When you’re fishing, you’ll often find yourself out on the water beyond dusk casting into the night or arriving early to see the sunrise having already made your first cast.
Best Green Headlamp For Fishing
Best Waterproof Headlamp For Fishing
Best Budget Headlamp For Fishing
It’s those witching hours when fish are usually active that we fishermen can bear to miss. But, in order to rig our tackle and find our way, we need a good fishing headlamp, and not any headlamp will do.
Bright lights not only scare fish, but they take away your hard-earned night vision too. But with the best headlamp for fishing, those moments will be a thing of the past.
So join me as I shine light on the best headlamp for fishing below.
The Best Fishing Headlamps From the Review
Here’s a quick look at the 3 best headlamps from the list.
Best LED Headlamp For Fishing
Hurkins Orbit LED Headlamp
Features an incredible battery life and multiple LED head lights that gives you a large 180 degree lit up area.
Hurkins Orbit LED Headlamp
The best headlamp with LED lights is the Hurkins Orbit Headlamp. This headlamp uses rechargeable batteries to give you over 100 hours of use off one charge.
It is also bright when you need it to be and features a dimmer switch that lets you bring the brightness settings way down on the headlamp so as not to scare fish with it.
Brightest Headlamp For Fishing
SLONIK CREE LED Headlamp
As durable as a hands-free headlamp can get. It can handle being bashed around on rocks without any worry.
SLONIK CREE LED Headlamp
The brightest fishing headlamp is the SLONIK CREE Headlamp. This headlamp pushes 1000 lumens and has a beam distance of 600ft, so you’ll be able to see way into the distance as you walk to your fishing grounds.
The headlamp is also fully waterproof and made from an aluminum alloy for durability, so it will survive any tough knocks you might give it.
Best Budget Headlamp For Fishing
Nitecore NU25 Headlamp
You have the choice of multiple levels of brightness in white mode, along with a natural light mode for doing intricate tasks.
Nitecore NU25 Headlamp
The best fishing headlamps for fishing, if you’re on a budget, are the VEKKIA CREE LED Headlamps.
These lamps are not only affordable but light and comfortable too.
They come with both white and red light color options for fishing or walking, plus you can adjust the brightness on the headlamp to suit your lighting needs.
Best Waterproof Headlamp For Fishing
HeroBeam Fishing Headlamp
This headlamp is durable, shockproof, and waterproof to IPX5. It also has 5 lighting modes to choose from.
HeroBeam Fishing Headlamp
The best waterproof headlamp for fishing is the HeroBeam Fishing Headlamp. These are the best headlamps for fishing when it comes to combining light colors, modes, and waterproofness.
They can handle rain splashes, have red and white color options, plus 5 modes for you to pick your ideal light intensity for your fishing situation.
Best Green Headlamp For Fishing
Energizer Vision Ultra LED Headlamp
It comes with all the colors and brightness modes you need for night fishing.
Energizer Vision Ultra LED Headlamp
The best headlamp for fishing that has a green light is the Energizer Vision Ultra Headlamp.
These headlamps are durable, affordable, comfortable, and have all the right light colors for fishing including red, green, and blue.
You’ll be able to use it without scaring fish or losing your night vision.
Top Pick
Nitecore NU25 Headlamp
You have the choice of multiple levels of brightness in white mode, along with a natural light mode for doing intricate tasks.
Nitecore NU25 Headlamp
The best headlamps for fishing overall are the Nitecore NU25 360 headlamps.
These headlamps are light, portable, comfy, and have all the features you need for fishing.
You can choose between red, white, or natural light depending on the task, and choose your brightness settings.
The headlamps are durable too and are waterproof to any splashes and rain you might encounter.
Our Best Headlamps For Fishing
Best Green Headlamp For Fishing
Energizer Vision Ultra LED Headlamp
It comes with all the colors and brightness modes you need for night fishing.
Energizer Vision Ultra LED Headlamp
The Energizer Vision Ultra LED Headlamp flashlight is almost perfect for night fishing.
These fishing headlamps come with all the colors and brightness modes you need to ensure you can go night fishing without scaring fish and maintaining your night vision too.
Colors
The headlamps come with a green, white, and red light covering all your night fishing needs.
