20 Best Fishing Movies and Documentary


Fishing in the cinema has been combined with many different themes, became the main subject of many different themes, and been used as a backdrop for many different themes. Anything you can think of, such as friendship, love, romance, politics, or comedy, became the main theme of these movies. Many producers, directors, and actors also work wonders in these fishing-themed films. Whether it’s a relaxed evening with your family, a date night to share with your loved ones, or a time you want to pamper yourself during hobby time, any movie with a fishing theme can accompany you beautifully. Prepare your popcorn, settle down in a cozy place and enjoy the best fishing movies.

  1. A River Runs Through It
  2. Alamo Bay
  3. Gone Fishin’
  4. Ondine
  5. Salmon Fishing In The Yemen
  6. The Perfect Storm
  7. Towed In A Hole
  8. The Old Man and The Sea
  9. Low & Clear
  10. Jaws
  11. Grumpy Old Men
  12. The Complete Angler
  13. Big Fish
  14. Finding Nemo
  15. The River Why
  16. Silver King
  17. The Birth of Big Game Fishing
  18. Track The Tuna
  19. The World ıs Running Out of Fish
  20. Australia’s Wild North (Coastal Fishing Documentary) / Wild Things

1. A River Runs Through It


For years, Robert Redford pestered Robert MacLean for the rights to his memoir. Eventually, the director and actor Brad Pitt got the rights to the story. A very interesting and successful movie, “A River Runs Through It” is a movie about fly fishing. This type of fishing is not only considered as entertainment in the movie. At the same time, it is described as a bond in order to establish a meaningful bond between the characters in the movie. Fishing as art is conveyed in a wonderful way thanks to this movie.

2. Alamo Bay


This powerful drama, which was directed by Louis Malle, revolves around a Vietnam veteran who is insinuating that the Vietnamese immigrants are taking over his small town. Starring Louis Malle as the director, Alice Arlen Silkwood as the writer, Ry Cooder as the musicians, and Ed Harris and Amy Madigan as the actors, this film did not receive the attention it should have and unfortunately fell behind the expected viewership share. Although it is a fictional film, it is based on events that took place on the Gulf Coast in the 1980s. Although it is a festival film, it is not as boring and grounded as festival films.



3. Gone Fishin’


Gone Fishin’ is a comedy about two accident-prone friends who get away for a few days on a fishing trip but end up with a lot of problems. What sets this movie apart from other fishing movies and makes it more watchable is the admirable performance by Danny Glover and Joe Pesci. We can say that Gone Fishing has taken its place as the funniest fishing movie on the list.

4. Ondine


This is a great movie with great performances. It is a film that deals with fishing from many different angles and deals with a very different subject. The subject is a woman caught in fishing nets. The dilemma of whether this woman is a mermaid or a refugee and the modern fairy tale in the process are told.

5. Salmon Fishing In The Yemen


This is a comedy-drama film about a sheikh who wants to fish in the deserts of western Asia. It’s got a few laughs but mostly relies on its main performance by Scott Thomas. There is no real fishing activity in the movie. Despite this, it is a satirical romantic comedy that is widely watched and successful. The story of a sheikh who is engaged in fly fishing and wants to import it has been filmed. It has a great cast. In addition to stars like Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt, and Amr Waked, Kristin Scott Thomas’ acting is definitely worth a watch.

6. The Perfect Storm


A dour, long-winded portrait of a fishing community takes up the film’s first hour. It features a lot of men who are struggling to make ends meet. It has an excellent cast: George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, John C. Reilly, William Fichtner, Allen Payne, John Hawkes and dozens more appear in this movie. The movie, which has come to a terrible dead end, will be a movie that you will watch holding your breath from the first to the last, thanks to its incredible cast.



7. Towed In A Hole


The boys are fish sellers who hit upon the idea of doing their own fishing. Instead of dealing with suppliers, they buy a boat and renovate it. It is not like giving spoilers, but as can be expected, at the end of the movie, everything turns into extreme violence and their boat, which they barely took, is destroyed.

8. The Old Man And The Sea


Hemingway’s story has been told and filmed many times, including a 1991 miniseries starring Anthony Quinn and Aleksandr Petrov. A 1958 adaptation starring Tracy Spencer was met with a mixed reception. However, despite its shortcomings, the film was still impressive. While we can accept the negative side of this film as fishing in a tank, not the sea, we can accept the positive side as the breathtaking acting of Spencer Tracy. It is definitely worth watching a movie. It is a rewarded movie. It gets 3 nominations from the Emmy Awards which are;

  • Outstanding Achievement in Music for a Miniseries or a Special (Dramatic Underscore)
  • Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries for a Special
  • Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Miniseries or Special

9. Low & Clear


Hudson’s film is about the relationship between fishermen and the American West. It is also about the erosion of the wilderness and the friendship between these individuals. It also has common points with the documentary A River Runs Throught It. The difference can be considered as the era and environment in which they were filmed. It is a movie that focuses on fishing is not just about catching fish. It has been a film that deals with fishing and life itself in the same direction. Both feature a race against time.



