Where Are Some Good Fishing Spots Near Me?

Where can I find a good fishing spot near me?

Every fisherman, new and experienced, often asks that question. If you’re new to the sport, new to your state, or just need a new fishing hole for the grandkids, here is some help on finding fishing spots near you.

Public Fishing Spots for Every State

Most state wildlife agencies provide information on places to fish, with some providing interactive online maps, and others posting simple lists with text. Some states also provide a list of ADA accessible fishing spots for disabled anglers. Every state provides information on licensing and regulation, and many add how-to information and regular fishing reports.

In the listings below, you’ll find fishing spots at public ponds, lakes and waterways in every state. Most provide bank fishing opportunities that you can find in the maps below. Another place to fish is around boat ramps, which usually offer fishing spots nearby. Fishing off a boat ramp itself is often not allowed for safety reasons, but you can usually fish from a nearby bank, and some ramps have a separate fishing pier. You can find boat ramp locations for your state below.

Some states also offer stocked fishing spots at Community Fishing Spots, Family Friendly Fishing, Urban Fishing Spots, and mountain trout streams and tailwaters. Many states also stock lakes and ponds with trout, bass, and catfish.

Here are the state-by-state links to help you find your fishing spot, whether you plan to wade in a trout stream, sit on a dock, or fish from the bank. Good luck to all!

Alabama Fishing Spots

Alabama is a premier bass fishing destination with 11 bass fishing tournament lakes plus saltwater fishing on the southern coast. Alabama has 23 Public Fishing Lakes (PFLs) that are managed to provide quality fishing. These public lakes, which are mapped out, are stocked with largemouth bass, bream, and catfish.

Here are links to places to fish and more information for fishing in Alabama.

Alaska Fishing Spots

Alaska is world renowned for its salmon fishery and is a sport fishing destination for halibut and trout. Alaska also offers trophy fishing for lingcod, black cod, rockfish and a variety of other species. For the less experienced anglers, the state offers piers, docks, platforms, and pathways that accommodate handicapped individuals and provide easy access for the general public.

Here are links to fishing spots and more information on fishing in Alaska.

Arizona Fishing Spots

Arizona offers bass and bream fishing in lakes and ponds, trout in the mountain lakes and rivers, and plenty of fishing holes accessible to the public, including handicapped accessible sites and community fishing spots.

Here are links to fishing spots and more information on fishing in Arizona.

Arkansas Fishing Spots

Arkansas offers world class trout fishing in the White River plus bass, crappie, bream, and catfishing in its many lakes and ponds.Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Arkansas.

California Fishing Spots

California offers every kind of sportfishing – deep sea fishing, beach fishing, and inland fishing for trout, bass, crappie, bream and catfish. Here are links to fishing spots and more information on fishing in California.

Colorado Fishing Spots

Colorado is a world class trout fishing destination with famed trout rivers like the Colorado River, Gunnison and North Platte. The state has 6,000 miles of streams and more than 1,300 lakes and reservoirs available to anglers. There are also family friendly and kid-friendly fishing areas which you can find in the maps below. Here are links to fishing spots and more information on fishing in Colorado.

Connecticut Fishing Spots

Connecticut offers trout and salmon fishing, surf fishing, and inland fishing for bass, crappie, bream, catfish and more species. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Connecticut.

Delaware Fishing Spots

Delaware offers deep sea fishing, surf fishing, and inland fishing for trout, bass, crappie, bream, catfish and more species. Here are links to fishing spots and more information on fishing in Delaware.

Florida Fishing Spots

Florida offers championship freshwater and saltwater fishing and calls itself the Fishing Capital of the World. Florida’s freshwater fisheries comprise 3 million acres of lakes, ponds and reservoirs, and approximately 12,000 miles of fishable rivers, streams and canals. Here are links to fishing spots and more information on fishing in Florida.

Georgia Fishing Spots

Georgia offers championship bass fishing plus 4,000 miles of trout streams, and saltwater fishing along the 110-mile coastline. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Georgia.

Hawaii Fishing Spots

Hawaii offers inshore fishing for traditional gamefish like bass, rainbow trout and smallmouth bass. Panfish such as bluegill and tilapia are generally abundant in reservoirs statewide, and several tilapia species also occupy stream habitats. Most shorelines in Hawaii are open to surf fishing, plus you can find Marlin, Tuna, Mahi Mahi, and more big game fish within a mile or two from shore. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Hawaii.

Idaho Fishing Spots

Idaho offers thousands of miles of trout streams, numerous high mountain lakes, and 52 lowland lakes, reservoirs and ponds, of which 14 are Family Fishing waters. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Idaho.

