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Fishing sunglasses serve several key functions, helping you catch fish while staying safe and comfortable on the water. Not only do they provide UV and sun protection, but if you get a polarized pair, they can reduce the surface glare on the water and help you better spot fish. Beyond that, they are a critical piece of safety gear. Wearing shades while fishing can prevent a stray hook or loose split shot from hitting your eye.
To find the top-performing pairs, I tested 17 frame-and-lens combinations from seven manufacturers. Over the course of a couple of months, I wore my test shades in various conditions and situations. After weeding through the entries, I narrowed my list to six glasses and awarded a pair for the Best Overall, Best Value, Best Low Light, and Best Budget categories. Plus, a few other good options. Here's the best fishing sunglasses you can buy today.
Best Overall: Bajio Zapata with Glass Lens
Best Value: Island Optics Mako XL
Best for Lowlight: Smith Guide’s Choice XL ChromaPop Lenses
Best Budget: Strike King S11 Optics Clinch Sunglasses
Best Overall: Bajio Zapata with Glass Lens
Specs
Lens Material: Glass or Polycarbonate
Lens Color: Grey, Blue Mirror, Green Mirror, Silver Mirror, Copper, Rose Mirror, Violet Mirror
Frame Color: Brown Grass Matte, Green Water Matte, Black Matte
Price: $269
Pros
Wrap-around frame
Ergo rubber nose pads
Ergo rubber temple tips
Flex hinges
Cons
Expensive
This Bajio Zapata fits my head well. It’s large enough from side to side not to give me a headache, but still snug enough to hold securely to my face. The flex hinges help give it this wiggle room to improve fit comfort. I also like how the Zapatas tuck up close to my face. I opted for the glass lenses, which were super clear and durable. You can also pick up the Zapatas with polycarbonate lenses for 50 bucks less.
Best Value: Island Optics Mako XL
Specs
Lens Material: Glass or Polycarbonate
Lens Color: Gray 12, Brown 12, Blue Flash Mirror, Green Flash Mirror, Red Sunset Mirror, Yellow Low Light
Frame Color: Matte Black, Matte Tortoise, Matte Blue Aqua Tortoise
Price: $119 (poly), $219 (glass)
Pros
Rubberized temple pads and nose pads
Lightweight nylon injected frame
Marine coating to protect against salt water
Flex hinges
Cons
XL fit might be too big for some people
Glass lens model is expensive
These shades come in both glass and polycarbonate lenses, and each is about $100 cheaper than the competition. I tested the glass lens in the Mako XL, and it is as clear as any other in this competition. I chose the XL frame thinking it would be necessary for my large noggin, but these turned out to be a little too big. A smaller frame would have probably been a better choice. If you can figure out the right frame for you, Island Optics is a great option for a good bang-for-your-buck pair of fishing glasses.
Best for Low Light: Smith Guide’s Choice XL ChromaPop Lenses
Specs
Lens Material: ChromaPop Glass
Lens Color: Low Light Yellow
Frame Color: Matte Black, Tortoise, Matte Havana, Matte Pacific, Matte Tortoise
Price: $297
Pros
Enhanced clarity
Enhanced color
Included case
Custom cable retainer
Cons
Expensive
The best glass low-light lens I’ve tested is Smith’s ChromaPop Polarized Low Light Yellow lens. I tested these in the Guide’s Choice XL frame. I really like the fit, flex hinges, and the unique retainer design. But the frames were a tad big for me, and the weight of the glass lens made the shades slide down my nose a bit. However, they are offered in a regular size too.
Sizing aside, these are still the best low light fishing glasses on the market. I wore these recently on a tournament day that started off cloudy and stayed that way most of the day. They did a great job of brightening things up so I could see better in low light, while also adjusting when the sun did pop out so I wasn’t blinded.
Best Budget: Strike King S11 Optics Clinch Sunglasses
Specs
Lens Material: Polycarbonate
Lens Color: Green Mirror, Blue Mirror, Silver Mirror
Frame Color: Black, Crystal
Price: $45
Pros
Lightweight
Snug fit
Affordable
Full coverage
Cons
Durability concerns
Compared to the other glasses on this list, the Strike King S11s are a bargain. They also held their own against some glasses in this test that cost four or five times as much. If you’re hard on your gear or lose things easily, these are still great-performing shades that won’t make you sick if you lose them. I like the fit of the Clinch frames the best, but there are five other frame designs and multiple lens colors to choose from.
Costa Reefton Pro
Specs
Lens Material: Glass
Lens Color: Green Mirror, Blue Mirror, Silver Mirror, Copper Silver Mirror, Gold Mirror, and more
Frame Color: Matte Tortoise, Matte Sand, Matte Midnight Blue, Tiger Shark, Seagrass, Matte Gray, Matte Black
Price: $309
Pros
Comfortable fit
Glass lenses
Rubberized temple pads
Wrap-around style
Included case
Cons
Expensive
Rubber nose piece starts to deteriorate over time
I've worn the Reefton Pro frames almost exclusively for two or three years. These glasses have adjustable padded nose pieces and flex hinges. This translates to an extremely customizable fit. The Reeftons are a great choice if you like more vertical coverage around your eyes, and the Costa Corbina Pros are a great option for those who like a thinner frame. They have many of the same features as the Reeftons, but with a lighter, simpler design.
