Fishing Slots: The Complete Guide to Fishing-Themed Slot Games

Use the sections below to jump around, or browse the full slot themes index for related genres. If you like the collect mechanic here, you will also find it in Irish slots and plenty of pirate slots.

What Defines a Fishing Slot

Not every slot with a fish on the reels belongs to this genre. The modern fishing slot is defined by a specific set of connected features that work together during the bonus round.

• Fish money symbols. Instead of a fixed paytable value, each fish lands carrying a random cash amount, shown right on the symbol. Bigger fish tend to carry bigger values, and some carry jackpots or multipliers.
• The fisherman wild collect. The genre-defining piece. During free spins the fisherman appears as a wild and acts as a collector, sweeping up every fish value visible on the same spin and adding it to your win. Land two or three fishermen at once and each one collects the full board, so the totals stack fast.
• Free-spin retriggers. Landing more scatters inside the bonus adds spins, and many titles add a multiplier meter that grows every time the fisherman collects. The longer the round runs, the more the collect value climbs.
• Hold and win overlap. Several fishing slots borrow from the hold and win family, locking money symbols in place across respins so the fisherman can clear a fuller board.

Put simply, the base game is usually calm and low-drama, and almost all of the excitement, and almost all of the top payouts, live in the free-spins collect round. That structure is why the theme skews high volatility: you wait for the bonus, then hope the fisherman lands while the reels are stacked with high-value fish.

Why Fishing Slots Are So Popular

Three things drive the theme’s staying power. First, the mechanic is easy to understand at a glance. You do not need to read a rulebook to grasp that the fisherman catches the cash. Second, the collect feature produces a satisfying, visible payoff moment when several high fish are on screen and the angler reels them in together. Third, the theme is endlessly reskinnable. Studios can move the same core to a winter lake, a Wild West river, a Halloween swamp or an Irish pond, and it still plays the way fans expect. That combination of a clear hook, a strong bonus payoff and low development risk is why nearly every major studio now ships at least one fishing slot, and why the Big Bass and Fishin’ Frenzy franchises keep releasing sequels.

Fishing Slots Versus Fish-Table Games

One point of confusion worth clearing up: a fishing slot is not the same thing as a fish-table or fish-shooting game, even though both put fish on the screen. A fishing slot is a standard random-number-generator reel game. You set a bet, you spin, and the outcome is decided by the math with no input from you. A fish-table game is an arcade-style shooter where you aim a cannon and fire at fish swimming across a shared screen, and your aim and timing affect how much you win per shot. In other words, fish-table games carry a skill element and a very different pace, while everything on this page, Big Bass Bonanza, Fishin’ Frenzy, Fishin’ Pots of Gold and the rest, is a pure slot with published RTP and volatility. If you specifically want the shooter experience, look for the fish-table or shooting-games category rather than the slots lobby.

Most Popular Fishing Slots by Software Provider

Below the leading fishing slots are grouped by the studio that makes them. RTP, volatility and max win are drawn from provider specifications and slot databases as of August 2026. Where a game ships with multiple RTP settings, the figure shown is the top or default configuration; the version at your casino may differ. Learn how these numbers work on our RTP guide and volatility guide.

Pragmatic Play and Reel Kingdom

Reel Kingdom is the studio behind the Big Bass franchise, published by Pragmatic Play. This is the standout name in the whole genre. Pragmatic also publishes the separate title Fishin’ Reels.

Blueprint Gaming and Reel Time Gaming

The Fishin’ Frenzy series is developed by Reel Time Gaming and published by Blueprint Gaming. It is the franchise that started the modern fishing craze back in 2014 and now spans more than a dozen sequels, including several Megaways editions.

Note that most Fishin’ Frenzy sequels ship in a range of RTP settings, some as low as the low 90s. Check the info screen at your casino before you play, because the difference between a 96 percent and a 94 percent build matters over time.

Gameburger Studios and Games Global

The Fishin’ Pots of Gold line mixes the fishing collect mechanic with an Irish pots-of-gold twist. It is made by Gameburger Studios and distributed by Games Global.

Red Tiger

Red Tiger, part of Evolution, offers its own take on the theme with polished visuals and unlimited free-spin retriggers on several titles.

Other Notable Studios

The Angler is one of the higher-RTP fishing slots at 97.10 percent, running medium volatility with Sticky Wilds and free spins across 20 paylines. Boat Bonanza swaps the lake for the open sea, pairing a random fish-prize collect with a mega catch modifier for a 5,000x ceiling, though it ships in several RTP builds so check the figure before you play. Barcrest, now part of Light and Wonder, has produced fishing-themed classics for land-based and online floors as well, and the broader Light and Wonder catalog is worth a look if you want a more traditional reel feel.

