state. There are also good numbers of northern pike in the 5 to 10 pound range as well as many largemouth bass in the 3 to 5 pound range. Perch, rock bass and sunfish are loaded in this lake making it a perfect place to introduce the kids to fishing. Muskie and smallmouth bass can also be caught in Leech Lake.
Mille Lacs Lake is Minnesota’s second-largest lake and it covers 132,000 surface acres. Mille Lacs is a great lake for outdoor recreation, but it is known for its outstanding walleye fishery. The lake is a very fishable lake for first time visitors. The lake’s maximum depth is right around 40 feet, but there are dozens of shallower mud flats on the north end of the lake. The deep water fishing takes place on the southern deep gravel and rocks. There is an excellent forage in the lake which helps support a fishery that includes walleye, northern pike, muskie, perch and smallmouth bass.
Rainy Lake is located along the border of Minnesota and Canada near International Falls. A large portion of the lake surrounds Voyageurs National Park. Rainy Lake is a popular vacation destination for people that enjoy the outdoors. Resorts, cottages, hotels and houseboats are available to make your stay a memorable one. The lake is known for its incredible fishing. The walleye and smallmouth bass fishery is outstanding with many trophy-sized fish.
Missouri
Branson, Missouri - You have the option of fishing Table Rock Lake, Lake Taneycomo or Bull Shoals Lake. You can catch a variety of fish depending on what lake you decide to fish. Some of the species to catch are largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, trout, white bass, crappie, catfish and bluegill.
Bull Shoals Lake - The lake covers 45,400 acres with about 730 miles of shoreline consisting of rubble, limestone, ledges, gravel points, clay banks and silty areas at the upper ends of the creek arms. The lake offers good fishing for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, spotted bass, channel catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish, rainbow trout and white bass.
Lake of the Ozarks is an extremely popular vacation destination in Missouri. It is only about a 3 hour drive from St. Louis, making it a convenient getaway destination for those living in and around the city. Bass fishing tournaments are common throughout the summer months. Recreational anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, white bass, crappie, bluegill, rock bass and catfish.
New Hampshire
Lake Winnipesaukee is the largest lake in the state of New Hampshire and the 6th largest lake in the United States of the lakes that lie within the boundaries of one state. You can fish for salmon, rainbow trout, brook trout, lake trout, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, pickerel, yellow perch, sunfish and whitefish. The lake offers endless opportunities for fishing.
New York
Finger Lakes - The Finger Lakes are a group of linear-shaped lakes in the west-central part of Upstate New York. With 11 lakes covering 14 different counties, this region is a major tourist destination. Fishermen have many options with all of the water in this region. Anglers can fish for smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, brown trout, rainbow trout, lake trout and more.
Lake Champlain is a huge lake located mostly within the borders of Vermont and New York, but a portion of the lake is also located across the border into Canada. It is a natural, freshwater lake and it is very popular among boaters and fishermen. Lake Champlain is 100 miles long and 12 miles across at its widest point. The maximum depth is about 400 feet. The cool waters provide excellent fishing for salmon, lake trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, smallmouth bass and perch.
Montauk, NY is a major tourist destination with 6 state parks and some outstanding saltwater fishing. The waters off of Montauk are loaded with all types of saltwater fish. Anglers can catch striped bass, bluefish, tuna, flounder, sea bass, porgies, shark and more.
North Carolina
Crystal Coast - Inshore and offshore fishing is very good for species such as marlin, sailfish, tuna, wahoo, mahi mahi, redfish, tarpon, grouper, sharks, flounder and more. In this area, you will find numerous fishing charters that target fish inshore and offshore. There are plenty of lodging and dining options as well.
Outer Banks - The Outer Banks is a chain of barrier islands located on the Atlantic coast in North Carolina. This region is a very popular beach vacation destination. Fishermen have many options to fish the Outer Banks. Try fishing off one of the piers, in the surf or hire a fishing charter. There are plenty of fishing charters throughout the Outer Banks that fish inshore or offshore for a variety of saltwater fish.
Oregon
Bend, Oregon was ranked #8 out of the 20 best fishing towns in America by Field andStream in 2008. Bend is central Oregon’s largest city and it is now known as a gateway for many outdoor activities such as camping, rock climbing, white-water rafting, mountain biking, hiking and fishing. Most anglers fish the Deschutes River for rainbow trout, brown trout, steelhead and even some smallmouth bass.
South Carolina
Beaufort, SC was ranked #17 of America’s Top 20 Best Fishing Towns by Field and Stream. This city is fairly small, but there is plenty to do here to go along with fine restaurants and many hotels to accommodate you. The fishing is excellent for a variety of fish such as redfish, sea trout, tarpon, ladyfish, flounder, jack crevalle and sheepshead.
Hilton Head Island is located in the southern part of South Carolina about 20 miles north of Savannah, Georgia. The island is a very popular vacation destination with 12 miles of beachfront and numerous golf courses. Hilton Head Island is known more as a golf destination than a fishing destination, but the fishing is excellent here as well. There are numerous fishing charters that operate out of Hilton Head Island and you can catch many different types of fish inshore and offshore.
Myrtle Beach is an extremely popular beach vacation destination on the coast of South Carolina. Millions of visitors head to Myrtle Beach every year. There are plenty of activities to keep the entire family busy here. You can find t-shirt and souvenir shops, go cart tracks, mini golf, boat rentals, fishing charters, golf courses, plenty of shops and restaurants to go along with the beautiful, warm beaches. Fishermen can fish inshore or offshore for dolphin, tuna, wahoo, king mackerel, redfish, flounder, sea trout, spanish mackerel and more.
Tennessee
Dale Hollow Lake is a beautiful lake located on the Kentucky / Tennessee border. The lake is surrounded by beautiful scenery and miles of shoreline. It is a wonderful tourism area with plenty of accommodations, houseboats, warm weather, tons of water and some of the best smallmouth bass fishing in the country. Dale Hollow Lake is home of the world record smallmouth bass that weighed 11 pounds and 15 ounces. Largemouth bass, crappie, muskellunge, walleye, catfish, gar, and trout are also available. The majority of the fishermen come here for the world class smallmouth bass fishery.
Texas
Lake Fork is 27,690 surface acres and it is located in Wood and Rains County of northeast Texas. With 315 miles of shoreline, there is plenty of water to fish. Lake Fork has gained the reputation of being one of the best, if not the best bass lake in the country. There are so many huge bass caught here every year that many of the fishing guides consider 5 pound bass “dinks.” Of the top 20 State Record Largemouth Bass of Texas, the majority of them were caught from Lake Fork. Fishing is also excellent for crappie and catfish, however, most anglers do not even think about fishing for these species.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin offers anglers some excellent fishing opportunities to go along with some spectacular scenery. The Northwoods of Wisconsin is the place to go for so many anglers planning a fishing vacation in Wisconsin. There are so many lakes near several different towns with hundreds of fishing resorts & lodges to choose from. Door County, WI is arguably the best fishing destination in the state for salmon, trout, smallmouth bass and trophy walleye. Hayward, WI is known for its muskie, northern pike, smallmouth bass and walleye. Lake Winnebago is loaded with walleye and it continues to produce year after year. For more destinations, please visit our “Fish Wisconsin“ page.
Wyoming
Jackson Hole - The area rivers and streams provide some excellent fly fishing opportunities for trout and Jackson Lake has some very good fishing for lake trout and you catch other species such as cutthroat trout, brook trout and brown trout.
