If you’re among the millions of Americans who love getting out on the water and trying their luck with the fish, you’re probably always looking for where the best places are. For your next fishing vacation, check out some of these highly recommended locations. They’re sorted by fly fishing, lake fishing, and deep-sea fishing.
Rock Creek, Montana (Fly Fishing)
Southeast of Missoula, Rock Creek flows for over 50 miles underneath the big Montana sky. It’s known for its Rocky Mountain whitefish as well as four different species of trout– brown, bull, cutthroat, and rainbow.
Gauley River, West Virginia (Fly Fishing)
West Virginia has a lot of great fishing rivers, and the Gauley is the best. Trout, walleye, and smallmouth bass are plentiful here, and you can’t beat the remote, beautiful setting.
Bristol Bay, Alaska (Fly Fishing)
Once legendary for its gold mines, Alaska is now a gold mine for anglers. At Bristol Bay, you can catch Arctic grayling, rainbow trout, and Pacific salmon. You’re almost guaranteed a catch with the abundance here. Keep an eye out for caribou, moose, and brown bears while you’re there, though!
Florida Keys (Fly Fishing)
Not all fly fishing is like you’ll see in A River Runs Through It. Saltwater fly fishing provides a different experience and presents its own challenges. In the Keys, you can catch bonefish, redfish, snook, and tarpon (as big as 200 pounds).
Snake River, Wyoming (Fly Fishing)
Near Jackson, you can go for the indigenous Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout. When you’re not at the river, check out nearby Grand Teton and Yellowstone, two of the country’s best and most famous national parks.
Madison River, Montana (Fly Fishing)
The Madison is a blue-ribbon trout stream that rises in Yellowstone and runs for 183 miles to the Missouri River. How rich in trout is this river? Around Ennis, a headquarters for the fishing scene, there are 1,500-2,000 rainbow trout per mile in the river.
North Umpqua River, Oregon (Fly Fishing)
A species of trout, steelhead yields meat that looks and tastes a lot like salmon (only better). In this Oregon River, you can bring in steelhead that weighs 20 pounds or more.
Grand Lake, Colorado (Lake Fishing)
Just outside Rocky Mountain National Park, Grand Lake is the deepest natural lake in Colorado and home to a huge population of fish. Prized catches are kokanee salmon and five different species of trout.
Mille Lacs Lake, Minnesota (Lake Fishing)
This large inland lake has a reputation as the best in the country for catching walleye. Other species commonly caught include northern pike, muskies, yellow perch, and largemouth and smallmouth bass.
Lake Istokpoga, Florida (Lake Fishing)
This lake is known as a great spot for crappies and for having one of the highest catch rates in the country for largemouth bass. Late winter and early spring are the peak times.
Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Texas (Lake Fishing)
Well-known as a largemouth bass tournament fishery, this lake has more than just that. It’s also good for catfish, crappie, bluegill, and red-ear sunfish.
Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire (Lake Fishing)
Numerous public access points and boating opportunities are strong selling points for this lake. Bass, perch, pickerel, salmon, sunfish, and trout are commonly caught here.
Clear Lake, California (Lake Fishing)
One of the best lakes in California for water recreation, Clear Lake is especially good for fishing and boating, and it’s family-friendly. It has large, healthy populations of bluegill, channel catfish, crappie, and largemouth bass.
Cape Cod, Massachusetts (Deep-Sea Fishing)
Large bluefin tuna and striped bass are plentiful in the waters here. You may also see migrating whales and schools of porpoises. On shore, you can enjoy pristine beaches, historic lighthouses, and friendly coastal communities.
Kona, Hawaii (Deep-Sea Fishing)
Hawaii has some of the best fishing in the Pacific, and Kona is a hub for it. Trophy catches off the coast here include mahi-mahi, tuna, and wahoo.
Florida Keys (Deep-Sea Fishing)
Hmmm, didn’t we already mention this place? We did, but that was for fly fishing along the shores. It would be almost a crime not to mention the waters off the Florida Keys as a prime deep-sea fishing location since it’s one of the world’s best. Bonefish, redfish, snook, and tarpon are popular targets here, but the big prizes are marlin, swordfish, and sailfish.
Outer Banks, North Carolina (Deep-Sea Fishing)
With the Gulf Stream close by, this area sees huge numbers of fish migrating up the Atlantic coast. June is the best time for blue and white marlin, and late summer and early autumn are prime for sailfish. In the middle of autumn, tuna arrive in massive numbers.
Galveston, Texas (Deep-Sea Fishing)
Historic Galveston is the perfect launching point for excursions out into the Gulf of Mexico. Closer to shore, go for black drum, flounder, and speckled trout. Farther out, you’ll have a chance for cobia, king mackerel, red snapper, and sailfish.
Montauk, New York (Deep-Sea Fishing)
The waters off Montauk have been the site of several saltwater fishing records. Deep undersea canyons provide space for large blackfish, cod, sharks, and bluefin tuna. A 17-foot great white shark weighing 3,427 pounds caught here was the largest fish ever caught with rod and reel.
Virginia Beach, Virginia (Deep-Sea Fishing)
Located near the Outer Banks, Virginia Beach is easier to get to and has a very similar deep-sea fishing scene. It’s also excellent for coastal and river fishing since there are extensive marshes and other freshwater bodies meeting the sea here.
Texas Swagger: Unraveling the Lone Star State’s Unapologetic Pride
If you’ve ever been to Texas, you’ll notice, besides all the pickup trucks and the cowboy hats, that Texans take a lot of pride in their home state. There are other places in the country that have a strong sense of regional or local pride, but Texas seems to top them all. In fact, for some Texans, the only thing bigger than Texas is their love of the Lone Star State.
Texas Swagger: Unraveling the Lone Star State’s Unapologetic Pride
The World’s Most Beautiful Mountain Ranges
For as long as humans have existed, mountains have inspired and daunted us. They’re the basis for countless legends, and although they can be deadly, have an irresistible pull on us, drawing millions of sightseers, hikers, climbers, skiers, and other outdoor enthusiasts every year. Making a definitive list of the most beautiful mountain ranges in the world is subjective, but the ones here are certainly strong contenders.
Featured Image Credit: Kravets Misha/Shutterstock
Robert Sihler is an educator, freelance writer, and rock climbing guide and instructor living with his family in Driftwood, Texas. In his spare time, he enjoys reading fiction, streaming films, completing crossword puzzles, and rock climbing. When he goes on vacation, he likes to visit the mountains of the West and climb remote, obscure peaks that have seen few or no prior ascents.