The red light not only preserves your night vision but when turned on it’s going to spook fish a lot less than white lights if it hits the water.
The white mode is perfect for doing fiddly tasks away from the water, like tying on hooks or rigging baits, and is great for when you have to move spots in the dark. The green light is the best color for not spooking fish with, but it will affect your night vision slightly.
Light Modes
As well as having green, red, and white light at their disposal, these headlamps also have 5 lighting modes: 3 of the light modes control the brightness levels while the other switch between the light colors and an SOS feature.
Flicking through the modes is easy, just turn on the headlamp flashlight with one button, and scroll through the modes by clicking the second button.
Brightness
Being able to control the brightness is imperative to ensure that you can use low light at all times so you don’t scare any fish away while night fishing.
These fishing headlamps are also light, comfy to wear, and affordable.
Battery
They use 3 standard AAA batteries that give them up to 100 hours of use depending on the modes you’re using, and not being rechargeable, if they die on the water, so you can just slot in a new set.
The one thing this headlamp flashlight doesn’t have is water-resistance.
If it gets wet, it’ll probably fail, but saying this, I have fished with one in the rain and it’s still working today.
Specs
- Brightness: 400 lumens
- Beam Distance: 80 meters
- Battery: 3 x AAA batteries
- Lighting modes: 5
- Light Colors: Blue, red, green
- Waterproof: No
Pros
- Affordable
- Comfortable to wear
- 5 modes to choose from
- Easy to use
- Good battery life
- Very portable
- Multiple light colors
- Durable and well made
Cons
- It’s not waterproof
Best Waterproof Headlamp For Fishing
HeroBeam Fishing Headlamp
This headlamp is durable, shockproof, and waterproof to IPX5. It also has 5 lighting modes to choose from.
HeroBeam Fishing Headlamp
The HeroBeam Fishing Headlamp comes with a single headlight that allows you to switch between red light and white light at the click of a button.
This means you can use the white light for moving between spots and the red light for any water-side night fishing tasks.
This head lamp is a rechargeable headlamp.
These rechargeable headlamps come with a 1200mAh rechargeable battery that you can charge via USB.
It fully charges in 4 hours and gives you 30 hours of condition light, which will handle about 5-7 angling trips as it’ll be off most of the time.
Battery
Batteries that are rechargeable are useful as you don’t have to buy any AA batteries for example, but be sure to have a power source or power bank handy when night fishing, as when the battery runs out, you can’t swap in a new set.
Modes
These rechargeable headlamps come with 5 lighting modes from a spotlight, red light, strobe light, SOS, to a dimmer for intensity.
This allows you to find your perfect light setting for your night fishing situation, and you can even turn the head lamp on and off with a wave, so your smelly hands don’t need to touch it.
Build
The rechargeable headlamps are durable, shockproof, and waterproof to IPX5 meaning they can survive being sprayed by water at low pressure, so any splashes or angling in the rain shouldn’t be an issue.
Fit
It also comes with an adjustable headband so you can find your perfect fit for your head, and it’s light to wear on your forehead too, so it’s comfortable.
The only thing holding this headlamp back is that it’s not that bright when in full mode, but is bright enough to get you from angling spot to angling spot.
Specs
- Brightness: 168 Lumen
- Beam Distance: na
- Battery: Rechargeable lithium 1200mAh internal battery
- Lighting modes: 5
- Light Colors: White and red
- Waterproof: IPX5
Pros
- Light and comfortable to wear
- Multiple light colors to not spook fish with
- Excellent brightness when you want it
- Hands-free on and off
- Shockproof for durability
- Water-resistant to survive rain and splashes
- Good 30-hour battery life from one 4 hour charge
- Affordable
Cons
- Have to have a USB charging source to repower
- Not as bright as it could be
Best LED Headlamp For Fishing
Hurkins Orbit LED Headlamp
Features an incredible battery life and multiple LED head lights that gives you a large 180 degree lit up area.
Hurkins Orbit LED Headlamp
Review
The Hurkins Orbit LED Headlamp comes with multiple LED head lights to give you a large 180 degree lit up area.
This is perfect for setting up camp or putting your rods together as you can see all around you.
