I’m Kayla. I fish a lot. Bank, kayak, small boat, even a pier now and then. I test gear for work and for fun. And, yes, I’m that person who brings two phones. An iPhone 14 and a cheap Android backup. Not sponsored. Just fussy.
Over the past year, I used these apps on real trips. Spring spawn, summer heat, fall wind—bass, trout, and redfish. Some apps earned a spot on my home screen. Some… got deleted on the ramp. For a complete breakdown of my field tests, check out the full trip log I shared right here.
You know what? The right app won’t fix a bad knot. But it can save a skunked day.
Quick Picks (No Fluff)
- Best for finding spots and patterns: Fishbrain
- Best maps for depth and contours: Navionics Boating
- Best free logbook: FishAngler
- Best pattern tracking for gear nerds: ANGLR
- Best “Should I fish today?” nudge: BassForecast
- Best simple tide check: Tides Near Me
- Best wind and storm check: Windy or MyRadar
- Best regs help for salt: Fish Rules
- Best with castable sonar: Deeper app (with the Deeper device)
Let me explain how each one did for me in real water.
Fishbrain — The Social Map That Actually Helped
I used Fishbrain on Lake Travis in March. Water was clear. I set the app to show recent catches of spotted bass near rocky points. People were throwing little swimbaits around 8 to 12 feet. I copied them. I landed a 3.1 lb largemouth off a wind-blown point before lunch. I logged it with a quick photo and a note: “sun and chop.”
What I like:
- Tons of community posts and spot ideas
- Species ID works fine on decent pics
- Weather and bites in one glance
What bugs me:
- Premium paywall for depth lines and more data
- Some “spots” feel vague or off on busy lakes
- Random DMs from strangers asking for GPS pins—no thanks
Price stuff changes a lot. I just say this: the free plan is okay; the paid plan is the real deal.
Navionics Boating — My Map Bible on the Water
For kayak trips on Sam Rayburn, Navionics saved me. I ran depth shading at 10–15 feet and found a long tapering point I didn’t see on Google Maps. First cast with a Texas rig got hammered. Later, I downloaded the maps for offline use. That saved my tail when my phone service dropped. I also lean on an offline emergency toolkit—see the moments it genuinely helped me in this story.
What I like:
- Sharp contour lines and good shading
- Routes and waypoints stay tidy
- Offline maps are clutch
What bugs me:
- Big downloads, heavy on battery
- Subscriptions vary by region and can be pricey
- My older Android felt slow with it
Tip: turn screen brightness down and carry a power bank. Trust me.
FishAngler — Clean, Free, and Simple
I used FishAngler on Clear Creek in Colorado with a tiny spinner and 4 lb line. The app let me save each trout with water temp and cloud cover. I also tracked what gear I used (Panther Martin, size 2). It’s not fancy. But it’s fast.
What I like:
- Free and easy logs
- Solid community but not noisy
- Decent forecast page
What bugs me:
- Forecast feels a bit generic at times
- Fewer high-quality shared spots than Fishbrain
- Some ads, but not too bad
If you’re new, start here. It’s like a friendly notebook.
ANGLR — For Data Folks and Pattern Nerds
I love patterns. Dock shade at noon. Wind seams. Boat lanes. ANGLR lets me tag all that. I paired the app with their little “Bullseye” button on my PFD. Tap it at each fish. Boom—time, temp, and wind stamped. On Lake St. Clair, I learned my smallmouth hits came when wind swung 10–15 mph from the west, over gravel, with cloud cover. That kept me on fish.
What I like:
- Deep trip logs without manual typing
- Gear notes stay organized
- Privacy controls feel strong
What bugs me:
- It froze twice on my Android after a long day
- Support is okay, not fast
- Bit of a learning curve
If you like charts, this scratches that itch.
BassForecast — A Nudge, Not a Rule
I tried BassForecast before a pre-spawn trip in April. It said the window from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. looked “hot.” It also suggested jerkbaits and lipless cranks. I tied on a jerkbait at 10:30, counted to five, and got a nice 2.8 lb fish. Felt great. Next day it said “fair” and I still did fine on a jig. So, yeah, it helps, but it’s not magic.
What I like:
- Simple score for “Should I go?”
- Lure tips match the season pretty well
What bugs me:
- Sometimes feels like a horoscope
- Some features sit behind a paywall
Use it as a push to get out there. Not as a boss.
Tides Near Me + Windy/MyRadar — My Saltwater Trio
For redfish in Port Aransas, I ran three apps. Tides Near Me told me the tide swing for the flat. Windy showed gusts and direction at noon. MyRadar warned me about a line of storms with fast-moving cells. I skipped one sketchy afternoon because the radar looked ugly. Next morning, knee-deep water, falling tide, gold spoon—two slot reds. That tide chart was money.
What I like:
- Tides Near Me is fast and free
- Windy gives wind layers I trust
- MyRadar is super clear for storms
What bugs me:
- You end up hopping between apps
- Too many alerts if you don’t tweak settings
Set favorite stations and turn off noisy notifications.
Fish Rules — Keeping It Legal on the Coast
I love this one for salt trips. In Florida, it saved me from keeping an undersized sheepshead. I checked the size limit right on the dock. Quick, no stress.
What I like:
- Clear size and bag rules by species
- Photos help ID fish fast
What bugs me:
- Rules updates can lag if you don’t refresh
- Offline use is hit or miss, so screenshot key pages
Pack a tape. And check before you cast.
Deeper App (with Deeper Sonar) — Fun, but Not for Every Rod
I use the Deeper PRO+ on small ponds. The app shows depth, weed edges, and brush piles. It helped me find a sunken tree where I caught two bass on a wacky rig. Super cool. But the unit is heavy for light gear, and tossing it near spooky fish can blow a spot.
What I like:
- Fast depth readouts
- Simple screen, easy on the eyes
- Great for scouting new water
What bugs me:
- Heavy to cast on a medium-light setup
- My app crashed once after a long scan
- Can spook fish in clear, shallow water
Use a stout rod and a slow lob cast.
How I Stack My Apps on Real Trips
- Bass lake day: Navionics for contours, Fishbrain for patterns, ANGLR for logs
- Trout creeks: FishAngler for fast logs, MyRadar for storms
- Salt flats: Tides Near Me for timing, Windy for wind, Fish Rules for limits
- New water: Navionics plus Deeper for quick scouting
I keep three on my front screen and the rest in a “Fishing” folder. I also turn off auto-sharing. Spot burning is real. Share your story, not your exact pin—unless it’s a pond where the kids fish. Then be kind and share.
To corral screenshots, tide charts, and waypoints from all these tools in one tidy folder, the Loup app has become my backstage organizer.
Money Talk (Quick and Honest)
- FishAngler, Tides Near Me, Fish Rules: free
- Fishbrain, Navionics, BassForecast: paid tiers that run from a few bucks a month to more yearly
- Windy and MyRadar: free, with paid extras
- ANGLR: core features are free; that little button costs extra
- Deeper app is free, but the sonar unit itself isn’t cheap
Prices move around a lot, so check the app store before you hit “buy.”
Final Cast
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