A black crappie, speckled from nose to tailA pattern of black spots on a pale body, with seven or eight spines along the front of the back fin.
A bluegill held side on, fins spreadA deep oval body with a solid black flap at the back edge of the gill cover.
A brook trout with its marbled backWavy pale marks on a dark back, red dots ringed with blue on the side, white front edges on the lower fins.
A brown trout with a pale ring round every spotEach dark spot sits in a lighter ring. The spots stop before the tail.
A channel catfish face on, whiskers outFour pairs of barbels ring the mouth. Fan them out like the spokes of a wheel.
A hooked fish as a dark shape under broken waterShow only a shadow and a swirl. The line runs tight from the swirl up and out of the picture.
A largemouth bass leaping with a lure at its jawOlive green with a jagged dark stripe along the side. The upper jaw runs back past the eye.
A muskellunge beside a pike, to compare markingsA muskellunge has dark marks on a light body. A pike has light marks on a dark one.
A northern pike lying still among weed stemsOlive green with short pale bars along the side and dark spots on the fins. Draw it long and low.
A pumpkinseed sunfish, red spot on its gill flapBlue lines cross the cheek and a bright red spot tips the black flap. Speckle the sides.
A rainbow trout rising to a fly on the surfaceA broad reddish stripe runs from the gills to the tail. Draw rings spreading where the nose meets the water.
A small sunfish held close to the lens to look hugeWhatever is nearest looks biggest. Draw the hand and fish large and the grinning face small behind them.
A smallmouth bass over a bed of stonesDark brown upright bars on a golden-brown body. The jaw stops short of the back of the eye.
A walleye with its pale, glassy eyeThe eye looks pearly because a layer behind it reflects light. Make it the brightest spot on the fish.
A yellow perch with dark bars down its sideSix to eight dark upright bars over yellow. Space them evenly from the gills to the tail.
Two hands lowering a trout back into the streamBoth hands under the belly, the tail already wet. The water line cuts across the wrists.
Tackle 16
A barrel swivel enlarged to fill the pageTwo rings joined by a little barrel that lets each one turn without twisting the line.
A crankbait nose down, showing its diving lipA fish-shaped body with a lip at the nose. The size and angle of that lip set how deep it dives.
A dry fly sitting high on the waterFeather and fur tied to a hook with thread. A dry fly floats, so its fibers rest on the surface.
A fish hook drawn large, parts labeledFrom the top: the eye, the straight shank, the bend, the point, and the small barb beside it.
A jig with a tuft of feather hiding the hookA heavy metal head with the hook set into it. The tuft covers all but the point.
A landing net propped against a bucketA hoop of mesh on a handle. Let the net sag in a soft U below its frame.
A red and white bobber sitting in ripplesA ball, red on top and white below, with three rings spreading out from it across the water.
A spinning reel side on, handle toward youFind four parts: the spool, the wire bail that curves over it, the handle, and the foot that sits on the rod.
A spoon lure flashing as it wobblesAn oblong of shiny metal, curved in like the bowl of a spoon, with a hook at one end.
A stick float standing upright, only its tip showingSmall weights on the line make a float sit upright, so only the bright tip stays above the water.
A wicker creel, lid up, strap trailingA creel is a wicker fish basket. Weave the sides in short strokes and add a shoulder strap.
An in-line spinner with its blade turningA metal blade spins round a wire shaft as the lure moves. Draw the blade twice, once faintly, to show the turn.
An open tackle box with every tray fullThe trays fold out in steps. Fill each square with one kind of thing: hooks, weights, floats, lures.
Chest waders hung by their straps to dryWaterproof overalls with the boots joined on. Hung up, the legs fold at the knee and the boots point out.
Split shot pinched along a lineSmall round weights, each with a slit cut halfway through. The line runs down the slit.
Three rods in a rack, tips fanned outEach rod narrows toward its tip. The rings that guide the line get smaller as they go up.
Boats and spots 16
A bank under a willow with one float on the waterHanging branches frame the top and sides. The float is a single bright dot in the open middle.
A dock at dusk with a lantern and a pailLight the planks nearest the lantern and let the far end of the dock go dark against the sky.
A fishing pier with rods propped along the railPiles hold the deck above the water. Every line drops straight down from its rod tip.
A flat-bottomed boat on a pond in morning mistA jon boat is flat underneath with bench seats. The mist hides the far bank, so the boat is the darkest shape.
A fly caster with a loop of line in the airIn fly fishing the line's own weight carries the fly. Draw the line as a long sideways U unrolling.
A folding chair, a rod holder and a cooler on a bankThree boxes of different heights on a grass line. The rod rises from its holder at a slant.
