The best fly fishing gloves for winter are a layered system: thin merino liners or fingerless gloves for casting and knots, a waterproof insulated glove or mitt for rowing and walking between runs, and a heated or spare dry pair for the coldest days. Expect to spend $20 to $170 per pair.
Every winter angler learns the same lesson the hard way: you can tough out cold feet, but cold hands end the day. My buddy Todd once fished a January tailwater in cotton work gloves, dunked one releasing a rainbow, and spent the next hour casting with a frozen claw. One pair of gloves rarely does it all; the trick is a thin glove for fishing and a warm one for everything else.
Here are 8 fly fishing gloves and mitts for cold water, from merino liners to waterproof guide mitts, plus one pair for your winter trip somewhere warm. Most come from our Minus33 merino wool collection and our TRUCK gloves collection.
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- Best for fishing with bare fingertips: Minus33 Lightweight Fingerless Gloves, 90% merino for $19.99.
- Best heated glove: LITEGUEST Heated Gloves with three heat levels.
- Best waterproof glove: Minus33 Heavyweight Guide Glove WOOLTEK with an HDry membrane.
- Best for the coldest days: Minus33 Three Finger Guide Mitten, mitten warmth with more dexterity.
How Do You Choose Fly Fishing Gloves for Winter?
Think in layers, the same way you dress the rest of your body. A thin liner or fingerless glove is what you actually fish in, because you need to feel the line, manage a fly box and tie knots. A waterproof insulated glove or mitt goes over or in place of the liner for rowing, wading to the next run and standing around the truck. Wool is the material to look for in anything that touches your skin, because it keeps working when it gets wet.
Two rules from years of winter trips: carry a spare dry pair in a zip bag, and take your gloves off before you reach into the water to release a fish. A wet glove pulls heat out of your hand fast. If your fingers go numb, turn white or grayish, or the skin feels firm or waxy, stop fishing and warm up; the CDC lists those as warning signs of frostbite. For the full cold-weather system, from base layers to boots, see 10 Ways to Stay Warm Fly Fishing in Winter.
What Are the Best Fly Fishing Gloves for Casting and Tying Knots?
Minus33 Lightweight Fingerless Gloves
Fingerless gloves are the classic fly fishing glove because your fingertips stay free to strip line, feel a take and tie a clinch knot. The Minus33 Lightweight Fingerless Gloves are 90% merino wool, weigh 2.4 ounces and keep the palm and back of the hand warm while your fingertips do the work. Merino stays warm when it gets damp, which matters every time you release a fish.
$19.99 Shop Now
Minus33 Lightweight Glove Liners
The Minus33 Lightweight Glove Liners are 85% merino wool and weigh just 1.6 ounces, so they work alone on a mild winter morning or under a waterproof shell when the wind picks up. A thin full-finger liner is the glove I tell new winter anglers to buy first: cheap, warm, and thin enough to manage a fly box. Pack two pairs so one is always dry.
$19.99 Shop Now
TRUCK Stealth Liner
The TRUCK Stealth Liner is a fitted spandex and nylon glove with touch-friendly thumb and index fingers, so you can snap a photo of a winter brown trout or check the flow report without peeling it off. The second-skin fit keeps it low profile under a bigger glove or mitt between runs.
$30 Shop Now
LITEGUEST Heated Gloves
The LITEGUEST Heated Gloves use carbon-fiber heating elements across the back of the hand and fingers with three heat levels, and they come in a full-finger or fingerless version. The fingerless version is built for fine motor work like fishing and tool use, and the shell is waterproof and windproof. Bring a charged power bank and they can make a 25-degree tailwater morning a lot more pleasant.
Starting from $39.99 Shop Now
Rig before the conditions turn on you. Utah stream access advocate Herbert "Bert" Ley told us he rigs his dry or dry-dropper for the evening caddis push before the sun goes down, so he is not tying knots in the dark when the biggest browns start to feed. I use the same logic in winter: tie on your flies and tippet in the warm truck, while your fingers still work, instead of fumbling with numb hands on the bank.
