The best fishing backpacks for your next trip to the water

The Wild River Tackle Tek Nomad Lighted Backpack is not only a mouthful to say, but it’s the Cadillac of fishing backpacks. If you’re someone who likes to bring a lot of tackle and gear options on your fishing trips, this is the bag for you. The Wild River Tackle Tek Nomad features five exterior pockets, each with either internal dividers or mesh pocket exteriors providing plenty of space for extra spools of fishing line, premade leader lines, or portable fly boxes. The main compartment of the backpack has upper and lower access zippers and can be separated into two compartments using an internal divider. The lower half is capable of easily stowing four #3600 tackle trays, which are included in the purchase. On the underside of the top flap is another zippered compartment made of clear plastic, which is ideal for stowing your fishing license, map, wallet, or anything else you’d like to keep dry, but visible.

This is one of the only bags I’ve ever seen with a built-in, internal/external LED light. The light, powered by two AAA batteries (also included with purchase), is fixed to the top front of the bag and turns on with the click of a rubber-coated button (light has three settings: dim/bright/green). The light can be rotated on its mount to either shine on the interior of the bag through a whole in the mount or shine outside of the bag to light up your hands while you tie tricky knots or work the tangles out of your kid’s line. As a side note, the light is smartly positioned directly over the central exterior pocket which folds out into a convenient working surface when needed.

At the very top of this bag is a built-in, molded sunglasses case, ensuring you’ll never crush your sunglasses in transit. The bag also comes with a removable sheath for your fishing pliers and a retractable lanyard for any line clips or pocket knives you’d like to keep off of the riverbed. And finally, the Wild River Tackle Tek Nomad comes with its own built-in rain cover, located in its own zippered pocket, directly behind the main compartment. Simply pull it out, stretch it around the bag, and you’re good to go while your gear stays dry.

Overall, this is a lot of backpack, and because of all the extras, it weighs in at a hefty 4.75 pounds. This, however, is offset by the fact that it carries very well. The large padded shoulders straps, adjustable sternum strap, and padded back-panel offer a pleasant carry and should keep you comfortable no matter how far it is to your favorite fishing hole.

This is a higher-quality bag, so it comes at a higher cost. In my mind, it’s well worth it as long as you think you’ll put the added features to good use.

With the Piscifun Fishing Tackle Storage Bag, we flip a complete 180 into a more minimalist bag. But what the Piscifun bag lacks in bells and whistles, it makes up for in functionality and durability, which is what anybody should be looking for in a fishing backpack. First and foremost, this bag is a sling backpack, which is inherently smaller, but more maneuverable. With a large shoulder strap and two smaller waist straps, this bag can be maneuvered to be carried in multiple configurations to include cross-body carry, chest carry, hand-bag carry, and sling carry. The chest carry option is especially nice if you plan on wading into a river or pond and wish to keep your gear accessible.

Though smaller, the Piscifun Fishing Tackle Storage Bag has plenty of pockets and compartments for holding all of your essential fishing gear, and most of the zippered pockets have smaller sub-pockets set inside. The largest pocket on the bag is fully capable of carrying two #3600 tackle trays. The outside of the bag features a number of nice extras, including a water bottle holder, extra removable straps for securing rods, a built-in rod holder/pliers holder, and MOLLE webbing along the front pocket to secure additional gear or add pouches if desired.

Virtually every part of this bag has either cinch straps or Velcro straps to keep your gear secure and prevent equipment from shifting and bouncing. This is especially nice if you plan on changing from a sling carry to a chest carry. Built with water-resistant nylon fabric, you can tell the Piscifun Fishing Tackle Storage Bag is made to last from the moment you pick it up — and for less than $30, I have no doubt you’ll be getting your money’s worth out of it.

The Fishpond Summit Sling Fly Fishing Backpack is just an all around cool bag. With a sleek nylon design, this bag is a fly fisherman’s dream. As a sling bag, this model can be carried both as a regular backpack or across the chest. The molded front pocket unzips and folds out to serve as a workstation for tying flies and also contains a strip of fly foam for keeping your flies secure and organized. The outside of the molded compartment is lined with Velcro-ready pile fabric, allowing for the addition of more fly foam as the wearer sees fit. The inside compartment is spacious as well, and can easily fit two #3600 tackle trays if needed, but due to the bag’s shape, it doesn’t seem designed to hold regular rectangular trays..

On the exterior, the comfortable padded shoulder sling offers a workstation of its own, featuring more pile fabric for more fly foam and a hypalon (synthetic rubber) strap for securing pliers, snippers, and other small tools. The back panel of the bag has a built-in sleeve for easily stowing your fishing net, and the rear-most packet has a water-resistant zipper to prevent its contents from getting too wet if the bag happens to get submerged. The outside of the main bag has several more, conveniently-located hypalon sleeves for carrying tools or rods, as well as TPE lash points for tying on additional gear, and the bottom of the bag has a sleeve pocket for carrying a water bottle.

Of the bags I tested, this was definitely the most comfortable and the easiest to carry and manipulate. At $99.95 on Amazon, the Fishpond Summit Sling Fly Fishing Backpack is one of the more expensive sling fishing backpacks out there, but you’re getting what you pay for with a quality brand, useful and durable features, and a bag made of mostly recycled material, so you can feel good about doing your part for Mother Earth while you’re slaying brook trout.

