America's 5 Best Destinations To Retire And Fish, According To Reddit

For many, retirement is a reward. After working for decades on end, you're finally given ample time to pursue your passions. Some take advantage of these golden years by purchasing an RV and heading out on breathtaking retirement road trips on scenic roads, while others choose to board a plane or a cruise ship and travel the world. Whether you're keen to spend your time volunteering locally, gardening, taking up painting, or treading the boards in community theater productions, retirement is a time to focus on doing the things you love. For some, this means fishing. 

In many ways, fishing is the ideal retirement activity. Not only does it provide plenty of low-impact exercise, but it can also encourage social interaction and is good for basic relaxation and relieving stress. It's also mentally stimulating and can, as a result, boost cognitive function.

Luckily, the United States is blessed with plenty of terrific places to fish. From secret Florida cities surrounded by lakes to the rivers and fly-fishing streams of the American West, there is no shortage of good fishing holes throughout the country. But where are the best places to settle down and cast a line after retirement? While there is no single answer, we've looked to Reddit to help point anyone interested in making fishing the focus of their post-career years in the right direction. Here are the five best places to retire and fish in the United States, at least according to what people have to say there.

Situated just under two and a half hours north of San Francisco, Clear Lake is not just the largest natural lake in the state, but also came in at number one on a recent list of Top 10 Bass Lakes (in the U.S.) by Bassmaster Magazine. That's because this particular body of water is known for massive largemouth bass that average 2 to 3 pounds but can get much bigger. That said, bass aren't the only species in Clear Lake. It's also home to healthy populations of crappie, bluegill, carp, as well as catfish that can weigh close to 20 pounds.  

All of this, plus the fact that the lake offers year-round fishing, makes it an ideal place for retired anglers, and people on Reddit seem to agree. When answering the question, "Which bass lake would you retire to?," more than one person mentioned Clear Lake, and some went further by singing its praises. "Can confirm it's amazing. Lived there for a year and it was heaven," answered one angler, while another wrote, "I go 2x a year for tournaments. I'm a huge fan."

Another thing that makes Clear Lake a nice retirement choice is that several communities are nestled on its shoreline, including the town of Clearlake. Home to some 16,600 residents, this is also one of California's most affordable towns, with ample housing as well as plenty of local amenities. The weather is also a big plus, featuring dry hot summers and winters that — while a bit wet and chilly — almost never see snow, ice, or freezing conditions.

The Outer Banks refers to a chain of barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina. Stretching over 100 miles, this idyllic slice of Atlantic Ocean shoreline is famous for its wide beaches, sand dunes, historic lighthouses, wild horses, shipwrecks, and excellent seafood. Dotted with quaint towns and wildlife refuges, it's a beautiful, laid-back part of the country that also features top-notch fishing year-round. Whether it's deep sea fishing, working brackish water, jigging off a pier, or casting into the surf, there are plenty of varieties to hook into the Outer Banks. These include sea bass, speckled trout, bluefish, tuna, red drum, cobia, king mackerel, marlin, and many more, making this region one of America's great fishing paradises.

"Oak Island & Topsail Beach in NC are slept on in my opinion, even in their off-season," replied one Redditor to the question, "Best place to retire and fish?" This caused another user to remark, "Just got back from a visit to the Outer Banks and it was my husband's first time experiencing [the] off season at OBX in general. He was so jazzed. Beautiful, peaceful, more ability to observe wildlife, and still had quite a few places open."

The gorgeous, relaxing surroundings have drawn plenty of retirees to the Outer Banks, and while winter storms and hurricanes aren't unheard of, the area is otherwise known for its mild weather featuring cool winters and warm, comfortable summer temperatures. The North Carolina coast also comes equipped with plenty of angling infrastructure, such as these piers with scenic views and prime fishing spots.

If you're looking for peace and quiet in retirement, the little town of Alba certainly offers that. Located 75 miles east of Dallas, this sleepy community of just over 500 residents won't dazzle you with its nightlife offerings, but it's close enough to the big city to give you access to everything you need. It also happens to sit next to one of the best freshwater fishing spots in Texas: Lake Fork. This relatively new reservoir has only been open to the public since 1980 and is full of fat, hungry, largemouth bass. "The reason for the lake's popularity isn't a mystery," wrote Dan Oko in an article for Texas Monthly. "Bass fishermen prize large fish, and Lake Fork, with its strict catch-and-release rules and multimillion-dollar breeding program, is home to freakishly large fish."