10. Jaws


This movie, as you can imply from the name, is about fishing. Not necessarily about catching a fish, but about trying to catch a massive fish. And this is a movie full of shark invasion and deafening explosions due to its structure and subject matter. For sure, it is worth watching a documentary.

11. Grumpy Old Men


Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, and Ann-Margret are great acting and it is one of the best films about fishing. While the characters are two neighbors who are constantly at odds with each other, they are two good friends who increase the rivalry even more thanks to their neighbors who have just moved into their neighborhood. It is a great movie that you will say has never been so enjoyable to watch such grumpy and old men.

12. The Complete Angler 


It is a very well-told, directed, and shot fishing movie. Writer James Prosek, producer Fritz Mitcheh, and cinematographer Peter Franchella have created an excellent masterpiece. It is a film in which Prosek tells about his own travels.

13. Big Fish


It is a very fictional, fairy-tale-like movie. It is fiction that the main character likes to exaggerate. Extraordinary is a frequently covered theme. The most striking and exaggerated point in the movie is that the main character, namely the narrator, says to use wedding rings as bait to catch a beautiful and big fish.



14. Finding Nemo


It is a wonderful animated film about the adventure of a small fish named Nemo and you and Nemo are dragged along. Nemo is a very sweet and orange fish who lost his mother and all of his siblings before he was even born. He is raised by his father. On the other hand, Nemo, who is very curious and curious about the world he lives in, is also very afraid of leaving his father because he does not have a single fin. And one day, misfortune befalls Nemo and his father has to embark on a long and dangerous journey to find him.

15. The River Why 


It is the adaptation of an excellent novel into an excellent movie. If we leave aside the fact that it is a movie that requires patience for the audience to watch, it is a movie that can be a masterpiece for those who like to watch both fishing and romantic movies. The film focuses on a young man’s search for fish. This man’s goal is to find his own way in the world he belongs to and finally find love. If you are someone who sees fishing as more than just fishing, it will be a movie where you can find parts of yourself.

16. Alamo Bay


It is one of those movies about the tragic fishing stories you read in the newspapers, see on the news, or come across in some way. The feud between Vietnamese immigrants and the natives of the Gulf of Texas is told. Locals claim that the immigrants invaded their land and undermined their fishing activities. And what happened in this process becomes the subject of the movie.

17. Silver King – The Birth Of Big Game Fishing


It is a very interesting documentary that makes fishing fun. It would be insufficient to say that it is only about fishing. It is also a documentary that is closely related to history. The revolution that the fishing event in 1885 created in the history of fishing was filmed. It tells how a first-time caught tarpon made Southwest Florida a center for the sport of fishing.


18. Track The Tuna


It is a magnificent film with stunning images and scenes. Although what the fishermen do is portrayed quite brutally in this movie, it is explained that the fish themselves are actually hunters of that ferocity. In this documentary, migrating tuna is discussed as a subject. The migration of tuna to mate, the long paths they take, and their behavior on these roads were examined. It is a documentary where you will witness the struggle between fishermen, boats, and fish.

19. The World is Running Out of Fish


It is a film that shows that moderation is essential and allows you to examine things from a different perspective. Fishing problems in 2010 and the difficult situations of fisheries are told. Certain points in the world’s waters, which are schools for all fish species you can think of, and how difficult it is to find them with today’s global warming are discussed.

20. Australia’s Wild North [Coastal Fishing Documentary] | Wild Things


It is an end-to-end adventure that takes place on Cape York, the Gulf of Carpentaria, Arnhem Land, and the Kimberley coast. It tells how Ben Cropp and his sons discovered these shores and their adventures in the process. Their encounters with the Aborigines, how they fought with the primitive life, and many others are described. Wandjina paintings added an extra visuality to the documentary. You should not forget that you will watch a documentary full of fish, mud crabs, crocodiles, and dugongs.

It is easy to find fishing movies for every taste and for everyone. You can choose whatever style you like to watch short films, documentaries, animations, etc. If you are a fishing enthusiast and cannot go fishing, perhaps one of the most fun activities you can do is to watch one of these movies.

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Savaş Ateş

When I was a kid I had a small aquarium in our home. I had different kinds of fishes. I like fishes. Then I started to research all kinds of fishes and fishing too. I read lots of books about them. I like to share my experiences.

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