What Are the Warmest Gloves for Winter Fly Fishing?
When the thermometer reads single digits, a liner alone will not cut it. These are the gloves and mitts for rowing, shuttling and warming up between runs. Pair any of them with a set of Moonlit Mitten Clamp Forceps, spring-loaded clamps that open with one hand, even in mittens, and browse more fly fishing tools built for cold fingers.
Minus33 Heavyweight Guide Glove WOOLTEK
The Minus33 Guide Glove WOOLTEK is an expedition-weight glove with lavalan wool insulation, a 100% waterproof HDry membrane, a double-layer leather palm and touchscreen pads. Glove-lock leashes keep it on your wrist when you slip it off to tie a knot, so it does not go floating down the river. This is the glove for rowing, running the shuttle and standing in the snow between fish.
$169.99 Shop Now
Minus33 Heavyweight Three Finger Guide Mitten WOOLTEK
The Minus33 Three Finger Guide Mitten splits the difference between a mitt and a glove: the three-finger design keeps more warmth than a five-finger glove while giving you more dexterity than a full mitten. It uses the same waterproof HDry membrane and lavalan wool insulation as the Guide Glove. On a single-digit steelhead day, a three-finger mitt is the warmest way I know to hold a fly rod and still pinch a running line.
$169.99 Shop Now
TRUCK STORM Mitten
The TRUCK STORM Mitten is a low-profile goat leather mitten with a 200g polar fleece lining, internal divided finger pockets and a knitted wrist cuff that seals out drafts. A pairing clip and carabiner clip-in point let you hang it on your pack while you fish, then pull it back on to rewarm your hands during the walk to the next run.
$60 Shop Now
TRUCK MxMaster
The TRUCK MxMaster has a Porelle waterproof-breathable membrane, a fleece lining, a goat leather palm and a soft-shell back. The open cuff makes it quick to pull off and on, which is the whole game in winter fly fishing. When it is 38 degrees and drizzling, this is the glove I would want on the oars.
$45 Shop Now
Which Gloves Should You Pack for a Winter Trip to the Flats?
Winter is prime season for a saltwater escape. If you are planning one, our Winter Escape Planner lays out where to go, and a pair of sun gloves belongs in the bag.
Fin-Flank Brown Trout Sun Gloves
Plenty of us spend part of the winter chasing bonefish and tarpon, and the flats sun is brutal on the backs of your hands. The Fin-Flank Sun Gloves are a cooling, wicking poly-spandex glove with a brown trout skin print by A.D. Maddox, extended finger reinforcements for stripping protection and tough microfiber palms. They come in three sizes.
$29.99 Shop Now
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you wear gloves when fly fishing?
Yes, most anglers wear gloves when fly fishing in cold weather. Fingerless gloves or thin liners are the most common choice for casting and stripping line, with a warmer waterproof glove or mitt for rowing and moving between spots. In summer and on saltwater flats, sun gloves protect your hands from sunburn and line cuts.
Are fingerless gloves good for fly fishing?
Fingerless gloves are good for fly fishing because they keep your palm and the back of your hand warm while leaving your fingertips free to feel the line, tie knots and handle flies. Choose merino wool, which stays warm when damp, and carry a warmer mitt or glove to pull on during breaks.
What are the warmest gloves for winter fly fishing?
The warmest option for winter fly fishing is an insulated waterproof mitt or three-finger mitt, such as the Minus33 Three Finger Guide Mitten WOOLTEK, worn over a merino liner. Heated gloves like the LITEGUEST Heated Gloves add active warmth on the coldest mornings.
How do you keep your hands warm while fly fishing?
Keep your hands warm by layering a thin liner under a waterproof glove, keeping a spare dry pair in a zip bag, and taking gloves off before you reach into the water to release a fish. Tie your rigs in the warm truck, keep your core warm, and stop to warm up if your fingers go numb or turn pale.
Tight lines, everyone!
Warm hands keep you on the water longer, and that is how you catch any fish, any time, and anywhere, even in January.
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