Features
This is a rechargeable futuristic looking headlamp with incredible battery life that takes just 3 hours to fully charge giving you up to 100 hours of use – so you won’t be recharging it too often.
Light
When in full mode, this rechargeable headlamp is super bright, it can give maximum illumination so you can see where you’re going, and you can dim it right down to a ⅓ of the internist when you want to be a little more subtle.
Being made from LED lights with a tiny battery, this headlamp is incredibly light and sits comfortably on your head.
The headband is also adjustable to fit, so you can ensure it’s not too loose or too tight.
Build
This head lamp is also durable, well made, and waterproof to IP56 so it can handle high-pressure water jets, meaning it’ll survive rain and splashes with ease.
While this is a great rechargeable headlamp overall, for fishing it’s missing a few features. There is no red light or green light mode to help not scare fish and preserve your night vision, and you can choose the beam direction, so it’ll easily hit the water if you’re next to it.
Specs
- Brightness: 1000 lumens
- Beam Distance: 30 meters
- Battery: Rechargeable battery
- Light modes: Dimmable 30-1000 lumens
- Light Colors: White
- Waterproof: IP56
Pros
- 180-degree beam for good coverage
- Excellent brightness
- Dimmable to a low light of 30 lumens
- 100-hour battery life from a 3-hour charge
- Water-resistant from splashes, jets, and rain
- Light and comfortable
- Durable and well made
Cons
- Only one light color to choose from
- Only one mode to choose from
- No night vision modes
- Quite expensive
Best Budget Headlamp For Fishing
Nitecore NU25 Headlamp
You have the choice of multiple levels of brightness in white mode, along with a natural light mode for doing intricate tasks.
Nitecore NU25 Headlamp
The Nitecore NU25 Headlamp comes with 9 different modes to suit pretty much every night fishing situation.
Brightness
You have the choice of multiple brightness settings in white mode, along with a natural light mode for doing intricate tasks, plus a red-light mode for fishing at night.
When on full, the white beam can go up to 360 lumens and pushes a beam of 88 meters. This makes walking through the wilderness to get to your night fishing spot a breeze, as you’ll be able to see your path clearly without any issues.
Battery
This is a rechargeable headlamp and the included rechargeable battery has an excellent battery life of up to 160 hours depending on what modes you’re using.
Charging it is also easy, just connect it via USB charging cable to a power bank, your car charger, or a wall socket.
There is even a battery power indicator to show you how much charge you have left so you are never caught short.
Weight
Another great thing about these fishing headlamps is how light they are.
With the headband, they weigh under 2 ounces, and under one ounce without the headband.
This not only makes this lightweight headlamp easy to carry around, but comfortable to wear too, as you’ll be carrying minimal weight on your head.
Waterproofing
These fishing headlamps are also waterproof to IP66 and will survive any rain or splashes you might encounter when night fishing.
The only downside to these headlamps is that their brightest light mode only lasts for 30 seconds, so it’s more of a burst for seeing what’s ahead, and you’ll have to use the medium-high setting for moving around with.
Specs
- Brightness: 360 Lumens
- Beam Distance: 88 meters
- Battery: Rechargeable Lithium
- Lighting modes: 9
- Light Colors: Red, CRI, white
- Waterproof: IP66
Pros
- Different modes to suit all situations
- A good range of colors for not spooking fish
- Super light to wear and comfy
- Small and portable
- Good brightness for distance
- Natural light for intricate tasks
- Good battery life up to 160 hours depending on the mode
- Water-resistant against rain and splashes
- Durable and impact resistant
Cons
- 360-lumen mode only lasts for 30 seconds
Best Budget Headlamp For Fishing
VEKKIA CREE LED Headlamp
Comes with 5 different modes across two light colors, red light and white light, to suit every need for night fishing.
VEKKIA CREE LED Headlamp
The VEKKIA CREE LED Headlamp is light, comfy, affordable, and adjustable to fit any head. These headlamps for fishing come with 5 different modes across two light colors, red light and white light, to suit every need for night fishing.
Modes
In white mode, you can choose from bright, low, and strobe light, and in red mode, either dim light mode or SOS modes.
This means you can find your way, rig your tackle, and use the headlight while beside the water and not scare any fish off.
You can also angler the headlight to control the light throw, ensuring as little light as possible hits the water.
