Fishing Injuries and Safety: Hooks, Life Jackets, Cold Water, Sun and Strain

This article contains affiliate links: if you buy through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. Learn more.

A nine-year-old reeling in her first bass at sunrise. A fly angler wading a Rockies riffle. A tournament pro running across a reservoir at first light. Fishing is one of the gentlest sports there is, but the water, the weather and a sharp hook still send a lot of anglers to the emergency room. Here are the common fishing injuries and dangers, how to prevent them, and the signs that mean “stop fishing and get it checked”.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you’re hurt, see a doctor, sports medicine physician or physical therapist (PT); in an emergency call 911 (or hail the Coast Guard on VHF channel 16 on the water). For the bigger picture of the sport, start at our fishing hub.

What the research says about fishing injuries

A study of the US national injury surveillance system (NEISS) estimated that 412,171 young people were treated in US emergency departments for fishing-related injuries from 1997 to 2016. Most were boys and teens aged 11 to 18, hooks and lures caused 79.7% of the injuries, and the hand and arm took 43.9% of them. A 2026 NEISS study of children’s head and neck injuries found fishhooks caused 84.6% of them, most often in the face, ear and eyelids.

The serious risks are different: drowning, cold water, lightning and heat. In 2024 the US Coast Guard counted 556 recreational boating deaths; 178 of them happened on boats that were out fishing, more than any activity except general cruising and relaxing. Overuse aches in the back, shoulder and elbow are common too, according to a 2025 review of 41 studies.

Hook injuries and first aid basics

Almost every angler gets hooked sooner or later. Barbless or pinched-barb hooks come out much more easily. Keep your distance from other anglers’ casts, use pliers instead of fingers near treble hooks, and keep hooks covered when you walk.

A shallow hook in a finger or hand. MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine) describes two methods for a hook that is not deep: loop fishing line around the bend, press the shank down and away from the barb and give a quick pull; or push the point through, cut it off behind the barb with wire cutters and back the hook out. Wash with soap and water and use a loose dressing, not tape. Keep pliers with a wire cutter in your tackle box.

• Don’t try to remove it yourself if the hook is deep, in a joint or tendon, or in or near an eye, eyelid or artery. Tape it so it can’t move and get to a doctor or urgent care.
• A hook in the eye is an emergency. Don’t pull it or press on the eye; go to the nearest emergency room. In a series of 75 fishing eye injuries, eyes hit by fishhooks were far more likely to have an open-globe injury (54%) than eyes hurt by sinkers or rods (9%), with the worst vision outcomes.
• See a doctor if your tetanus shot isn’t up to date (a booster every 10 years), or if the wound gets red, swollen, more painful, starts to drain or you get a fever.
• Fish and water bring germs. The CDC advises staying out of salt or brackish water with an open wound if you can, and gloves for handling raw seafood if you’re at higher risk of infection.

Protect your eyes from hooks, rods and sinkers snapping back off a snag: wear sunglasses or clear safety glasses every time, kids too (41.8% of fishing eye injuries in a 2014–2023 NEISS study were in children).

Drowning and life jackets

This is the big one. In the Coast Guard’s 2024 report, where the cause of death was known, 76% of people who died in boating incidents drowned, and where life jacket use was known, 87% of those who drowned were not wearing one. Four of every five boaters who drowned were on boats under 21 feet. Falling overboard alone accounted for 138 deaths, and alcohol was the leading known factor in fatal incidents.

The CDC says life jackets reduce the risk of drowning while boating for people of all ages and swimming abilities. The Coast Guard’s federal guide has a section for anglers: standing raises your center of gravity, jon boats, canoes and kayaks tip easily, and you should practice climbing back in with all your gear on. Waders don’t sink you; the Coast Guard says trapped air helps you float. Bend your knees, keep your life jacket on and float on your back.

• The rules: a Coast Guard-approved wearable life jacket for each person on board, plus a throwable device on boats 16 feet and longer. Under federal rules, children under 13 must wear one on a moving boat; some states set different ages.
• Wear it, don’t stow it. A slim inflatable belt pack or vest makes all-day wear easy for adults (many are approved only for ages 16 and up; keep the cylinder full and the indicator green). B.A.S.S. tournaments require a fastened life jacket any time the big engine runs.
• Boat sober and take a course. In 2024, 69% of deaths (where instruction was known) were on boats whose operator had no boating safety instruction.

Cold water and ice safety

Spring and fall bring warm air over cold water. The Coast Guard describes three phases of a cold-water fall: cold shock (a gasp and fast breathing for about a minute), cold incapacitation (losing the use of your arms and legs within about 10 minutes) and hypothermia (unconsciousness possible within an hour). A life jacket keeps your head up through all three. If you can’t get out, climb onto the capsized boat or pull your knees to your chest and hug your life jacket (the H.E.L.P. position).

On the ice. Iowa’s DNR says ice fishing needs at least four inches of clear ice (five to seven for snowmobiles and ATVs) and that no ice is 100% safe. Check thickness as you go, don’t go alone, and wear ice picks and a life jacket or float suit. If you fall through, North Dakota Game and Fish says: try not to panic, turn back the way you came, put your arms on the unbroken ice, kick yourself up and roll away from the hole.