A footbridge with one line dropped from the railThe bridge is an arc and its reflection is the same arc upside down. The line joins the two.
A harbor wall with a hand line and a waiting catThe wall is one big block. A child sits on its edge, legs over, and the cat watches the line.
A kayak angler with the rod bent doubleThe rod makes a half circle and the kayak tips toward the pull. Keep the paddle laid across the lap.
A line of ice holes shrinking toward the far shoreEach hole is a flatter, smaller oval than the one before it. That alone makes the lake look wide.
A rod leaning on a dock post, line slackOne long diagonal against one upright. The slack line hangs in a curve and just touches the water.
A rowboat from straight above, two rods outA pointed oval with two bench lines across it. The rods stick out like whiskers, one to each side.
A trout stream with a pool below a small fallWhite water at the top, dark still water below it, and one ring on the pool where a fish has risen.
An angler in waders, knee deep in a riffleThe water cuts the legs off at the knee. Add a V of ripples running downstream from each leg.
An ice shanty with a sled parked at its doorA small hut on the ice with a stovepipe on top. One flat line behind it is the far shore.
An ice-fishing hole with a tip-up flag raisedAn auger cuts a round hole in the ice. A tip-up holds the line over it and lifts a flag when a fish bites.
Cards and jokes 16
A bear and an angler eyeing the same salmonOne on each bank, both leaning in. The salmon jumps exactly halfway between them.
A birthday cake shaped like a tackle boxA box with a handle on the lid, candy worms hanging over the side and candles along the top.
A card front with a bobber for the letter OLetter any short word with an O in it, then turn the O into a float with a red top half.
A cat fishing in a puddle with a twig rodA twig, a thread and a patient cat. Its reflection in the puddle looks back up at it.
A certificate for the smallest catch of the dayA scroll border, a ribbon seal and a tiny fish drawn life size in the middle.
A fish in reading glasses studying the baitGive the fish a doubtful look and hang the lure right at the end of its nose.
A fish measuring the angler with a tapeSwap the roles. The fish stands on its tail in the boat and frowns at the number on the tape.
A fish rowing the boat while the angler swimsThe fish grips both oars with its fins. Behind the boat, a hat and a snorkel show above the water.
A floppy hat stuck all over with flies and luresDraw the hat first as a soft dome and brim, then pin small feathered shapes round the band.
A gone fishing sign hung on a doorknobA plank on a loop of string, lettered by hand, tilted a little so it looks freshly hung.
A proud angler holding up an old bootWater pours from the boot in three lines. The pose is the same as for a prize catch.
A school of fish swimming a wide circle round a hookEvery fish keeps the same distance from the hook, so the school makes a ring with a gap in the middle.
A snowman on a pail, fishing through the iceThree snowballs, a pail for a seat and a twig arm held over a round hole in the ice.
A trophy plaque for a very small catchA big shield-shaped board with a fish the size of a finger in the middle and a blank name plate below.
Fish holding up score cards for a splashy castThree heads above the water in a row, each with a card. The lure lands with a splash beside them.
The one that got away, shown by two spread handsJust two hands held far apart and one raised eyebrow. The gap between the hands is the whole joke.
How it works
These fishing drawing ideas cover the sport itself: the fish on the line, the tackle, the boat and the dock. Each named fish comes with the marking that tells it apart, checked against its species article.
Read the full guide
Draw the marking, not every scale
A fish is a tapered oval until its markings go on. A largemouth bass has a jagged dark stripe along its side, a yellow perch has six to eight dark bars, and a bluegill has a solid black flap on its gill cover. Put that one mark in the right place and suggest the scales with a few curved rows.
Four kinds of fishing drawing
The catch holds the named fish. Tackle is small metal and feather: a hook, a spinner, a reel. Boats and spots are scenes with water in them. Cards and jokes are made for the front of a card.
Draw the line last: ruled where it is tight, one loose curve where it is slack.
Still water mirrors a boat upside down. Ripples break the mirror into short flat strokes.
Questions and answers
What is an easy fishing drawing to start with?
A red and white bobber sitting in ripples is a ball and three rings. A fish hook drawn large, parts labeled is one curved line with five names on it. Easy, under More filters, has more like them.
How do you draw a largemouth bass?
Start with a long oval. Add a jagged dark stripe along the side and a mouth whose upper jaw runs back past the eye. The fish is olive green.
What can I draw on a fishing card for Dad?
Choose Cards and jokes from the list. The one that got away, shown by two spread hands needs no fish at all, and A trophy plaque for a very small catch leaves a name plate to fill in.
What are the parts of a fish hook?
The eye is the ring the line ties to. The shank is the straight part, the bend curves back from it, and the point is the sharp end. The barb is a small spike beside the point.