Magnet Fishing Tips: Best Places to Magnet Fish

December 16, 2021

Location. Location. Location.

It's one of the most important aspects of real estate and it's also just as important in magnet fishing. So many new magnet fishers get frustrated in the hobby because they were so excited to go treasure hunting with their magnet and pull up nothing.

Maybe you have had a similar problem. You were throwing your magnet with much anticipation and came home with nothing to speak of. No photos to share on the Magnet Fishing Master online community, only disappointment.

Is it the magnet? Did you buy a dud? Is it just not big enough, strong enough? Is the pulling force enough for me?

All great questions, but generally (unless you bought a cheap magnet thats not quality) the magnet is not the issue. It more than likely is simply your magnet fishing spot.

Magnet fishermen all over the world guard their best spots and usually only share with their closest friends. Because once you find your 'honey-hole' you usually keep it for yourself. However, many in our state communities love to lend a hand and share some good spots all in the name of community.

What are the best places to magnet fish?

The best places to magnet fish are going to be where lots of human traffic and bodies of water come together. You're wanting to find things that were accidentally dropped by people or tossed into the water by a human. In similar fashion to metal detecting, you want to be where there is a higher chance someone was there and could have left something behind.

In short, here are some ideas of general locations to try at bodies of water:

Bridges
Overpasses
Walking Platforms over Canals
Docks
Boat Ramps
Swimming Holes
Fishing Spots (but not while others are traditional fishing)
Piers
Ponds
Rivers
Lakes
On a Boat
River Walks
On a Kayak
Historic Sites

These of course are just some of the options. You really just need a body of water and a place to stand near it where you can throw and pull in your neodymium magnet. Here is a bit more detail on a few of those ideas above. Hopefully this will help you get out there and finding more with your magnet.

When looking to find any location you can also use Google Maps in order to search for places where the water runs under the roads on the map. You can usually finds tons of spots from the comfort of your home or office using your phone before you even go out.

You can use "pins" on Google Maps in order to record places you found while using the map feature so you can create a library of spots to check out when you're out and about.

Also while you are already out, you can use Google Maps to pin places in order to remember to come back to them to try them as a magnet fishing location.

Magnet Fishing on Bridges

One of the tools that I like to recommend is bridgehunter.com for finding bridges . This is a great tool to use to look up local bridges in your area.

One thing to note about bridges: make sure that you are very careful if you are on a bridge that has a road running on it as well. Generally there is not a lot of space between the sidewalk and the car lane. We recommend wearing an orange safety vest or some other bright colored clothing to keep you safe.

Also, it's good to remember that if the bridge is constructed out of steel, make sure that you beware the railings, and support beams. They are magnet eaters. Most magnet fishing kits are not going to come with a come along or pry bar, so you need to be aware of when you're throwing and pulling your magnet in that it does not come close to the steel on the bridge.

Magnet Fishing at Docks or Boat Ramps

Talk about lots of human traffic and water! Docks and or boat ramps are great places to go to look for things left behind. A lot of times you will find fishing related gear, keys, phones and other things you would find on a boat.

When you do try docks, just be respectful of other people who are trying to fish. We don't want to be known for plopping our magnets in the water and scaring all the fish away.

At boat ramps, you could get lucky and find wallets that have magnetic items inside of them, keys, boating equipment and or tools.

Magnet Fishing on a Boat or Kayak

I get this question a lot: "Can I magnet fish from a kayak or on a boat?" Of course you can!

There are a few things to take note of however when wanting to try this, especially on a kayak. From a boat you're a bit more stable and can magnet fish like normal.

However, on a kayak, we recommend using a single sided or converting your double sided magnet to where you can dip rather than drag. In a kayak you're a bit more unstable than on a boat or of course on land. So with a kayak you're going to want to have more control of your magnet rope in hand.

Also, dragging a magnet behind you while you're boating or kayaking is just not a great idea. It will likely catch and could cause an accident depending on the circumstances. Just go for dipping from a kayak and magnet fishing while you're not driving while on a boat.

Magnet Fishing at Historic Sites

This is one I wanted to mention to more bring some caution to this particular category of location.

Be very careful if you plan on magnet fishing in anything marked historical. In South Carolina, magnet fishing is illegal in all public waters because of the potential historical items embedded in the waters bottom.

You want to always make sure you get permission if you are not sure. Especially if its private property. Don't just assume it's fine since you're technically cleaning the water.

Remember with any location you go, always protect your hands, wear gloves when using strong magnetics of any type and clean up after yourself. Leaving the location better than you found it is always a great idea.

What are some of your best places to magnet fish? Any places I missed that should be added?