In a NEISS study of 85 ice-fishing injuries, musculoskeletal injuries led (46%) and burns were the fourth most common type (5%), almost unknown in summer fishing. Heaters also bring carbon monoxide, which the CDC calls an odorless, colorless gas that kills without warning (headache, dizziness, nausea and confusion are warning signs): ventilate and carry a battery CO alarm. Shivering, confusion, fumbling hands or slurred speech mean get warm now; below 95°F is an emergency, per the CDC.

Sun, skin cancer and your eyes

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) says skin cancer is the most common cancer in the US and that one in five Americans will develop it. The CDC notes UV reflects off water and recommends shade, long sleeves, a wide-brimmed hat, UV-blocking sunglasses and sunscreen. The AAD recommends SPF 30 or higher, water-resistant, reapplied every two hours and after getting wet, plus SPF 30 lip balm. A UPF neck gaiter and sun gloves cover the neck, ears and backs of the hands. Polarized lenses cut glare, but the American Academy of Ophthalmology notes polarization alone doesn’t block UV.

Heat illness

Flat-calm summer days on the water can be brutally hot. The CDC’s signs of heat exhaustion include heavy sweating, cold clammy skin, nausea, cramps, dizziness and weakness: get to shade, cool down and sip water. Heat stroke (103°F or higher, hot red skin, confusion or passing out) is an emergency: call 911 and cool the person right away. Hydration and planning are on our Fishing Day page.

Back and shoulder strain from casting and fighting fish

A 2025 review of 41 studies found low back pain and repetitive strain of the shoulder, elbow and wrist are commonly reported by regular anglers, especially in the more physical styles. In a survey of 162 fly anglers (average age 63), 36.4% had arm pain right after fishing, usually mild and gone within a week; those who saw a doctor were most often told it was elbow or rotator cuff tendinitis. Pain was linked to sidearm casting, heavy weighted lines or flies, and a palm-down grip, all things you can change.

• Casting: relaxed grip, thumb on top, breaks on long days, and a casting lesson if your elbow aches.
• Fighting big fish: use your legs and hips, not just your arms and low back. Offshore anglers use a fighting belt or harness so the load goes through the hips.
• Lifting: coolers, kayaks and boat batteries strain backs too. Bend your knees, keep the load close and don’t twist.

Slips, falls and wading

Wet decks, slick rocks and icy ramps cause sprains, broken wrists and falls overboard. Wear grippy boat shoes, keep the deck clear, sit down when the boat is moving and use three points of contact getting in and out. Orvis’s wading advice: a wading belt is a must with waders (it slows water filling them), a wading staff gives a third point of support, studded soles grip better, move slowly with a wide stance, never cross your feet, and ask whether you should be wading there at all. In fast or deep water, add a life jacket.

Lightning

The National Weather Service says fishing and boating account for 14% of US lightning deaths (2006–2023), fishing alone 40% of the water-related ones, because people on the water wait too long. Head in when you first hear thunder.

Safety gear many anglers carry

None of these prevents an accident by itself, but they cover the biggest risks on this page.

When to see a doctor, sports medicine physician or PT

• Right away (911 or emergency room): a hook in or near the eye; a near-drowning or cold-water rescue, even if the person seems fine; heat stroke; signs of serious hypothermia or carbon monoxide poisoning; a lightning strike; heavy bleeding or a possible broken bone.
• Same day: a hook that is deep, in a joint, tendon or the face; a deep cut from a fish, knife or prop; a tetanus shot more than 10 years old.
• Soon: a wound that turns red, hot, swollen or drains; elbow, shoulder or back pain that keeps coming back after fishing; numbness or weakness in the arm or leg; a skin spot that’s new or changing.

A sports medicine physician diagnoses; a physical therapist builds the rehab and your plan back to full days on the water. Prevention starts with Fishing Fitness and fishing recovery; for head injuries in other sports, see soccer injuries.

Fishing injuries: FAQs

What is the most common fishing injury?

Getting hooked. In a study of young people treated in US emergency departments over 20 years, hooks and lures caused about 80% of fishing injuries, most often to the hand and arm.

Should I pull a fishhook out myself?

Only if it’s shallow and not near an eye, joint, tendon or artery. MedlinePlus describes the string-yank and push-through-and-cut methods for shallow hooks. Deep hooks and anything near the eye need a doctor; an eye injury is an emergency.

Do I have to wear a life jacket while fishing from a boat?

Federal rules require one on board for every person, and children under 13 must wear one on a moving boat (states may differ). Adults aren’t always required to wear one, but in 2024, 87% of boaters who drowned weren’t wearing a life jacket. Wear it.

How thick does ice need to be for ice fishing?

State agencies such as the Iowa DNR say at least four inches of clear ice for walking and fishing, more for snowmobiles, ATVs and vehicles. No ice is 100% safe: check as you go, never go alone, and wear ice picks and a life jacket.