Controls
Switching between the modes on these headlamps is easy, just click the button until you get to the mode you want.
But you’ll have to cycle through the modes, meaning you could risk bright LED lights hitting the water, so it’s best to cover the LED lights until you have got the mode you want.
Battery
These headlamps use three AAA batteries and have a good battery life of up to 60 hours depending on what modes you’re using.
These headlamps for fishing have a water-resistance of IPX 6 and will handle any rain or splashes, but can’t be submerged.
Overall these headlamps hit all the bases for any fishing trip, and for fishing at night.
Specs
- Brightness: 200 Lumens
- Beam Distance: 100 meters
- Battery: 3 x AAA batteries
- Lighting modes: 5
- Light Colors: White and red
- Waterproof: IPX6
Pros
- Affordable
- Light and portable
- Bright and lots of handy modes
- Easy to use
- Good light colors for fishing
- Water-resistant to rain and splashes
- Good battery life
- No charging required
Cons
- Have to cycle through modes to get to your chosen one
Sun Via Headlamp
Useful when camping and fishing at night as it doesn’t spook fish as much as white lights.
Sun Via Headlamp
Review
The Sun Via Headlamp is a hands-free UV light with no other colors available.
UV light is useful when camping and fishing at night as it doesn’t spook fish as much as white lights, and you can spot things you wouldn’t see otherwise like scorpions, as they glide under UV.
Modes
The headlamp features 4 different modes, low, medium, high, and strobe.
You can use these features to control the brightness to your desired setting and make sure a little light as possible hits the water.
The headlamp also features a swivel ability and you can choose from three positions to make sure you can angle the beam in your preferred direction, again, so as not to scare any fish in the water.
Battery
This headlamp uses three AAA batteries for power source, that are easy to swap out, and have a good battery life too.
The battery life is around 50 hours depending on what mode you’re using, more than enough for a fishing trip but it’s always worth taking some spares with you.
Fit
The headlamp is adjustable to fit any head, and it’s also light and comfy to wear. It’s not waterproof at all though, not even to IPX4, but it will probably survive a bit of rain.
These headlamps are great overall but not the best fishing models around as there is no bright light for finding your way around in the dark or doing intricate tasks like rigging baits.
Specs
- Battery: 3 x AAA batteries
- Light modes: 4
- Light Colors: UV
- Waterproof: No
Pros
- UV light is useful for fishing and working at night
- 4 light modes to choose your brightness
- Light and comfortable
- Good for spotting scorpions
Cons
- Only one light mode
- No water-resistance
- Not bright for non-fishing tasks
Brightest Headlamp For Fishing
SLONIK CREE LED Headlamp
As durable as a hands-free headlamp can get. It can handle being bashed around on rocks without any worry.
SLONIK CREE LED Headlamp
The SLONIK CREE LED Headlamp is about as durable as a hands-free headlamp can get.
This headlamp is made from aluminum alloy and can handle being bashed around on rocks without any worry.
It’s also the only fully waterproof headlamp in the review with a rating of IPX8 meaning it can be fully submerged for extended periods of time, so you can even go snorkeling with it.
Modes
The headlamp features just two modes, bright light and dim light, and just one light color, white.
In full mode, the headlamp is exceptionally bright and has a beam distance of 600 meters, so you’ll be able to navigate your way through the dark with ease.
When fishing, pick the dim or low light mode on the headlamp and use the swivel ability to direct the light away from the water so as not to scare the fish.
Battery
This is a rechargeable headlamp that uses a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack. These batteries hold a great amount of battery power as far as a rechargeable battery goes, and gives a good battery life of 8 hours.
The rechargeable battery is easy to charge via USB and takes just a few hours.
Fit and Comfort
Overall the rechargeable headlamp is quite light, comfy to wear, has excellent brightness but it is missing some fishing features like a red or green light for when you’re close to the water.
I also worry that this is a little bright to turn on anywhere near fish as it will scare them.
Specs
- Brightness: 1000 lumens
- Beam Distance: 600 ft
- Battery: Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
- Light modes: 2
- Light Colors: White
- Waterproof: IPX8
Pros
- Super bright when you need it to be
- Fully waterproof and can be submerged
- Dimmable to a low mode for fishing situations
- Good battery life
- Easy to charge
- Durable aluminum alloy build
- Excellent beam distance
- Comfy to wear
Cons
- No red light for night vision mode
- A little bright for use on the water
What are fishing headlamps?
