Casting Time: Best Fishing Watches in 2021

Casio is best known as one of the most inexpensive watch brands on the planet, but that’s not the only thing that makes them a viable option for a great watch for fishing. Their Pro Trek series has everything you could need to keep you fully aware, alert, and informed out on the water. Control your environment, master everything around you, all with a data-gathering watch with an anti-glare mineral crystal dial window.

You’ll get an integrated compass feature that works alongside the barometric pressure detector, as well as the altimeter (which comes in handy if you’re picking a lake out in the middle of New Hampshire to fish). Everything is designed to work in tandem with as little delay as possible, all displayed in glorious resolution on this small screen.

Suunto’s done it again. The company really put its focus on making great hiking and fishing watches and they always slay it when it comes to the outdoors. Crafted from textured stainless steel, this beautiful case and bezel are the epitome of rugged design, ready to stand up to the elements and whatever hell you put it through out there in the wilderness. One of the strongest elements of Suunto Traverse Alpha is the scratch-resistant sapphire crystal dial window, which stands up against the roughest scrapes and scratches, keeping the dial window crystal clear.

That’s before you even get into the features that really make it a good fishing watch. For one, they went with their usual nylon band for its water and sweat resistance. And because nobody wants bacteria sitting under their leather strap and creating an odor. In addition, it’s waterproof down to 330 feet, which makes it as good a spearfishing watch as it is a fly fishing watch. And if you’re more of a rod person, you won’t have to worry about reaching into the water and pulling that bass off the line.

The Casio WR100M is one of the best sports fishing watches, designed to make every fishing trip run smoothly. It uses the time, date, and settings to calculate the moon phase and fishing level indicators, so you know exactly when to cast your line. This technology has been part of Casio’s range since the 1980s, so it’s not revolutionary. However, with each updated model, the technology gets a little bit more accurate. In addition to that, it has a multi-functioning alarm, stopwatch, countdown timer, and a fully automatic calendar. One downside with these watches is that they’re relatively complex to set up, so you’ll have to spend some time pouring over the instruction manual. 

First off, this watch is so pretty, you’ll want to wear it whether or not you’re casting line. But it’s also one of the best angler watches we’ve seen. On top of how it looks, the Suunto Core is extremely comfortable as well. Plastic bracelets traditionally have a bad reputation for catching your arm hairs and being fragile against outdoor conditions, which is where Suunto started when they designed this model, working the band into the case. It’s flexible, doesn’t catch any stray arm hairs, and adjustable to fit any user.

You’ll also get a weather trend graph that includes a sunrise and sunset detector. If you’re heading out for a few days, you can check the weather forecast before you leave on that fishing trip. Like any forecast, it’s not guaranteed, but it’s good to have an idea of what you might be in for. Weather changes, and having a detector on your wrist when you’re far away from cell phone service, can be a serious one-up on Mother Nature.

Timex is one of the leading inexpensive watch brands because they pack in way more value than the price tag suggests. It’s clear that they want to be your only watch brand because they’ve put together everything they could to compete with more expensive models. Flip through the settings of your Timex watch to find the chronograph, timer and alarm features, giving you a few different things to work with while you’re exploring your watch.

This digital fishing watch also sports 660 ft of water resistance and an anti-scratch acrylic case window. If they could have fit a kitchen sink in there, they would have. It’s built tough and designed to last through every fishing excursion you partake on. Use the Indiglo light-up case back feature to view your display in the early morning light and to take full advantage of the three-part calendar function tucked into the display.

And Suunto strikes again. The company’s Traverse Alpha series dominates this space, yet they still find a way to make each and every watch its own unique item. This one comes with a thick nylon strap and fixed buckle that makes it simple to slip on and keeps the watch face exactly where it’s supposed to be. The case is made of stainless steel, ion-coated with a textured finish to give it durability and that rugged aesthetic.

You get the full force of GPS + GLONASS to master your environment beyond the shadow of a doubt. Route navigation to and from your favorite spots has never been so simple, and utilizing this watch allows you to find new fishing holes without getting turned around in the woods. Use the digital compass and activity tracker in unison to get a better feel for what treks to and from your spots will take out of you, and plan ahead accordingly.

If you’re looking for something that will cross over into hunting, this is a great choice. When it comes to the outdoors, Suunto won some high spots on our hiking watches buying guide, and its watches are practically sweeping this list. With the Traverse Alpha Hunting & Fishing Watch, you get an excellent resolution, and a fairly anti-reflective surface to prevent glares wreaking havoc on your readability.

Not only do you get an integrated compass feature, but you can press one of the three crown buttons to illuminate the case. When you’re out on the boat in the early, early morning, that little bit of visibility can be absolutely crucial. Plus, you won’t have to start up a camping lantern, you won’t scare off the fish.

Casio is one of the only watchmakers with a dedicated fishing line. If you’re serious about fishing, you’re probably not going to rely on a watch to tell you when the time is right to fish. However, every bit of information is helping when you’re trying to predict nature. With outdoor essentials like Moon Data, a thermometer, and the famous fish indicator, you can head out with all the information you need. 

The Casio Men’s AQW101-1AVCF Fishing Watch is packed full of features. The fish indicator shows up to four fish, which is designed to indicate how many fish are in the water at a given time. The information is based on the moon cycle and time of day, which means it’s a vague guide of fish levels. We wouldn’t count on it as your only source of information but it’s definitely a cool feature. This watch is water-resistant to 200 meters, has an EL backlight, and a super durable strap. It also has a 100-hour countdown timer, a stopwatch, and 30 time zones (50 cities). Even if you don’t need the fishing functions on this watch, it’s a great watch for daily use.