Fishin' Songs

Who needs a man on Tinder holding a fish in his profile pic when you have this playlist?

Summertime plus country music can only mean one thing – a whole lotta songs about fishing. We’re definitely not complaining.

From legends like Doc Watson and John Prine to modern crooners like Zach Bryan, just about every country artist in history has written at least one song about the age-old pastime of stringin’ a pole and droppin’ a line. While modern country is often criticized as a superficial genre full of fake twang and cash grabs, this musical tradition is deeply rooted in its connection to the land – and the water.

Created in large part by working class people living in rural and pastoral places, country, folk, and roots genres speak to what feels most tangible and relatable. In the summer, that might just be loading up the truck with cold drinks and a tackle box and heading down to the river for a day away from the world.

For whenever you’re craving a day at the water, we’ve put together the perfect fun-yet-contemplative playlist to be your companion. From pop country anthems to country-folk ballads and story songs, you’ve never heard a fishing playlist quite like this. And these songs aren’t just your classic cliché of men ditching their wives to go fishing (though, admittedly, we gave a special pass for Brad Paisley’s “I’m Gonna Miss Her”). Across time and identity, the voices on this playlist represent a wide range of perspectives and experiences.

These Good Country Fishin’ Songs don’t just scratch the surface of the tradition either. We dug back almost 100 years to put together this 4.5-hour-long playlist that spans genres, from classic country to early roots to modern folk and Americana.

Load up the truck, tie up the boat, and dive in.

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Luke Bryan’s sweet testament to legendary angler and Outdoor Channel host Bill Dance will have you belting along with a tear in your eye. Packing in all the booming satisfaction of a Nashville country banger and the sentimentality of a classic story song, this tune was an obvious choice for our roundup of fishing songs.

If you grew up fishing, this one’s bound to get you in the feels. If not, it’ll have you raring to go buy your first pole and head on down to the lake.

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Oh, Dolly… What would we do without you? Dolly Parton’s classic “Something Fishy” is a clever play on words that reminds us that she’s the master of calling people out on their bullshit.

I guess some largemouth bass
Left that lipstick on your shirt.
I don’t think you’re a fisherman, honey,
I think you’re a flirt.

Whether you’re into fishing or feeling heartbroken over someone who is, this sassy classic country song will definitely hit the spot as we move into the hottest days of summer.

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“Fish Ain’t Bitin’” conjures the feeling of Corey Harris’s early career, when he got started as a street musician in New Orleans. If you find yourself stompin’ around in any swamps or fishing in the rivers and bayous of the south this summer, you might find this tune especially relatable.

Harris is a self-described blues and roots musician based in Charlottesville, Virginia. He’s also a visual artist, a former MacArthur Fellow, and the narrator of the 2003 Martin Scorsese film, Feel Like Going Home. Lucky for us, he also wrote a great song about fishing — or, at least, trying to fish when the fish ain’t bitin’.

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Slower and more tender than the other picks on this list, Kristin Andreassen’s nostalgia-inducing 2013 track “‘Simmon” will leave you feeling ready to ask your crush out on a fishing date. ASAP! Andreassen’s heart-rending voice and genuine songwriting style are hard to beat and anyone fond of that mid-2000s Americana sound will be swooning.

Gillian Welch meets Martha Scanlan, but make it about fishing. 

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The late, great John Prine recorded “Fish and Whistle” in 1978 and it has abided as a classic ever since. This quintessential country-folk song waxes poetic about the experience of being a working class person getting older and reflecting on life’s strange phases. It may not be the most straightforward fishing song on the list, but a day spent watching a line by the water isn’t complete without a little John Prine in your ear.

Father, forgive us for what we must do.
You forgive us and we'll forgive you.
We'll forgive each other ‘til we both turn blue,
Then we'll whistle and go fishing in heaven.

We can only hope John is whistling and fishing in heaven right now.

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Another inevitable classic, Doc Watson’s “Deep River Blues” might just help us conjure the rain this summer when the creeks are looking low. Originally recorded in 1964, this is Watson’s take on “I’ve Got the Big River Blues” by the Delmore Brothers, which dates all the way back to 1934 (and also features on this playlist).

One of the most skilled pickers of all time – and a man who influenced just about every country and folk artist since – Doc Watson helped lay the foundation of songs that pay homage to our sacred rivers.

Whether you’re daydreaming about getting out on the water or spending your summer thigh-deep in the river, this playlist will get you in the spirit. Don’t forget to check out the full Spotify playlist, where you can hear these songs plus hits by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Trace Adkins, Billy Currington, Zach Bryan, Little Big Town, Luke Combs, and more.

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Lead Image: John Prine, Bruised Orange album cover.