Fishing headlamps are similar to normal head based lamps but come with extra features like red lights that are designed to not scare fish and numerous modes for dimming the lights and changing the angle when you’re doing tricky tasks like tying knots.
Like a desk lamp is to writing, this lamp is to your next adventure.
Why buy a fishing headlamp?
If you plan on going angling in the dark, you’re going to need some kind of light source so you can see what you’re doing, and there is nowhere to plug in your desk lamp when you’re outdoors, so a headlamp is your best option.
Move Freely
A headlamp gives you light and keeps your hands free at the same time so you can still fish, tie knots, and do things as normal while the headtorch sits on your head.
A headlamp for angling will also have different modes so you can still have some light without scaring any fish away.
Who should buy a fishing headlamp?
Every fisherman should own an angling headlamp, and it should sit in their bag with their other fishing gear on every trip, even if you’re not a night fisherman.
You never know what situations can come up when you’re outdoors.
You might get stuck fishing after dark because of a great bite, or have to wait for a bear to move off from your route back to your car.
Having a light means you can find your way home if you get caught out after dark.
Fishing Opportunities
Fish also have a solid feed at dusk when the sun is setting and it’s one of the best times to be out casting.
The last thing you want is to be hurrying home because you don’t have a headlamp when the fish are biting at sunset.
What makes the best angling headlamp?
The best headlamps for angling will be comfortable on your head, bright enough to find your way with, dim enough not to scare fish, and come with red and/or green light color options for use near fishy waters, as these colors scare fish a lot less than normal white-colored light.
Once you have all these boxes ticked, you can then look for a waterproof rating of IPX4 or more that’ll ensure the lamp survives any rain or splashes.
Things to consider when buying a headlamp for angling
How Bright Do I Need a Headlamp?
Brightness is measured in lumens, and the more lumens the brighter the light.
You don’t need excessive brightness for angling, just enough to find your way, as when you start angling, you’ll want the light to be as dim as possible so as not to disturb any fish.
Every headlamp in the review is measured in lumens and they range from 150 – 1000 lumens, all of which give enough light for anyone’s angling needs.
What Light Colors Do I Need?
It is important that the lamp you choose comes with a minimum of red and white color light options, and if you can, make sure it has a green option too, and here is why.
White
White-colored light is the best for finding your way around.
It’ll light up the ground so you don’t fall or stumble, and its beam will penetrate far so you can see the path ahead of you and check for anything that might need avoiding, like a sleepy bear.
It’s also the best for seeing detail, and you’ll need it when rigging up your tackle and tying on your hooks. But, it shouldn’t be shone near any fish as it will scare them off.
Red
Red-colored light scares fish less than white-colored light, so it’s better for use close to fish.
It also preserves your night vision, so once you turn it off, you’ll still be able to see and keep on casting without waiting for your eyes to readjust.
Green
Green colored light is the best color not scaring fish, and it even attracts some species of saltwater fish when used on dock lights.
If you’re angling for seatrout at night or any other particularly spooky fish, a green light is your best bet for not disturbing them.
What Modes Does My Headlamp Need?
A headlamp can come with between 2 and 9 different lighting modes including strobe, SOS, flashing, and more.
The only modes that matter when angling are being able to up or dim the intensity.
Strobe and flashing settings aren’t useful at all, unless you’re trying to spook fish or get some attention for some reason, but you have SOS for that.
Here is a video review of the top pick from our list.
Advantage
Being able to choose the light intensity allows you to find the perfect brightness for every situation from walking down to a river to untangling your line downstream from a hungry fish.
TIP
The more control you have over the brightness the better your chances of success will be.
Why Headlamp Comfort is Crucial
A Headlamp sits on your head and is held there by a stretchy band.
The feeling of a lamp being pulled into your head for hours on end isn’t nice at the best of times, but it can be made a lot more comfortable.
Weight
The lighter the lamp the less weight your head is carrying and the more comfortable it will be.
You should also check the adjustability of the band, to ensure you can adjust it to give you a perfect fit without putting too much pressure on your head.
