Real
conditions
Weather, seasons,
water temps, light.
Explore. Fish. Learn. Repeat.
Same feeling.
A bigger world.
The fishing game you’ve been missing.
Real waters. Real fish. Real adventures.
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Your local pond
is in the game.
Thousands
of lakes, rivers,
and reservoirs
across the U.S.
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Real
Real fish
Populations,
behavior, stocking.
Iconic & local
Famous lakes
and your local spot.
Real data
Maps, depth,
structure, and more.
Home Waters field guide01 / Locations
Find your
home waters.
Start close.
Go exploring.
The waters you remember. A lifetime of places to discover.
Thousands of real lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams. We’re building a world where every water has a story. Yours included.
Lake spotlight / Illinois
Shabbona Lake
Get to know the water.
Tackle shop selected. Spot 1 of 6.
You know the feeling.
Find a spot.
Make it yours.
A dark edge. A break in the weeds. One cast to find out what’s waiting.
Home Waters field guide02 / Fish
Meet your
next catch.
Go on.
Say hello.
Some you know. Some you’ll never forget.
From bluegill to the fish of a lifetime. We’re building support for every species, with true-to-life sizes and weights.
A few familiar faces
The locals have a few tips.
Freshwater
field notes.
The ambush artistFind the cover.
Find the cover.
Meet the bass.
Weed beds and fallen timber. A little cover is all it takes to make you wonder what’s waiting.
Largemouth bass says…
“Same species. Different lake. How big I get will depend on where I call home.”
Small fish. Big character.Your first fish.
Your first fish.
Or your favorite.
A bobber beside the weeds. One small bite. The kind of fishing that gets you hooked for life.
Bluegill says…
“Big is relative. My size and weight will fit my species. A little fish can still be a big deal.”
There’s history down hereStay a little
Stay a little
past sundown.
Deep water by day, a search for food after dark. Some fish give you a reason to stay out late.
Channel catfish says…
“Stocking reports. Fishing pressure. The plan is for my home water’s history to help shape my size.”
What we’re building
The water makes the fish.
Real weights
Lengths and weights grounded in each species.
Local records
Stocking reports that inform local sizes and populations.
Fishing pressure
Generalized angling pressure that helps shape a water’s fish.
Home Waters field guide03 / Tackle
Make every
cast count.
Tie one
on.
Half the fun is choosing what to throw.
Lures, rods, reels, and line. We’re building a tackle box with room for old favorites and your next obsession.
Presentation guide
Give it a little life.
to work the water.
Keep it moving
Wind. Wobble.
Repeat.
Dive and wobble on a steady retrieve. Cover a stretch of water and find out who’s chasing.
Let it linger
Lift. Drop.
Wait for it.
Lift a weighted worm, then let it sink. Slow down and give a promising patch of cover another moment.
What we’re building
Build your go-to setup.
Rods
Length, power, and action. A rod for the way you like to fish.
Reels
A reel for every approach. Set your pace. Stay in the fight.
Line
Strength, stretch, and feel. Match your line to the water.
A fresh idea for the next cast
Real lures. New favorites.
Stop by the baitshop. Pick out a new lure. Head back out with a different way to tempt your next catch.
Home Waters field guide04 / Weather
Same water.
New story.
Keep an eye
on the sky.
Your favorite spot never quite fishes the same.
Real weather. Changing seasons. We’re building a world that gives you a new reason to head back out.
Out on the water
A day on Shabbona.
Different conditions.
- Light
- Daylight
- Surface
- Windy
Beat the bustle
The quiet before
the first cast.
A glassy cove. A shoreline still in shadow. Start with a favorite spot—or follow the bank a little farther.
Rethink your next cast
A little chop.
A different plan.
A sheltered cove or a windward bank? Let the changing water give you a new place to start.
Make the evening count
Stay for
the last light.
Long shadows. A familiar bank in a different light. Stay a little longer. See what’s waiting.
What we’re building
Learn the patterns.
Seasons
Follow seasonal patterns. Rediscover a familiar spot at a different time of year.
Water temp
Get to know the warming and cooling water, and the fish that respond to it.
Time of day
Early light. Long shadows. Find your favorite hour on the water.
Home Waters field guide05 / Maps
Read the
water.
There’s more
below the surface.
A familiar lake. A whole new way to see it.
Follow the shoreline. Trace the deeper water. Turn a place you know into a place you know by heart.
Get to know your water
Shabbona Lake
Field notes
Explore the spots
ShallowDeep
Creek arms / Follow the bank
Take the long way in.
Narrow water. A bend out of sight. Explore the shallow arms before you head for the open lake.
Old channel / Look below
The lake has a memory.
A river once ran through here. Its old channel still shapes the bottom. Trace the darker bands and follow its turns.
The dam / Go a little deeper
Save a cast for this end.
The darkest bands gather near the dam. Follow the change from the bank into deeper water. Where would you start?
Find your own way.
Depth, shoreline, cover. Learn to spot the little things that make your next cast feel less like a guess.
Home Waters field guide06 / The game
One more
cast.
You know
the feeling.
Head out. Find your rhythm. Stay a little longer.
Pick your water, rig up, and make it a fishing trip worth remembering.
Your next trip starts here
Take the helm.
Boating practice
A quiet launch. A whole lake ahead.Keyboard or touch
Find a stretch.
A familiar bank.
An unexplored cove.Rig it your way.
Choose your setup.
Try a different look.Make the cast.
Work the water.
See who’s waiting.
What we’re building / Trophy wall
Keep the ones
you talk about.
Your first catch. Your personal best.
Track your catches, their sizes, and the waters that made them.