The Best Fishing Shirts of 2024

It’s difficult to imagine a more thoughtfully and well-designed fishing shirt than the Simms Intruder Fishing Hoody ($99). We all own and have worn quite a few different sun hoodies, but over the past few months, whenever our testers ventured out for fishing, hiking, or sea kayaking, we instinctively reached for this shirt as our top choice. The fabric is so light and buttery soft it feels like wearing an invisibility cloak.

Our testers were initially skeptical regarding the buttons. Why mess up a great lightweight sun shirt by adding buttons? It seemed like, if anything, this would just make it heavier and add something that was ultimately unnecessary.

However, in the end, the buttons made a great addition to an already awesome shirt. They are extremely lightweight, and despite our best efforts (we were intentionally hard on them), we’ve seen no indication thus far that they might fail. We’ll see how they hold up after an extended surf fishing/sea kayaking trip in Baja later this spring.

Finally, it’s worth noting that a few things about the fit of the Intruder Hoody make it stand out. Among the myriad of different thumbhole designs on the market, this is one of the better options out there. Some fit awkwardly while others cause the sleeves to bunch weirdly with your arms extended. But, these fit just right.

The hood also fits perfectly whether you are wearing a hat or not. Simms added an extra button midway up the hood placed just in the right spot to keep the hood from sloppily flapping around (a problem with many hooded sun shirts).

Our testers were a bit disappointed that the Intruder Hoody is available in only two color options at this time. Also for the best shirt in this review, we hope that Simms will start making a women’s version soon.

If you are looking for one awesome fishing shirt that can do double (or triple) duty for other warm-weather activities, look no further than the Simms Intruder Fishing Hoody.

If you’re looking for a simple but well-designed sun hoody at a great price, the Costa Hooded Technical Shirt ($45) is an ideal choice. While many other options on the market cost almost double the price, the Costa is a great option, and you sacrifice very little.

One thing that stood out about this shirt was the soft and breathable fabric. In addition to fishing on warmer days, we tested it on some trail running outings, and it shines even on hot days or underneath a windbreaker when other shirts keep the moisture in and feel wet and sticky. We also appreciated the simplicity of this shirt and the lack of unnecessary bells and whistles.

It’s a simple, well-designed sun hoody that doesn’t have pockets, zippers, snaps, or anything to complicate the design and fit. Our testers also liked the branding on both Costa shirts we tested. It’s certainly not understated like some other shirts, so if you don’t like to be a brand ambassador when you’re out on the water, this might not be the shirt for you.

This is a quality shirt, and our testers lamented that they don’t make a women’s version, particularly given the great price point.

This Costa Hooded Technical Shirt truly excels in a range of conditions, including warm temps, so if you find yourself fishing in places with punishing sun exposure and don’t feel like lathering up with sunscreen every hour all day (it’s UPF 40+), this is the fishing shirt for you.

Patagonia has been making high-quality products for over 50 years and has a reputation for quality clothing that lasts a long time. The Long-Sleeved Sun Stretch Shirt ($119) is no exception. If you find yourself fishing in frequently hot and humid locations, this shirt should be at the top of your shortlist.

It feels light and airy and excels in conditions where other shirts become a sweaty mess, making you feel like you’re wearing a trash bag. One of the features we loved about this shirt? The fact that the fabric dries quickly in even the slightest breeze. Our tester pulled the shirt right out of the washing machine, soaking wet, and within 10 minutes on the river with a slight breeze, the shirt was completely dry.

Initially, we were a bit skeptical of the large double chest pockets. They seemed overly large, and we assumed that as soon as you put anything in them, the shirt would hang awkwardly. We were wrong. On one recent trip, we had a large (ish) fly box on one side and a bulky cellphone in the other pocket, and surprisingly, the shirt still felt great, and our items felt secure.

We didn’t love Patagonia’s color options for this shirt. Five color options range from tolerable to downright terrible; our least favorite is “Lose Yourself: Utility Blue.” Finally, our testers found the built-in sunglass chamois, a 3” x 5” triangle, to be much too small to be of any real value for its intended purpose.