Illinois Fishing Spots

Illinois offers many family-friendly and ADA accessible fishing spots plus special urban fishing programs in Chicago and more cities. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Ilinois.

Indiana Fishing Spots

Indiana offers a wide range of fishing opportunities from Coho Salmon in Lake Michigan to walleye, trout, bass and crappie in other areas. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Indiana.

Iowa Fishing Spots

Iowa offers thousands of lakes and ponds stocked and abundant with panfish like crappie and bluegill. Several lakes are also fishing destinations for muskie, northern pike and walleye. Iowa also has trout streams and rivers with walleye and other sportfish. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Iowa.

Kansas Fishing Spots

Kansas offers fishing in 24 major reservoirs, 40 regularly stocked state fishing lakes, and 100+ community and county lakes. You’ll find bass, bream, crappie, catfish, and, in stocked streams and rivers, trout. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Kansas.

Kentucky Fishing Spots

You’ll find an amazing diversity of fish in Kentucky, including smallmouth bass (Kentucky is home to the world record smallmouth), striped bass, blue catfish, shellcrackers, muskellunge, crappie and more. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Kentucky.

Louisiana Fishing Spots

Louisiana has 3,000 miles of shoreline plus lakes, rivers, and marshes that offer diverse sportfishing. Choose from Redfish, bass, crappie, and more. The state has many Get Out and Fish ponds stocked with adult-size fish for fun, easy fishing. Stocked ponds are located at community parks throughout Louisiana. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Louisiana.

Maine Fishing Spots

Maine has over 32,000 miles of rivers and streams and 6,000 lakes and ponds. Maine offers smallmouth and largemouth bass, and native populations of wild brook trout. For the kids, Maine offers a special fishing opportunity: over 50 restricted waters throughout the state, all stocked with catchable sized fish (see the Special Opportunity Waters below). Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Maine.

Maryland Fishing Spots

Maryland has a rich fishing and crabbing heritage and offers everything from trophy trout in mountain streams to migratory gamefish cutting through the Gulf Stream. Freshwater and saltwater opportunities abound for everyone from families and their children’s first catch to the expert looking to hook up with a fish-of-a-lifetime. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Maryland.

Massachusetts Fishing Spots

Massachusetts offers freshwater fishing in hundreds of lakes, reservoirs, ponds, streams, and rivers, plus abundant haddock, cod, flounder and more saltwater species. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Massachusetts.

Michigan Fishing Spots

Michigan offers public fishing spots for families, individuals with disabilities, and new and expert anglers. The state has more than 11,000 inland lakes and 3,000 rivers, and more than 3,000 miles of shoreline. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Michigan.

Minnesota Fishing Spots

Minnesota lives up to its – Land of Lakes – with 4,500 managed lakes and 16,000 miles of fishable rivers and streams. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Minnesota.

Mississippi Fishing Spots

With 119 public lakes, 123,000 stream miles and 225,000 freshwater acres, finding a fishing spot in Mississippi is not hard. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Mississippi.

Missouri Fishing Spots

Missouri offers championship bass and walleye fishing in public lakes like Lake of the Ozarks, smallmouth in the many rivers, and trout in stocked, pristine trout streams. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Missouri.

Montana Fishing Spots

Montana offers world famous trout fishing in rivers like the Madison, Yellowstone and Missouri, plus hundreds of smaller streams and creeks. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Montana.

Fishing Spots in Montana (interactive map)
Fishes of Montana app for Android and iOS devices, includes information on 90 native and introduced species.
Montana Trout Stocking Locations
Montana Fishing Guide
Montana Fishing Licenses
General Fishing Information for Montana

Nebraska Fishing Spots

Nebraska has about 450 lakes and streams open to public fishing, including year-round trout streams and dozens of family-friendly lakes and ponds with fishing piers and highly maintained fish populations. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Nebraska.

Nevada Fishing Spots

Nevada offers fishing in high alpine lakes in Elko’s Ruby Mountains to desert lakes such as Walker Lake near Hawthorne and the Colorado River near Las Vegas. Nevada’s fish species include mountain whitefish, redband trout, bull trout, Yellowstone cutthroat, Bonneville cutthroat and the Lahontan cutthroat. Lake Mead and Lake Mohave offer fishing for striped bass, black bass, panfish, catfish, and other sportfish species. For the beginning angler and fishing families, there are accessible fishing spots and more in the links below. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Nevada.

New Hampshire Fishing Spots

New Hampshire stocks nearly a million catchable-sized trout in its streams and lakes, and offers saltwater fishing for shad, flounder, striped bass, mackerel and bluefish. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in New Hampshire.