Think About Portability
A headlamp should be able to fit in your pocket with ease.
Some of them only weigh two ounces and slip into your pocket without you noticing, while others are larger and bulkier.
The last thing you want is to haul around a heavy headlamp in your bag, or on your head for that matter. Always try and go for the lightest headlamp that has all the features you need.
Waterproofing
You’ll notice that most headlamps in the review have an IP rating like IPX4. IPX4 stands for a particular amount of waterproofing, and the higher the number, the more waterproof the headlamp is.
When fishing, your largest concerns in regards to moisture affecting your headlamp are rain and splashes, as the chances of it being submerged are minimal as I doubt you intend on snorkeling with it.
Usual Features
Most headlamps will handle rain and splashes without an IP rating, but if you want to be sure, get a headlamp with an IPX4 rating or higher.
You can also find head torches that are rated to IPX8 and can be submerged if that’s what you’re after.
What Battery Will My Headlamp Need?
The battery a headlamp uses can range from rechargeable to replaceable AA batteries.
Neither one is better than the other in my opinion, and which is best for you comes down to personal preference.
Replaceable batteries are useful, as there is no charging required, and if you run out when angling, you can put a new set in and keep on going.
Economical
Rechargeable batteries are great as you don’t have to spend any extra money on new ones, but when they die, you better be near a power source.
Some of you might be thinking that a power bank solves this issue, but rechargeable batteries take a while to charge, and if you’re angling, you might have to stop for an hour while waiting for your headlamp to charge.
TIP
I’d always go for a replaceable battery headlight and carry spares with me, as the thought of waiting for a rechargeable battery to charge while fish are biting is not an option in my world.
FAQ’s
Do lights scare fish?
Yes, and no.
It depends on the species for example if you’re angling on a river for seatrout, any amount of light is going to scare them.
But, light can attract both baitfish and pelagics in the ocean as it looks like phosphorescent plankton.
TIP
The best thing to do is some research into the species you’re targeting to see if some light will help or hinder your chances of success.
What color light attracts the most fish?
For the species of fish that are attracted to light, white and green lights are best, green being the better of the two.
Green lights penetrate deeper, therefore attracting more fish, plus you’ll also be able to see more as it’ll light up the ocean better.
Summing Up
Thanks for reading my article about the best headlamps for fishing.
If you plan on doing any night angling, using the best fishing headlamps ups your chances of a prize fish considerably as you will be able to control your lighting and use different colors to not spook any fishy waters where it might be lurking.
Best Green Headlamp For Fishing
Best Waterproof Headlamp For Fishing
Best Budget Headlamp For Fishing
In order to pick the best headlamp for you, there are two main things to think about;
- Will it sit on your head comfortably?
- And does it have the right lighting modes for where you’re fishing?
Once you’re sure of these, finding the best headlamp is easy.
If you’re still undecided about which fishing headlight is right for you, here are my top headlamp choices to help make your decision a little easier.
Best Green Headlamp For Fishing
I’d always go with the Energizer Vision Ultra Headlamp and have owned a few of them as I believe they are the best fishing headlamps around.
They are affordable, light, portable, sit comfortably on your head, and the only headlamp that has all the light colors you need, white, red, and green.
You won’t spook fish, you can maintain your night vision, and you can use the white beam to find your way around with ease.
Best Waterproof Headlamp For Fishing
If you’re looking for a headlamp that uses rechargeable batteries, then the Hero Headlamp is a great choice.
It has both red, white, and natural light color options, is comfortable on your head, and the rechargeable batteries included last for 50 hours or more from a single charge.
Best Budget Headlamp For Fishing
The runner up to these two is the VEKKIA CREE Headlamp. It’s the most affordable headlamp in the review and it’s got both red and white color modes which are all you really need.
Plus it’s light and comfortable when sitting on your head which is why this lamp took the runner-up title.
Happy Fishing
Thanks again for reading my article, I hope you found it useful and have found the right headlamp for you.
If you liked this article on best headlamps for fishing, please share it around with your angling friends, and check out some of my other articles. If there is some new fishing gear you need, we have covered it here for you. Check out other accessories like underwater fishing cameras or portable fish finders.
