20 Publications that Pay for Writing About Fishing

Here’s our latest research — a list of publications that accept submissions about fishing that work with freelance writers.

We’ve researched payment rates, pitch guidelines, and more, to help you connect with the right editor.

If you want to browse even more opportunities, be sure to check out our database of over 1,500 publishers that pay writers. It’s easily searchable, and includes thousands of listings just like the ones below.

If you’re new to freelancing, I also very much encourage you to take our course on pitching. You can get the details here.

1. Wildlife in North Carolina is a print magazine that features the natural beauty of North Carolina. They publish articles about outdoor recreation, hunting/fishing, natural histories, and environmental/conservation issues. Writers who are thoroughly familiar with Wildlife in North Carolina are more likely to develop article ideas that interest them. According to their contributor guidelines, they pay $400 and up for a full-length feature, and $500 and up for an article and photographs purchased as a package.

1. The Narwhal is a non-profit magazine that publishes stories about Canada’s natural world. They welcome pitches for stories of up to 2,000 words. They especially welcome pitches from BIPOC writers. Their reporting is “primarily focused on the extractive industries — mining, forestry, fishing and oil and gas extraction — and large-scale conservation.” According to their pitch guide, their freelancing rate is generally $1 per word, but may vary.

1. Outdoor Canada is Canada’s leading magazine for fishing, hunting, and conservation. They cover “what’s happening in the Canadian outdoors from coast to coast to coast.” Most articles run from 1,500 to 2,500 words, while shorter pieces can run from 100 to 700 words. According to their pitch guide, they pay $100 for short articles to $400 and up for features. Good photographs are also necessary. To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines.

1. Sport Fishing Magazine publishes content for enthusiasts based on ‘serious saltwater fishing around North America and beyond’. They run features between 1,800 to 2,400 words. According to their submission guidelines, they pay $750 for print features, and up to $1,500 if photos are included. They pay $200 for 1,000 words and $300 for more than 1000 words for digital features.

1. Gray’s Sporting Journal is a journal for hunters and anglers. They are always looking for features on hunting and fishing, and publish four themed issues a year. They publish Expeditions – travel pieces of hunting and fishing locations, Yarns – campfire tales that can be fact or fiction, and poetry. According to their submission guidelines, pay is $850-$1,000 for Expeditions (2,500 and 3,000 words) plus $75 per picture; $600-$1,250 for features (750 to 1,500 words; pay based on quality, not length); $600 for yarns (750 to 1,500 words); and $100 for poems (shorter than 1,000 words).

1. Fly Tyer Magazine wants articles describing new flies for catching trout, bass, panfish, and saltwater species across the U.S. and around the world. They are also interested in articles describing new tying materials and techniques, or new applications for older tying materials and techniques. They take articles on a query-first basis, and response time is unspecified. Word count for features is 2,000-2,500 for features and 1,200-2,000 for columns. According to their submission guidelines, they pay $450 for features and $200-$400 for short features and columns.

1. Nebraskaland Magazine is published by Nebraska’s Game and Parks Commission. They cover “all varieties of outdoor recreation including camping, travel, canoeing, hunting, fishing, Nebraska’s state parks and recreation areas, wildlife, natural history, unique personalities, art, culture, history and personal reminiscence.” Most stories are 2,500 words. According to their submission guidelines, they pay 15 cents per word.

1. Tail Fly Fishing Magazine is a bimonthly print publication that is devoted exclusively to fly fishing in saltwater. They are always seeking great content on saltwater fly fishing (with a focus on conservation and the environment). They want feature articles of 2,000 to 2,500 words, and short features of 1,000 to 1,500 words. Payment depends on the quality of the article and whether it accompanies great photos. To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines.