Fishing Planet review

Fishing Planet takes the top spot because it gives anglers a full simulator without a purchase price. Its Steam page describes a first-person online multiplayer fishing simulator with more than 300 fish species whose behavior shifts with season, climate, time of day, water current, bottom type, water and air temperature and wind. There are 27 waterways, ocean yachts that carry 2 to 5 friends, fishing clubs with chat, and events and competitions with leaderboards. A recent Back to Basics update reworked the first lake, Lone Star Lake, and added a Trophy Room for catches. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux through Steam, and Fishing Planet LLC also publishes it on the US App Store, so the same game is free on a phone. 84% of 29,654 English Steam reviews are positive. The trade-offs: the game sells boats, gear and region packs as in-app purchases and DLC, and the PC minimum calls for 8 GB of RAM and a broadband connection.

Who it is for

anglers who want a realistic fishing simulator for free

Price

Free to play on Steam; optional in-game purchases.

Play Fishing Planet Free To Play
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 11, 2026.

Key features

• 300+ fish species whose behavior depends on season, time of day, current, bottom type, temperature and wind
• 27 waterways from around the world, each with its own climate and bottom topography
• Ocean fishing yachts that hold 2 to 5 friends at once
• Fishing clubs, chat, events, competitions and leaderboards
• Trophy Room added in the Back to Basics update, plus a reworked Lone Star Lake

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Free to play on every platform it ships on
• Strength: 84% of 29,654 English Steam reviews are positive
• Strength: Full controller support on Steam, plus Mac and Linux builds
• Weakness: In-app purchases and paid DLC packs sell boats and gear
• Weakness: Minimum PC spec is 8 GB of RAM and a GTX 1050 class graphics card
• Weakness: Needs a broadband connection to play

Key facts

• Developer: Fishing Planet LLC
• Price: Free to play
• Released on Steam: August 28, 2017
• Steam reviews: 84% positive of 29,654 (English)
• Fish species: 300+

Where it ranks

Fishing Planet is No. 1 in our Best Fishing Games verdict.