Best fishing simulators

Fishing simulators are a great way to relax and relieve stress and are sometimes the only opportunity to get out on the pond for fishing enthusiasts of all stripes.

Of course, sitting with a fishing rod can hardly be compared with something, but household or work affairs, weather, or lack of bite can easily hamper your way to the evening fishing. And nobody canceled the need to fuss with gear, bait, and bait. Meanwhile, fishing simulators in these conditions can be a worthy alternative if better substitutes exist. Fishing games are so popular that they even have themed online slots and other online casino games. Today we will analyze the best games about fishing on PC, consoles, and mobile gadgets. Our top list includes the following:

• Advanced simulators.
• Staking on maximum realism.
• Uncomplicated arcade games will be easy to master, even for a person far from video games.

Every fisherman will find a suitable place to cast a fishing rod!

Professional Fishing

• Genre: simulator
• Platforms: PC, Android, Apple
• Player ratings: 75% (Steam)

Let’s go straight to the trump card: Professional Fishing is probably the best fishing simulator among the games distributed on a free-to-play model. That is, you can download it free on any of the available platforms! Moreover, here you will not see even a trace of the usual “free play” games hurt: graphics are made at a decent level for the genre, and putting money for in-game purchases for a relaxing pastime is unnecessary.

A cute, three-dimensional environment and a modern engine allow you to walk around each body of water on your own to choose the right place to fish. And if you want to cast a fishing rod from an island in the middle of the lake, you can get there by small boat. Thanks to an advanced artificial intelligence system, each fish behaves differently and will require an individual approach from the fisherman. The dynamic change of weather and time of day affects the process of fishing the most direct way: catching catfish is much easier at night, and the representatives of the carp family much more readily bite in the rain. Available online with tables of records, championships, and duel mode, where you can compete with a friend one-on-one.

Fishing Sim World: Pro Tour

• Genre: Simulator
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
• Game scores: 77% (Steam)

Advanced simulator, whose developers have staked on the most realistic recreation of the fishing process and the path of a professional fisherman. The primary game mode is a career in which you have to break through from the bottom to a place on the list of the coolest fishermen in the world. And to do this, you will have to prove your skills in online championships, competing for face to face with other equally ambitious amateurs. However, no one forbids you to take a break from online battles on your server with a couple of cronies.

Authenticity and attention to detail in the game are at a high level. The developers have agreed with more than half a hundred leading fishing tackle manufacturers so each place and hook looks and works exactly as in real life. And the believability of the gameplay was overseen by world-renowned fishing experts. There are a dozen fishing spots to choose from in the most colorful locations in the U.S. and Europe. You can cast from the shore or a boat in the middle of a body of water. And to find the most suitable place for a fishing rod, you will help with sonar and GPS. Fishing Sim World is a funny but complex and demanding game for those who appreciate maximal realism in fishing simulators.

Ultimate Fishing Simulator

• Genre: arcade/simulator
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Android, Apple, Nintendo Switch
• Player ratings: 90% (Steam)

Ultimate Fishing Simulator is a compromise solution for those who want a sea of opportunities to catch virtual fish but are afraid of getting bored without a bite in the “professional” simulator. The fish bites almost without stopping, so sleeping for a fishing rod will not work! At the same time, referring the game to the number of primitive arcade languages does not turn around. Here you have a bunch of settings and gear, a realistic mode for hardened professionals, and a variety of fishing, including the classic float, bottom, spinning, fly fishing, and a favorite pastime of anglers – ice fishing with the obligatory ritual of drilling a hole.

The player chooses offline mode and online multiplayer with seven spacious and colorful bodies of water. And if you get tired of the built-in locations, at your service, a convenient and accessible level editor who, with the right skills, can recreate a nearby river and the pond at the cottage. Weather and time of day are constantly changing, and it’s essential to keep track of them – some fish can be fished only at night or dawn. And keep track of your achievements will help you with a collection of fishing trophies.

Fishing Planet

• Genre: simulator
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Android, Apple
• Players scores: 84% (Steam)

Another realistic fishing simulator, distributed on the conditional-free scheme: the basic game with all the essential features is free, and you only have to pay for all sorts of optional bonuses. In addition, it is a rare project devoted to fishing with support for full cross-platform multiplayer: PC players can fish together with those who prefer to play on consoles or even mobile devices. Fishing Planet is a time-tested game released in 2015, which entails both pros and cons. On the one hand, the developers had time to polish all the mechanics to a shine and cram the game with lots of content, and high player reviews confirm that they did a great job. On the other hand, the graphical side has undoubtedly gotten a little old in 7 years. However, if graphics aren’t the main thing for you, this game could be one of the best fisherman simulation games out there.

The main pride of the game is the advanced artificial fish intelligence that reacts to many different parameters, including season, time of day, water temperature, wind speed, weather conditions, depth, and current speed. The number of picturesque reservoirs over the years of game development has reached 25, and the number of fish species is approaching two hundred. The player has access to float, spinning, and bottom types of fishing. Different tackle allows you to pick the most suitable combination for your tasks. You can fish from the shore or on a motorboat. As a competitive mode in the game, there are regular online competitions with personal scoring and prizes.