Lake Fork maintains a thriving population of lunkers by limiting harvest to a 16 to 24-inch slot. This means any fish larger or smaller must be released, which lets the little ones grow into big ones, and allows the real monsters to fight another day. This results in anglers routinely pulling out bass weighing 1.5 pounds, with trophy specimens sometimes reaching up to 10 pounds.

The fact that it's such a productive bass lake, as well as its proximity to other fishable waters, has caused users on Reddit to repeatedly mention Lake Fork as an ideal bass lake to retire to. "Fork will be your best place to catch giants," wrote one Redditor, while another local fisher offered this advice: "Get a place on Fork. Even if you get bored with Fork or the community of Alba, you can be on or in any number of other great fisheries or towns within an hour or two of Fork/Alba."

Under the Reddit thread "The Best Place to Retire as a Fly Fisherman," Arkansas — particularly its upper left corner — gets a lot of love. "Within an hour and 45 minutes of some of the best trout fishing anywhere," remarked one commenter. "White River system, Taneycomo, all with world class brown trout fishing (seriously world record class) and not to mention a ton of blue ribbon streams to scratch that wild water itch." This was driven home by another angler, who wrote, "It's relatively warm year round, and they have plenty of trout."

This region of Arkansas is also a retirement hotspot for non-fishers, particularly the towns of Mountain Home, Hot Springs Village, Harrison, and Bella Vista. Retirees flock to the region for its arresting natural scenery, good weather, and relatively low cost of living. For example, according to the website Best Places, houses in Harrison are priced 49% below the national average, which certainly helps make it an attractive place to settle.

However, in the eyes of retired fishing aficionados, a location must offer more than just affordable housing. There has also got to be good waters full of fish, and in this regard, northwestern Arkansas delivers. In addition to holding some of the country's largest brown trout, the rivers and lakes are also home to other fish species, including rainbow and cutthroat trout, three types of bass, along with crappie, tiger muskie, walleye, and catfish. For anyone into freshwater fishing, it doesn't get much better than that. That said, not every northwest Arkansas local is thrilled about the fact that their secret is now out, including this Redditor, who — after generously sharing the details of some of the best fishing spots in the area — remarked, "All that to say don't move here. We're full."

It should come as no surprise that Florida makes this list. Not only does the Sunshine State draw the largest number of retirees (according to the AARP), but its ocean waters offer some of the best fishing in the country, especially in its southwest region. "While Florida may be a destination for warm weather, beaches, and tons of tourist attractions," wrote Matthew J. Breuer in an article for In-Fishing magazine, "I'd suggest getting off the beaten path a bit, and exploring some of the other adventures that await you in sun country. Southwest Florida is a gem, and the fishing is top notch."

Situated on the Gulf Coast and home to cities such as Cape Coral, Fort Myers, and Naples, southwest Florida boasts around 260 sunny days a year, with daytime high temperatures averaging from the mid-70s to the mid-80 degrees Fahrenheit. It's no wonder that retirees flock to an area home to pristine beaches and such an idyllic climate. For someone who wishes to enjoy all that and fish, it's a literal paradise, with opportunities for sight fishing in shallows and mangroves, casting into the surf, or heading out on a boat in search of true deep-sea trophies such as giant grouper, snapper, and sharks.

There is a stunning variety of fish in the local waters to keep any retired angler occupied, and that hasn't gone unnoticed on Reddit. In a thread titled "Best Places to Retire as a Fisherman," one local had this reply: "100 edible species of fish, scallops to the north, lobster to the south ... pigs, deer, gator, turkey ... bikinis all year. But sorry, currently there are no vacancies available."

When compiling this list of America's five best places to retire and fish, we looked at specific Reddit posts discussing the topic. Some focused on bass fishing, some limited their options to fly fishing, while others didn't specify the species or angling technique. As you can imagine, a lot of places were suggested. However, to be considered for the list, the destination had to come up repeatedly in the thread, forming at least the beginning of a consensus.

We also looked at factors such as weather and affordability, as these are key considerations for most retirees. These eliminated some very good fishing spots in northern states that experience extreme winter conditions throughout much of the year, making them difficult places to retire full-time. In the end, after weighing all of these factors, we are confident this list reflects the best places to retire and cast a line in the United States.