I wish Southern California had some decent fly fishing rivers and streams. Being an avid angler I always wanted to go fly fishing, but for years I haven’t had the time to travel. I guess fly fishing video games will have to do for now. This article features the best fly fishing games and simulators worth playing in 2019. When it comes to video games fly fishing is a smaller niche genre so set your expectations a little lower than mainstream fishing video games. If you have any useful information to add please leave a comment!
5. Fly Fishing 3D 2 (Android, IOS)
– Unrealistic arcade-style fly fishing action.
– See It On Marketplaces: Android | IOS
Fly Fishing 3D 2 is one of the better fly fishing games for mobile devices. The unrealistic arcade-style gameplay is similar to SEGA Bass Fishing, just not as good. What I like most about Fly Fishing 3D 2 is how easy it is to find and catch fish, at least in the beginner level. There are a few downfalls though. There are only 3 locations, and the amount of different fish species to catch is lacking. I also encountered a lot of bugs, like the leveling up system freezing and getting my lure glitched in rocks. The microtransactions feel almost forced when you reach higher levels, but this is expected when playing most mobile games.
Overall Fly Fishing 3D 2 is a good mobile game for kids or casual gamers that enjoy fast-paced fishing action.
4. Fishing On The Fly (PC)
– A decent indie game that has potential.
– See It On Steam
Fishing On The Fly is a fairly new indie game on steam that’s in early access. For a 2019 PC game, the graphics aren’t the best but they are tolerable considering this game was developed by one person. However, wilderness environments are really nice and the music is relaxing.
As of right now, the game has 4 large real-life blue-ribbon rivers areas filled with different trout species. I like the progression in this game. When you catch fish you’ll level up, unlock items, and earn money. Money can be used to buy new useful fishing gear like rods, reels, boots, waders, and flys. The fish AI is a little odd how they group together. I know trout aren’t always a schooling fish! Using the right fly that mimics the actual live bug baits in the area is essential if you want to catch fish.
At $20 I think the price is steep. The game is good but the content feels a little bare. Hopefully, the developer continues to update this game!
3. Fly Fishing Simulator HD/Premium (PC, Android, IOS)
– The Best Fly Fishing simulator for mobile devices and arguably PC.
– More Information & Game Download Links
When I first played Fly Fishing Simulator HD I didn’t know how to play it properly because I ignored the tutorial (What a dummy, lol). After finishing the helpful and should be required tutorial, I was finally catching fish and navigating the menus accurately. I started to enjoy this game a lot. The photo-realistic locations and fish are really nice looking.
The mobile versions of the game feature 3 free beginner fishing locations starting out. Optionally you can purchase over 30 real-life river locations to fish at. The add-on river locations cost $1 each, which is a reasonable price because they are of high quality. The Premium PC version costs $15 with all paid fishing locations unlocked. Each fishing location has 4 to 6 spots to fish at. When you catch more fish you’ll unlock new fishing spots, rods, reels, and flys to use. You even have the ability to tie your own flys.
Whether you purchase Fly Fishing Simulator HD/Premium for PC or play the free mobile version. This is one of the best and most realistic fly fishing simulators out there.
2. Far Cry 5 – Fly Fishing (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
– Far Cry 5 and fly fishing! who would have thought?
– See It On Amazon
First and foremost Far Cry 5 is an open world story-driven first-person shooter. However, Far Cry 5 has optional fly fishing in it. While it doesn’t pack in all the bells and whistles you would expect from a dedicated fly fishing game, it does execute it well. There is a lot of rods, baits, and lines available to find or purchase. I was amazed by the graphics and how many fish species and fishing locations there are in this game. In all, there are 12 different fish species available to catch including Grayling, Trout, Salmon, Bass, Paddle Fish and more. There is also 12 different fishing locations that include rivers, streams and lakes. You can even go to the bait shop to see your biggest fish records.
Overall Far Cry 5’s fly fishing is very impressive considering it’s not the game’s main focus. If you don’t enjoy first-person shooters though, you might want to skip this game or wait for a steep price drop.
1. Ultimate Fishing Simulator (PC)
– The fly fishing is wide open, realistic, and awesome.
– See It On Steam
Ultimate Fishing Simulator has pretty much all types of fishing in it including fly fishing. You can actually use your fly fishing rods, reels, flys and baits at any lake, river or sea location. It’s nice to have the freedom to go fly fishing at every location in the game if you wanted to. Of course, the fly fishing gear works best at mountain lakes/rivers for panfish, trout and salmon species, but many other fish species can be caught using the fly fishing gear also.
Graphically Ultimate Fishing Simulator is beautiful in every way. The game does require moderate PC specs to run. If your computer is too outdated you might have to turn the beautiful graphics and resolution down a couple of notches. It doesn’t affect the gameplay mechanics though.
For a simulator focusing on all sorts of fishing, this game does everything right including fly fishing. The developers continue to release new updates, fixes, and download content regularly. At $20 this is a must buy if you’re interested in fishing video games.
* Honorable Mentions *
The following games are either outdated or barely missed our top list. You still might want to check these out.
Real World Fly Fishing (PC) – Some fly fishing enthusiasts still consider this old game to be the best fly fishing simulator available for PC. With tons of river locations, flys, fish species, photo-realistic graphics, and a helpful commentator this sim has a lot going for it. Sadly this game won’t run on any Windows OS version higher than 7. Fly Fishing Simulator Premium is the successor to Real World Fly Fishing.
FlySim (PC) – Another old outdated sim that no longer runs on Windows 8 or 10 PC’s. Back in 2006 this was a good Sim. Real World Fly Fishing is still better, but FlySim isn’t bad either. This game is priced at $25, which is really steep for a mediocre PC game so old.
Pro Fishing Simulator (PC, PS4, Xbox One) – An average game. Really plain areas and it can become boring fast if you aren’t catching fish. There is some fly fishing in it though and the game mechanics work decently well for it. This one of the few fly fishing options avaible for console gamers playing on PS4 or Xbox One.
Fly Fishing 3D (Android, IOS) – The second game is better in every way. This game does offer different fishing locations though.
