Fishing Safety: Shorelines, Docks, Wading and Boats

Many anglers who drown never planned to get wet. They slip from a rock or a dock, lose their footing while wading, or fall out of a small boat, so wearing a life jacket while you fish, especially from a boat, in moving water or in cold weather, is the most important thing you can do.

Fishing feels like the calmest way to spend a day by the water. That is exactly why people let their guard down. This guide covers the places anglers get into trouble and the simple habits that prevent it.

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Why anglers fall in

An official at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it plainly: many never intended to be in the water (opens in a new tab). These are often good swimmers who were caught by surprise.

The National Weather Service lists the common ways people end up in the water, including falling off watercraft, docks, rocks or jetties (opens in a new tab), turbulent water and waves that overturn boats (opens in a new tab), and sneaker waves that pull beach walkers into the surf (opens in a new tab).

A surprise fall is dangerous for a simple reason. The sudden cold can make you gasp and breathe in water. The Corps warns that if you fall into water colder than 70 degrees, you can inhale water from involuntary gasping (opens in a new tab). Read what to do if you fall into cold water.

Shorelines, rocks and jetties

• Watch your footing. Take extra care on wet rocks, docks and muddy banks. Wear shoes with good grip and keep your hands free when you climb.
• Stay back from the edge in waves. On the coast, rip currents commonly form near inlets, jetties and piers (opens in a new tab). Watch the waves too, and remember the sneaker waves mentioned above.
• Keep kids at a distance. Children should be in life jackets at the water's edge (see below), and close enough to grab.

Wading safely

Wading puts you in the current. A few rules:

• Respect moving water. The Red Cross warns about fast-moving currents even in shallow water (opens in a new tab) and says to be careful when standing, so currents or waves don't knock you over (opens in a new tab). The National Weather Service says just 6 inches of fast-moving flood water can knock over an adult (opens in a new tab).
• Wear a life jacket. The National Park Service advises wearing a personal flotation device if you're in moving water (opens in a new tab), and closed-toe footwear, stepping carefully into and out of the water (opens in a new tab).
• Expect cold. NPS warns of cold water and hypothermia risk, even on warmer days (opens in a new tab).
• Stay away from the water below dams. Virginia's wildlife agency warns that areas immediately downstream of a low-head dam present risk, because the water is flowing upstream (opens in a new tab). See low-head dams.
• Check conditions first. Look at the weather and river levels before you go, and get out if the water starts to rise. More in river safety.

Small boats and life jackets

From the U.S. Coast Guard's 2024 report:

• Where the cause of death was known, 76% of people killed in boating incidents drowned. (opens in a new tab)
• Where life jacket use was known, 87% of people who drowned were not wearing one. (opens in a new tab)
• Where length was known, 4 of every 5 boaters who drowned were on boats shorter than 21 feet. (opens in a new tab) Canoes, kayaks and many small fishing boats are under that length.
• Alcohol was the leading known contributing factor in fatal boating incidents. (opens in a new tab)

What that means on your boat:

• Wear it, don't stow it. The National Center for Cold Water Safety notes that most people find it very difficult or impossible to put on their PFD after they wind up in the water (opens in a new tab).
• Choose the right type. The Coast Guard says inflatable life jackets are not appropriate for weak or non-swimmers (opens in a new tab). In cold water, the National Center for Cold Water Safety calls manual inflatables a bad choice (opens in a new tab), because cold shock can stop you from pulling the tab in time.
• Know the law for kids. Federal law requires children under 13 to wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket on a moving boat (opens in a new tab), except below deck or in an enclosed cabin. State laws may differ.
• Take extra care in cold months. Based on 2024 data, the National Center for Cold Water Safety says you're twice as likely to die in a boating incident in water below 70°F (opens in a new tab).

Find the right fit in how to choose the right life jacket, and learn what to do in if you fall off a boat.

Fishing with kids

Fishing is a wonderful way to bring children to the water. Set it up so the only thing they catch is a fish.

• Life jacket on, at the edge too. CDC says children should use life jackets for all activities while in and around natural water (opens in a new tab). That includes docks, piers and riverbanks.
• The right size. The Coast Guard warns that adult-size life jackets may not work for children (opens in a new tab).
• Arm's reach for little ones. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that a supervising adult who can swim stays within arm's length of an infant, toddler or weak swimmer (opens in a new tab) in or around water.
• One adult watching. When the adults are busy with lines and bait, name one adult whose job is to watch the children, not the rods.
• The rule for lost gear. If a rod, a ball or a bucket falls in, let it go and tell an adult. Nobody goes in after it.

Ice fishing and cold-season trips

Fishing in early spring, late fall or on ice brings cold water into the picture. A fall through ice or from a boat is a cold-water emergency. Before you go, read how thick ice needs to be and what to do if you fall into cold water.

If someone falls in

See reach or throw, don't go.

What you can do today

• Put a life jacket for every person in your fishing gear, and check that each one still fits.
• Make wearing it the rule on your boat, from the dock to the dock.
• Before your next river trip, look up whether there are dams on that stretch of water.
• Keep a phone in a waterproof pouch, and tell someone where you're going and when you'll be back.
• Teach kids the lost-gear rule: let it go and get an adult.