A good fishing net is not only handy but it generally means you care about the catch and want to give it a fighting chance, especially if you’re fishing for some of the more fragile species, like trout and crappie. A net helps you quickly get a fish landed, unhooked, and released (or ready to shoot a quick photo). It’s also super handy when you have that personal-best trophy on the line — especially a light line — and want to be sure you see the fight through to the end. But not all nets are equal.
These are the best fishing nets for a variety of fishing situations that will help you be more prepared for your next big catch, whether you’re wade fishing, kayak fishing, big game fishing, or traveling to a fishing destination, we’ve got the breakdown of the right net you need, small and large, regardless of budget.
The Top Fishing Nets You Can Buy
Best Overall Fishing Net: Frabill Conservation PLD Net 261
Best Telescoping Net: EGO Fishing S2 Slider-Reach Large Deep Rubber Net
Best Bass Landing Net: Ranger Nets Tour Series Nets
Best Kayak Fishing Net: YakAttack Leverage Landing Net
Best Fly Fishing Net: SIMMS Fishing Daymaker Landing Net
Best Muskie Fishing Net: RS Nets USA Muskie Mag Net
Best Premium Wading Net: EGO Fishing Wade Kryptek Medium Clear Rubber Net
Best Cradle Big Fish Net: RS Nets Cradle Net
Best Net With Built-In Scale: Frabill Conservation Weigh Net
Best Packable Travel Net: Handy Pack Insta-Net L Series
Best Budget / Wading Net: ForEverlast G2 Pro Wading Net
Best Trout Net: FishUSA Premium Trout Net
Best Catfish Net: Whisker Seeker eXtender Landing Net
Best Overall Fishing Net
Frabill Conservation PLD Net 2612
I keep going back to the old faithful Frabill Conservation Series of nets. At the top of the heap is the improved PLD Net 2612. This net is packed with features, it’s built tough, and the netting doesn’t harm the fish — it’s also fitted with a rubberized coating that makes getting your lures out a breeze.
The telescoping handle extends smoothly and is easy to handle with molded rubber grips. The flat bottom allows the fish to sink into the net and stay there so you don’t have to worry about them flopping out during the landing. The Pow’R Loc yoke is strong and easy to maneuver.
This is a big, long net that will handle a lot of big catches for a lot of years. It’s overall very well made. There’s also an available folding version and ultralight version. —Jason Sealock
Best Telescoping Fishing Net
EGO Fishing S2 Slider-Reach Large Deep Rubber Net
This net is perfect for long reaches to dip walleyes and other fish at a distance. With a handle extension from 48 inches to 108 inches, it’s super easy to operate. Simply press and hold the black release button with your thumb and pull the foam rubber handle section. The handle locks at length when you release the button.
The bag is made of lightweight non-tangle deep rubber mesh with a 24-inch flat bottom and the whole net weighs a mere 4.2 pounds. If you’re looking for a net to grab fish at a distance from the boat, this model suits the job extremely well. —Jim Edlund
Best Bass Landing Net
Ranger Nets Tour Series Nets
Popular with bass fishing tournament anglers, Ranger Nets’ Tour Series Nets are lightweight, hassle-free and budget-friendly. Their black, clear, or rubber-dipped net material is practically hook resistant with a flat bottom that makes quick photo, catch, and release for photo tournaments or transport to the livewell a breeze.
The perfect bass size features a 29 – 45-inch handle, a 20 x 20 inch hoop and 18-inch net depth with 3/4-inch holes to move near friction-free in the water. Constructed of aluminum with a black, anodized finish, they meet the rigors of tournament or just everyday bass fishing. —JE
Best Kayak Fishing Net
YakAttack Leverage Landing Net
With a design unlike anything else in the kayak landing net market, the YakAttack Leverage has unique, foam-padded forearm grip. This net offers anglers not only ease of use but awesome ergonomics for landing fish out of small vessels.