Other water-and-angling releases worth knowing include Ugliest Catch from Nolimit City, Le Fisherman from Hacksaw Gaming, Fish ‘n’ Nudge from Push Gaming, and Lure of Fortune and Net Gains from Relax Gaming. Yggdrasil’s Golden Fish Tank line is another well-regarded option; see the full Yggdrasil range for details. These lean more experimental than the classic collect formula, so confirm each game’s RTP and features on its own info screen before betting.

Top 10 Fishing Slots Reviewed

These are the fishing slots we would point a new player toward first, chosen for a mix of popularity, fair RTP and a strong collect feature. Specifications reflect the top-tier build; your casino may run a different RTP setting.

1. Big Bass Bonanza (Reel Kingdom / Pragmatic Play)

The game that made the money-collect mechanic a household name. Land three or more scatters and the fisherman wild collects every fish value on screen during free spins, with a multiplier that climbs to 10x as you retrigger. It carries a 96.71 percent RTP, high volatility and a 2,100x max win. The base game is quiet, but the bonus is the whole show, and it remains the reference point every other studio measures against.

2. Big Bass Splash (Reel Kingdom / Pragmatic Play)

A brighter, Wild West flavored follow-up that widened the top end to 5,000x while keeping the familiar 96.71 percent RTP and high volatility. Players can pick between three free-spins modes at the start, trading a lower chance of triggering for stronger multipliers. If you enjoyed the original but wanted a taller ceiling, this is the natural next step.

3. Fishin’ Frenzy (Reel Time Gaming / Blueprint)

The 2014 title that arguably invented the genre. Its Cash Collect free-spins round, where the fisherman scoops up fish values on each spin, has been imitated ever since. With a 96.12 percent RTP, medium volatility and a 5,000x max win, it is gentler than the Big Bass line, which makes it a friendly entry point for anyone new to fishing slots.

4. Bigger Bass Bonanza (Reel Kingdom / Pragmatic Play)

The direct sequel to the original expands the grid to 5×4 with 12 paylines and pushes volatility to very high. The collect mechanic and 96.71 percent RTP carry over, and the max win doubles to 4,000x. Extra scatters can retrigger the bonus up to a set cap, so patient runs can build a serious multiplier before the round ends.

5. Fishin’ Pots of Gold (Gameburger Studios)

A clever crossover that blends fishing with Irish pots of gold. The fisherman collect symbol on the last reel gathers fish prizes and jackpot pots, giving the round two ways to pay. Expect a 96.47 percent RTP, high volatility and a 5,000x cap. If you like both fishing and luck-of-the-Irish themes, this is a smart two-in-one.

6. Fishin’ Frenzy The Big Catch 2 (Reel Time Gaming / Blueprint)

Blueprint took the beloved formula and stretched the top payout dramatically, up to 50,000x, the highest in the entire Fishin’ Frenzy family. The trade-off is variance and RTP settings that can dip below the flagship 95 percent default, so read the info screen. For thrill-seekers chasing a life-changing collect, few fishing slots aim higher.

7. Golden Catch Megaways (Big Time Gaming)

The Megaways pioneer applies its 117,649-ways engine to a deep-sea theme, layering unlimited multipliers and reactions on top of free spins. RTP sits at 96.53 percent and the max win reaches an enormous 31,430x. This one plays quite differently from the classic collect slots, favoring cascading wins over a single fisherman sweep.

8. Fishin’ BIGGER Pots of Gold (Gameburger Studios)

The supersized sequel in the Pots of Gold line raises the ceiling to 22,800x and adds collect symbols that can carry multipliers of up to 10x. RTP comes in at 96.05 percent with high volatility. When the multipliers align during a long free-spins run, the totals dwarf the original game.

9. Fish n’ Fish (Red Tiger)

Red Tiger’s polished entry pairs a Fish and Collect mechanic with free spins that retrigger without a hard limit, so a hot run can keep going. A 96.11 percent RTP and a 5,000x cap put it right in line with the genre’s mainstays, while the presentation is a step up in visual sheen. A solid pick if you want the classic feature with sharper graphics.

10. Big Bass Bonanza 1000 (Reel Kingdom / Pragmatic Play)

The “1000” line rebuilds the Big Bass formula around larger multiplier potential, lifting the max win to 20,000x at a 96.51 percent RTP with very high volatility. It keeps the fisherman collect at its heart but adds enhanced modifiers to the free spins. This is the version to try when the standard 2,100x cap no longer feels big enough.