If you anticipate fishing in hot or humid weather this upcoming season and want a shirt with great sun protection that also breathes well and keeps you cool, look no further than the Patagonia Long-Sleeved Sun Stretch Shirt.

Our tester first wore the Costa Voyager Performance Hoodie ($60) on a brisk March day on the Arkansas River in Colorado. It was windy and in the upper 30s, a good opportunity to see how this shirt, which felt thicker than all of the other shirts on our list, performed in cooler weather.

We were surprised that this shirt insulates well enough when paired with a super lightweight windbreaker. Whenever the weather was a little cooler, or the wind was up, we instinctively reached for this as our first choice.

Although it wasn’t a fishing mission, our testers put this shirt through the paces on several late winter and spring backcountry ski trips in the Colorado Rockies. The true test of its breathability came on a late April trip up to 13,000 feet, when we experienced every kind of weather imaginable, from snow to freezing rain to high winds to sunny. The shirt was worn as the primary base layer and performed exceptionally in conditions that would normally result in a soaking shirt.

Several of our testers commented on the odd fit of this shirt, specifically that it’s very long. A weird pocket is situated along the bottom seam, and with the lengthy fit, the pocket was inaccessible when worn underneath waders.

If you want a great fishing shirt for the shoulder seasons or live and fish in cooler climates, the Costa Voyager Performance Hoodie is a great choice. Worn underneath a wind or rain shell, this shirt can handle anything.

If you find yourself running out for a few quick casts on your lunch break or on your way to/from work, the Orvis Tech Chambray Work Shirt ($98) is a great option. We frequently wore this shirt in the morning with khakis or jeans as we headed to the office and then changed right into shorts or our waders at the end of the day.

It strikes the perfect balance between outdoor functionality and urban style. The classic button-up design pairs effortlessly with everything from jeans to hiking shorts, making it a versatile addition to any wardrobe. Our testers also liked the subtle Orvis logo, which adds a touch of understated flair that we appreciated.

The Tech Chambray Work Shirt is made from a thicker fabric and our testers didn’t love it on warmer days. It doesn’t breathe as well as many of the other shirts in this review and got a bit sticky and wet when the temperature or humidity ticked up a bit. One of our testers mentioned big pit stains on a warm day.

If you’re looking for a shirt you can go straight from the river to the pub for dinner with friends without having to change in the back of your truck, check out the Orvis Tech Chambray Work Shirt. Another bonus? It’s made from recycled plastic bottles so you can feel good about wearing it.

Do you love fishing in high temperatures and even higher humidity? Then, the Columbia PFG Tamiami II Short Sleeve Shirt ($45) might be the perfect fishing shirt for you.

This is the only short-sleeve shirt that made the cut in this review. We especially love that it comes in a whopping 15 different color options and is also made in standard, big, and tall options. Although we only tested the short-sleeve version, it’s worth noting that Columbia also makes a long-sleeve option and a women’s version.

We have mixed feelings about the pockets on this shirt. Two double pockets seem a bit excessive, and we can’t imagine trying to put more than a few small items in the pockets before the weight of those items would cause the shirt to fit awkwardly at best.

We also prefer shirts with zippered pockets for added security. Taking a slip while wading or falling out of your kayak while fishing on your local lake could easily result in items that “migrate” out of the pockets. We didn’t feel confident putting important items in these pockets because they lacked zippers.

We also felt like the sizing on this shirt was way off. Our lead tester wore a medium in every other brand, but the Tamiami felt sloppy and baggy in the medium. He is 6 feet tall and 160 pounds, and the medium Tamiami fit him like an extra large despite his wearing a medium in just about every other shirt he owns. The shirt also seemed perpetually wrinkled regardless of what our testers did after washing and drying. (No one wants to iron a fishing shirt!)

If you are looking for an affordable fishing shirt that will keep you cool in hot and humid weather and you want a wide range of options in terms of sizing and color, the Columbia PFG Tamiami II Short Sleeve Shirt is a good choice. Just be mindful of the sizing.