Not only does the design offer a lot of angler stability and control, it’s designed to fold up for easy storage given limited kayak space with a handle that folds up right into the net. With a 20 x 21-inch hoop and a 47-inch length, it should land most fish you’ll encounter. Plus, the price won’t break the bank! —JE
Best Fly Fishing Net
SIMMS Fishing Daymaker Landing Net – Small
Built for the realities of today’s stream fly fishing, this net offers huge advances over the fly fishing nets of yesteryear with tangly, braided, string-style netting, which is hard on fish and attracts hook barbs.
Constructed of a composite carbon, the net is 23 inches long and features a 11 x 15-inch hoop. It’s rugged and features a clear rubber net bag to keep fish pristine. The net also features a TPU overlay on the net handle for a solid grip when wet. It weighs a mere 12 ounces resulting in little fatigue when draped over your back walking from pool to pool. It’s a bit more expensive than competitor models but worth it. —JE
Constructed of a composite carbon, the net is 23 inches long and features a 11 x 15-inch hoop. It’s rugged and features a clear rubber net bag to keep fish pristine. The net also features a TPU overlay on the net handle for a solid grip when wet. It weighs a mere 12 ounces resulting in little fatigue when draped over your back walking from pool to pool. It’s a bit more expensive than competitor models but worth it. —JE
Best Muskie Net
RS NETS USA Muskie Mag Net
Made in the USA, this net was designed overly large allowing anglers to handle big muskies submerged while boat-side. Talk about big — the net hoop is hand bent to 40 x 36 x 48 inches and features a hook-resistant and fish-friendly mesh to keep both anglers and trophy muskies in tip-top shape.
It’s available with 1- or 2-inch netting and various handle lengths from 26 to 60 inches. And colors? They’ve got ‘em. Choose from 10 handle and 12 net colors. This net is a bit expensive but when hunting massive esox, it’s suitable and well-spent insurance. —JE
Best Premium Wading Net
EGO Fishing Wade Kryptek-Medium Clear Net
Besides the look, which is an attractive blue camo (Kryptek), this excellent net features a host of great features. First, the clear rubber netting is easy on fish protective slime coating and resists hook snags.
Second, the handle is extendable to 11 inches and it’s super sturdy, even landing a 29-inch walleye on one occasion. And its maximum capacity is over that at 30 pounds. The bag depth is 15 inches and the hoop itself is 17 x 19 inches with a flat bottom for easy fish control.
Another bonus, this net floats! So even if you don’t use the included lanyard/tether, you don’t need to worry about losing it. And priced under $100, I wouldn’t leave any bank/wade fishing trip without it. —JE
Best Cradle Big Fish Net
RS NETS USA Cradle Net
If you’re fishing for sturgeon, giant catfish, paddlefish, or giant muskies/pike, a cradle net can really help the situation where fish release is imminent. In fact, in some places regulations do not allow hoop-style nets so a cradle is required. Well, here’s the model you want, also designed by the maker of our favorite muskie hoop net – RS Nets USA.
Approximately 48” x 48”, the Cradle Net features an aluminum frame covered in foam that gives it floating properties for easy boat-side fish management. In terms of design, you can order the cradle with one or two ends closed for fish management preferences. The frame is covered in mildew- and UV-resistant vinyl and the handles are sewen on with a heavy-duty nylon to ensure the apparatus withstands massive fish weights when a scale is added to the situation. Available in numerous colors. —JE
Best Net With Built-In Scale
Frabill Conservation Witness Weigh Net
Available in 18 x 21-inch and 21 x 24-inch hoop sizes, the Frabill Conservation Witness Weigh Net eliminates the need for removing the fish from the net, allowing you to weigh specimens up to 30 pounds right in the net.
This net features a knotless flat-bottom mesh bag weave for fish safety and reduced hook snags, as well as a handy ruler on the handle if you do want to remove the fish for measurement and a quick photo. —JE
Best Packable Travel Net
Handy Pak Insta-Net L Series
It takes some time to learn how to twist the hoop on this net to get it to fold over itself and fit back into its patented storage pouch that threads onto your wading belt. The rubber hoops are nice. I’ve been using it a lot BFS fishing for trout with barbless hooks and most times, I can scoop a trout and hold it in the water and it will usually wiggle itself free in the net.