Leupold Switchback Emerald Mirror
Specs
Lens Material: Polycarbonate
Lens Color: Emerald Mirror
Frame Color: Matte Black
Price: $190
Pros
Wrap-around design
Full coverage
Ballistics-rated shatterproof lens
100 percent UV protection
Included case
Cons
Limited options
When setting aside the glass lenses and looking solely at the polycarbonate shades, the Leupold Switchback stands out. These sunglasses held their own and topped the other poly glasses in both performance and fit. I tested the Emerald Mirror lens in these, as well as their new Daylight Max lens. In both cases, the lenses were super clear, the polarization was fantastic, and the frames fit really well—snug but not too tight with great coverage of my eyes.
What To Consider When Choosing Fishing Sunglasses
You need to consider two main factors when looking for a new pair of fishing sunglasses: frame type and lens type. Both of these features impact how your fishing sunglasses will perform. The frame type is not just a matter of style. Your frame will also affect how well your sunglasses hold the lens in place and how much protection they offer. Similarly, your lens will affect both your glasses’ sun protection and visibility.
Polarized Lenses
Polarized lenses reduce glare by blocking all horizontal rays while allowing vertical rays to pass through. Horizontal rays primarily reflect off flat surfaces such as water or phone screens. This means polarized sunglasses can drastically reduce surface glare and allow for sight fishing in situations that aren’t possible with regular or no sunglasses.
Polarized lenses differ from standard sunglass lenses, which do not filter out horizontal light. Non-polarized lenses protect against UV rays and minimize glare, just not to the same extent as polarized lenses. For anglers who want the best possible fishing glasses, polarized lenses are a must.
Coverage
Fishing sunglasses need to provide sufficient coverage. What does this mean? Your sunglasses need to protect you not only from the sun that reaches you through the lenses, but also reduce the light that seeps in from the edges of your shades. For instance, if you wear square, Ray-Ban style shades, a lot of excess light finds its way through the sides and tops of your glasses. This will reduce both UV protection for your eyes and potentially your visibility. This problem can become especially dire when you’re fishing in the ocean or lakes that reflect a lot of extra light toward your eyes.
Which sunglasses offer the best coverage? In short, sunglasses that fit closely to your face. This means the frame will wrap around your eyes and feature thick temples, which prevent excess light from entering through the edges of your sunglasses. As always, fit of the glasses is critical. Ensure your sunglasses hug your face tightly without being so tight that they are uncomfortable or give you a headache. The right wrap-around sunglasses will reduce glare and keep you fishing even on the brightest of days.
Light Conditions
Most sunglasses are meant for sunny conditions. But when you go fishing, it’s not always sunny out. You should still wear sunglasses for safety. And even in overcast weather, the water surface will still emit a glare that can make it difficult to see your bobber or fly, which means that you might start missing strikes. If you spend a lot of time fishing at dusk or in inclement weather, consider purchasing a pair of sunglasses made specifically for low light conditions.
Low light lenses will be clear or lightly colored. They probably won’t be mirrored like sunglasses designed for bright conditions. Be aware: many low light shades on the market are not polarized. Avoid these products if you can. You will still want to filter out horizontal rays that reduce surface glare on the water.
Comfort
You know the saying: look good, feel good, play good. The same motto applies to fishing. Make sure to balance style with functionality. You might be comfortable reducing frame coverage to achieve a more traditional-looking shade style. This should be fine so long as you aren’t fishing in extremely bright conditions. This give-and-take is one that you need to make before buying a new pair of sunglasses. No matter what, don’t get non-polarized sunglasses. That will drastically reduce your sunglasses' performance without impacting the style.
FAQs
Q: Blue or green lenses: what’s better for fishing?
Most “blue” lenses are not actually blue but blue-tinted, meaning that the lens, which is typically gray, is coated with a blue mirror. This coating can provide some key benefits to anglers. The blue mirror blocks harsh glare, especially in bright conditions. Get a blue-tinted lens for sunny days on the water.
Q: Are polarized sunglasses worth it for fishing?
Yes. Polarized sunglasses are a must.
Q: What tint of sunglasses is best for fishing?
Brown, amber, copper, and rose-colored tinted lenses are often considered the best for fishing because they provide high contrast. However, the type of fishing you are doing can change this. These high-contrast lens colors are ideal for inshore fishing, whereas grey or blue lenses are more commonly used for offshore fishing.
Q: What’s the difference between cheap and expensive fishing sunglasses?
There are often many differences between cheap and expensive fishing sunglasses. Two major differences are the tint/color and the lens material. High-quality sunglasses utilize a tint that enhances vision, whereas many cheap sunglasses darken the lens to make it appear tinted without providing any actual benefit. Many high-quality sunglasses have plastic lenses, but the most expensive models use glass lenses that are scratch-resistant and maximize visual clarity.
Q: What is “sight fishing”?
Sight fishing is when you spot a fish in the water and then coax it towards your bait or lure. Having the proper eyewear can make this easier by providing better visibility in the water.
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