The Standout Franchise: Big Bass

If one name owns the fishing genre, it is Big Bass. Reel Kingdom launched Big Bass Bonanza in 2020, and its success turned into a full assembly line of sequels and seasonal spin-offs. The core loop never changes: collect fish values during free spins while the fisherman wild racks up a multiplier that grows with each catch. What changes is the ceiling and the dressing.

• Big Bass Bonanza established the template with a 2,100x cap.
• Bigger Bass Bonanza and Big Bass Splash widened the grid and pushed the top end to 4,000x and 5,000x.
• The “1000” editions (Big Bass Bonanza 1000, Big Bass Splash 1000) reworked the math for 20,000x to 25,000x potential.
• Seasonal builds such as Big Bass Halloween and the Christmas Xtreme entries reskin the theme with new modifiers while keeping the collect intact.

For most players the original Big Bass Bonanza and Big Bass Splash remain the best starting points, because they keep the RTP high at 96.71 percent and the rules simple. The “1000” and seasonal versions are worth a look once you want a bigger swing and can accept the added variance.

Newer Fishing Slot Releases

The genre has not slowed down. Pragmatic Play continues to extend the Big Bass line with fresh entries and seasonal editions each year, and Blueprint keeps the Fishin’ Frenzy sequels coming, including higher-ways Megaways builds and progress-meter reworks such as Lure ‘Em In and Even Bigger Fish 3. Gameburger Studios expanded its Pots of Gold line with the Gold Blitz Extreme edition, adding a hold-and-win style blitz layer on top of the collect. When a brand-new fishing slot lands, its RTP and volatility are printed on the in-game info screen, so always confirm the exact build your casino is running rather than assuming it matches an earlier version. You can browse the latest arrivals on our new slots page.

Playing Fishing Slots on Mobile

You can load any of the flagship fishing slots straight from your phone or tablet, no separate app to install and nothing to download first. Studios build these titles to redraw themselves for whatever screen they open on, so the compact 5×3 grids used by Big Bass and Fishin’ Frenzy sit comfortably in portrait orientation, and the fisherman collect animations respond to taps just as they respond to clicks on a desktop. Quick spin and autoplay keep sessions light on the battery. Megaways releases such as Golden Catch pack in extra symbols per reel and read a little more clearly on a bigger display, yet they still run without trouble on a handset. Our mobile slots guide has more device pointers.

Free Demos and Real-Money Play

Almost all fishing slots offer a free demo mode that runs on virtual credits, which is the smart way to learn the collect feature, test the free-spins trigger rate and see how volatile a title feels before you wager anything. Demos play identically to the paid version except that wins are not real. You can practice on our free slots page, then switch to real-money slots when you are ready. One caution: because these games are high volatility, a demo session can run cold for a long stretch and then hit a huge collect, so do not judge a fishing slot on a handful of free spins alone. For the games players return to most, see our most popular slots list.

Tips for Playing Fishing Slots

• Check the RTP setting. Many fishing slots ship in several RTP builds. The same game can run at 96 percent at one casino and 94 percent at another. The info screen shows the exact figure; favor the higher one.
• Understand where the money is. In this genre the base game is mostly filler and the payouts live in the free-spins collect. Budget for a lot of spins to reach the bonus.
• Respect the volatility. High and very high variance means long dry runs punctuated by big hits. Size your bet so your bankroll can survive the gaps.
• Decide your stopping points up front. Fix how much money and how many minutes you are willing to spend before the first spin, and walk away when you reach either one, win or lose.
• Use the feature buy with caution. Some fishing slots let you buy directly into free spins for a fixed cost. It guarantees the bonus but does not change the long-run math, and it burns bankroll fast.
• Watch for multiple fishermen. The biggest wins come when two or more collectors land together, each sweeping the full board. That stacking is where the max win potential comes from.
• Try the demo first. Learn the trigger rhythm and multiplier meter for free before committing real money.

Play Responsibly

Treat these games as a pastime you pay for, the same way you would a movie ticket, rather than a source of income. Because the variance runs high, cold streaks that last far longer than you expect are simply part of how fishing slots behave, so stake only money you are prepared to part with and resist the urge to bet bigger to win back what a session has taken. Lean on the deposit, loss and session-length controls your casino provides. Should the activity begin to feel less like fun and more like something you cannot easily step back from, confidential help lines are staffed around the clock; in the United States you can reach one by dialing 1-800-GAMBLER.

Fishing slots are open only to players who have reached the minimum legal gambling age where they are located, which is 21 in most regulated US states and 18 in some, and only where online casino play is lawful. Confirm the rules that apply to you before you sign up or deposit.

Last reviewed: August 2026

Fishing Slot Reviews

In-depth reviews of Fishing themed slots, part of our full library of online slot reviews. We cover 5 games that fit this page.