I’ve landed some big smallmouth in it just to see what it can handle, and it does get a little squirrelly under a big load. But it’s perfect for lots of fish up to 3 pounds, which is most of what you catch wading and bank fishing. And it packs down into a bag for trips really well.
This is a handmade net from a small U.S. shop, so costs a little more than you might expect, but I absolutely love mine and highly recommend it if you are an avid fisherman off the beaten path. —JS
Best Budget / Wading Net
ForEverlast G2 Pro Wading Net
These have been staple nets for coastal wade fishermen for years, and they are still a solid, affordable choice. What’s not to love about them? From the ergonomic, easy-to-grip handles to the floating ability to the retractable bungee clip that comes out of the handle, this net has it all at an excellent price.
Again these are nets hand made in the U.S. in a small shop, so it does take a week or so to get one after you order. But for the money, as a wader or just an easy throw in the boat net, you can’t go wrong with the G2 Pro. —JS
Best Trout Net
FishUSA Premium Trout Net
The FishUSA Premium Trout Net features light durability thanks to a carbon fiber/fiberglass composite frame and deep, quality rubber mesh netting. These nets are built to make it super easy to land big trout, unhook them, and keep going.
The 8-inch handle is perfect for close-quarters work in the middle of a stream while fighting a rambunctious trout. The rubberized grips make the net super easy to handle in wet conditions. A total length of 26 inches keeps this net compact and easy to tote around on your hip or clipped to your vest while hunting your personal best trout. —JS
Best Big Game / Catfish Net
Whisker Seeker eXtender Landing Net
This net was built from years of suffering through issues with subpar nets trying to land trophy catfish. So it’s packed full of the features that anglers wished they had in a net.
It features a four-position extendable handle that gives you up to 68 inches of reach when needed on a medium net, and 74 inches on the large net. The DuraGrip handle keeps the net secure in your hands while wrestling monster fish into the boat or onto the bank, and it collapses down easily when not in use.
You can get this net with hoop size up to 31 inches by 28 inches in a teardrop shape with a wide mouth for scooping monster fish easily. The heavy duty reinforced yoke gives you the power torque to be able to swing big fish into the boat without worrying about your net failing you. And with a depth up to 32 inches on the large net you can be assured your fish won’t wrangle themselves back out of the net before you have a chance to land them.
The Control grip at the base of the hoop is an added bonus for lifting really large fish over a gunnel or up onto the bank with a lot more control than at the end of a long handle. All in all this is a well thought out net that handles the big fish with ease.
How To Choose The Right Fishing Net
When choosing the right fishing net, you have to consider a few key factors: the type of fishing you do, the species your targeting, and the kind of fishing you do (boat, shore, wading).
Obviously, there will be differences between the perfect net for stream trout fishing and big-water muskie fishing. Choose a net that has a hoop and bag size that gives you room for the species you’re targeting, and that doesn’t only mean hoop size, but also the depth of the bag. Flat-bottom nets have become popular and allow easy unhooking of fish and on-water fish management once netted.
Also consider net material; nets typically come in rubber, rubber-coated mesh, nylon, and other knotless mesh materials. The two things you want to consider here are how well they protect the fish from undue handling, which can compromise their slime coating, as well as how impervious the material is to hook points and snag tendencies. Nylon is the cheapest material you’ll find, but typically, it’s not very cooperative with hooks and more harmful to the fish.
Handle length is also important. If you’re wading, fly fishing, or kayak fishing, go with something shorter. Bank fishing and all-around boat fishing requires something with a mid-length handle, and fishing from deeper boats or elevated piers or docks will require even longer handles. The same goes for specialty fishing, like trolling salmon or trout off the back of the boat where extendable-handle, long-length nets can really help the situation and put more fish in the cooler or livewell.
The last thing to consider is overall construction. At the prices of today’s nets, it’s best to seek out those with the most durable frame and hoop construction – typically aluminum or some kind of carbon or composite material. Do you want your net to serve you well for years or do you just need something for the weekend because you left your good net in the garage?
Take all of these factors into account and we have little doubt you’ll pick the right net for the job. You’ll inevitably discover that no one net is right for every job – best to start a collection for all the kinds of fishing you do and make sure it’s on your preparation checklist before you hit the water!