New Jersey Fishing Spots

Whether it’s surf fishing for striped bass and bluefish, flyfishing for trout, or casting for lunker bass, New Jersey anglers have some of the widest varieties of fishing opportunities available anywhere. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in New Jersey.

New Mexico Fishing Spots

New Mexico stocks its waterways more than 2 million trout and other game fish each year. You can also find a variety of warm-water species, including largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye, white bass, catfish, bluegills, perch and pike. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in New Mexico.

North Carolina Fishing Spots

From trout fishing in the western mountains to bass fishing in the mid-state, striped bass in coastal rivers, and marlin offsore, North Carolina is a top destination for fishing. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in North Carolina.

North Dakota Fishing Spots

North Dakota is famous for its lakes and rivers with big Walleye, northern pike, bass, perch and catfish. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in North Dakota.

Ohio Fishing Spots

Ohio offers public fishing in 124,000 acres of inland water, 7,000 miles of streams, 2.25 million acres of Lake Erie water, and 481 miles of the Ohio River. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Ohio.

Oklahoma Fishing Spots

With more than 200 scenic lakes hundreds of miles of streams and rivers, Oklahoma offers every kind of freshwater fishing. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Oklahoma

Oregon Fishing Spots

Oregon offers trout, salmon, steelhead and halibut fishing for experienced anglers and easy angling with family fishing spots for families with kids and handicapped individuals. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Oregon.

Pennsylvania Fishing Spots

Pennsylvania has more than 85,000 miles of fishable streams and rivers, along with 4,000 inland lakes and ponds covering 160,000 acres, plus 470,000 acres of Lake Erie. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Pennsylvania.

Rhode Island Fishing Spots

Rhode Island is famed for coastal striped bass fishing with heavily stocked trout streams inland. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Rhode Island.

South Carolina Fishing Spots

South Carolina offers world famous saltwater fishing in the surf, off the coast or from one of the state’s many piers, and freshwater fishing for trophy sized striped bass, catfish and trout. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in South Carolina.

South Dakota Fishing Spots

South Dakota offers pristine fishing for trout, trophy bass and walleye, and ice fishing through the winter. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in South Dakota.

Tennessee Fishing Spots

The waters of Tennessee offer opportunities for anglers of all ages, experience and interests. With 29 major reservoirs, 19,000 miles of warm and cold water streams, and thousands of smaller lakes and ponds, anglers in the Volunteer State have places to wet a line year-round. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Tennessee.

Texas Fishing Spots

Texas, where everything is big, including the fish – offers thousands of lakes and rivers where you can catch trophy Guadalupe and largemouth bass, oversized crappie, trout, and dozens of other specials. The state has over 360 miles of coastline with surf, pier and deep sea fishing. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Texas.

Utah Fishing Spots

Utah has more than 1,000 fishable lakes and fishing streams. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Utah.

Vermont Fishing Spots

Trout are the most popular target of Vermont’s anglers. Nearly every small, cold stream throughout the state supports wild brook trout. Vermont also offers family friendly fishing spots where you can find easy fishing for bass, bream and more. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Vermont.

Virginia Fishing Spots

With over 176,000 acres of public lakes and 27,300 miles of fishable streams, Virginia is sure to provide something for every freshwater angler. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Virginia.

Washington Fishing Spots

state seal of Washington Washington State offers bass fishing in its many lakes, flyfishing for trout in pristine streams, trolling for salmon along the coast, crabbing in Puget Sound and more diverse fishing for the long-time angler or a first-time fisher. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Washington State.

West Virginia Fishing Spots

When it comes to fishing in West Virginia, it’s all about trout and smallmouth bass. West Virginia has over 20,000 miles of streams, most of which hold trout or smallmouth. There are also more than 100 fishing lakes with largemouth bass, crappie, bream and catfish. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in West Virginia.

Wisconsin Fishing Spots

Wisconsin’s unique combination of lakes, streams and rivers, easy fishing access, opportunities for action and the potential for large fish, make it one of the top fishing destinations in the nation. Share the water, take someone fishing and make memories one fish at a time. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Wisconsin.

Wyoming Fishing Spots

Wyoming offers world famous trout fishing in rivers such as the Snake and North Platte. Others like the Green and Tongue attract regional and local anglers with excellent fishing. The North Platte’s chain of reservoirs offers popular
walleye fishing in combination with exceptional angling for rainbow and brown trout. Here are places to fish and more information on fishing in Wyoming.

Fishing Spots in Wyoming (interactive map)
Fishes of Montana app for Android and iOS devices, includes information on 90 native and introduced species.
Wyoming Trout Stocking Locations
Wyoming Fishing Guide
Wyoming Fishing Regulations
Wyoming Fishing Licenses
General Fishing Information for Wyoming