The Orvis Bug-Out Backpack takes the prize for the best double-duty backpack because, in addition to all of its fishing-heavy features, it also offers the sleak, well-balanced build of a hiking backpack, making it ideal for camping weekends on the river. Made of 100 percent recycled materials, the Orvis Bug-Out Backpack offers 25 liters of storage capacity, with a dividable interior compartment. A side access flap allows the wearer to easily access tackle or other items stowed in any part of the bag. The opposite side offers a water bottle holder which extends via a bottom zipper to accommodate for longer rod tubs, and allows the wearer to keep them center-balanced instead of leaning precariously far overhead.

The comfortable shoulder straps offer a nice distribution of weight, along with attachment points for frequently needed tools and anchor-point clips compatible with two variations of Orvis chest pack rigs. The back panel contains a sleeve for securely sliding your net handle, and the padded outer pocket is ideal for carrying anything from a water bladder to a laptop.

Orvis has been a trusted name in the fishing world for many years, which they’ve earned by producing quality outdoor products. Keeping that in mind should help put the $189 price tag into perspective. Though this might seem a little pricey for a fishing backpack, keep in mind that this bag can easily double as a hiking bag or an everyday travel bag.

If you’re just looking for a quality tackle backpack without a lot of fancy extras, the BASSDASH Fishing Tackle Backpack is a solid choice. It’s pocket layout is similar to that of the Wild River backpack, right down to the molded sunglasses holder and dividable interior compartment, but it doesn’t come with all the “cool guy” extras and probably won’t get you teased as much by the crusty old fishmen hanging out at the trailhead or boat launch. Instead, the water-resistant BASSDASH backpack seems to focus on just being a quality build, with ample space for all your tackle needs. Some of the extras that are included in this bag are two rod holders (which the Wild River bag lacked), the aforementioned sunglasses holder, side-mounted water bottle holder, pocket-mounted plier sheath, built in rain cover, and MOLLE webbing on the bottom front pocket.

When you strip away all the fancy extras, you can also strip away a lot of the cost. The BASSDASH Fishing Tackle Backpack is currently available on Amazon for around $60, which is well over $100 cheaper than its similarly sized Wild River counterpart. If you like the bag, but are looking for something just a bit bigger, there’s a larger version of the same backpack available on Amazon for a modest price increase, with the only differences in the location of the sunglass holder and the layout of the top flap zipper.

When people think of the YETI brand, they mostly just think about high-end coolers and insulated mugs and coffee cups. I’ll admit, I did. But little did I know that YETI has ventured into the backpack business as well, and the YETI Panga Airtight Bag is one of the highest rated waterproof/submersible bags on the market. This bag features a YETI termed “ThickSkin Shell” which is made of high-density nylon and TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) lamination, making it water-resistant and puncture-/abrasion-resistant. The bag also features Hydrolock zippers, which are guaranteed to keep the moisture out. YETI is so confident in the waterproof status of this bag, they’ve gone so far as to include a laptop sleeve on the inside of the bag. This will come in handy if you need to take a break from fishing to take a riverside Zoom call for work or check to see how many “likes” your fishing photos have received on Facebook.

Aside from its waterproof status, the YETI Panga Airtight Bag has a relatively simple design with a spacious main compartment and a mesh zippered pocket inside. The outside is rigged up with several MOLLE-like loops for attaching extra gear and a side handle for an additional carrying option, but aside from that there are no extra bits of flare attached outside and most gear must be packed into the main compartment.

A fisherman who really prides themselves on having the perfect cast may not want to have their range of motion obstructed or limited due to a backpacks placement or weight. Those who prefer to keep their upper-body nimble may opt instead for a fishing hip pack, making the Piscifun Portable Waist Bag an excellent option. Made of light-weight nylon, this 10.69-ounce “manly fanny-pack” has a mind-blowing amount of space considering it’s small build. The bag features a spacious main compartment (measuring 9 x 3.4 x 5.3 inches), five outer pockets for additional gear, a water bottle holder, and a concealed pocket that hugs the wearer’s body (hide your money here if you’re worried about getting mugged on the river).

The Piscifun Portable Waist Bag is available on Amazon for a low price of $14.99 and is useful for more than fishing, such as cycling, day hiking, or being the coolest parent at Disney World.

Another good option if you’re looking to maintain a low profile on the river is the Allen Bear Creek Micro Fishing Chest Vest. This chest vest is more geared to fly fishermen who are traveling light, and features a fold-down work station with a built-in tippet tender and fly patch. A padded neck strap offers extra support and there are multiple interior pockets for storing the fishing essentials to keep you on the water longer. In fact, the Allen Bear Creek Micro Fishing Chest Vest, might be a nice addition to your larger tackle backpack. Hike with it inside the larger backpack, then pull it out when you get to your favorite spot. Keep your essential tools on your chest and only go into the tackle bag when necessary.

Like the hip packs, the chest pack variety typically comes in at a much lower price point, and the Allen Bear Creek Micro Fishing Chest Vest is available on Amazon for under $30.