By Weston BarrettWhat Fishing Gloves Can and Cannot Do
Anglers reach for gloves for several reasons: to stay warm on the ice, to shield hands from the sun during long days on the water, and sometimes to get a better grip on a slippery fish. But not all gloves work for every situation, and in some cases the best choice is no glove at all. Understanding what the available guidance says about hand protection helps you match your gear to the conditions and handle fish responsibly.
Cold-Weather Gloves for Ice Fishing and Winter Angling
Minnesota DNR’s ice fishing and winter safety guide stresses that keeping hands warm and dry is critical for preventing frostbite and hypothermia. The guide explains that mittens trap more heat than gloves because fingers share warmth when they are together. Thick, insulated mittens are the primary hand covering recommended for ice fishing.
However, anglers often need to remove mittens to bait hooks or take fish off the line. To keep hands protected during these tasks, the guide suggests wearing thin gloves underneath the mittens. This way, the thin gloves stay on while the mittens come off, and the mittens themselves stay dry. The guide also notes that connecting mittens to jacket cuffs may be a good idea for some anglers.
Staying dry is a central theme. The Minnesota DNR points out that body heat is lost 60 percent faster when you are wet, which is a good reason to carry a dry spare if your thin gloves get soaked handling bait or fish. The guide also recommends bringing hand warmers and extra mittens as part of a winter safety kit. For more on dressing for cold water and weather, see our waders guide and rain gear overview.
Sun-Protective Gloves for Hands
The Skin Cancer Foundation calls clothing the most effective form of sun protection. While many anglers think about long-sleeved shirts and wide-brimmed hats, the backs of the hands are often exposed for hours. Sun gloves designed with an Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) label can shield that skin.
According to the foundation, a fabric must have a UPF of 50 to earn its Seal of Recommendation. A UPF 50 fabric blocks 98 percent of the sun’s UV rays, allowing only about 2 percent to reach the skin. UPF ratings of 30 to 49 offer very good protection, while UPF 50+ is rated excellent. Unlike sunscreen, you do not need to reapply clothing.
Several fabric characteristics affect how well a glove blocks UV. Dark or bright colors absorb UV rays rather than letting them pass through, so they provide better protection than light shades. Densely woven or knitted materials, such as those used in many high-tech UPF fabrics, are more protective than sheer or loosely woven cloth. The foundation also notes that loose-fitting apparel is preferable because tight clothing can stretch, pulling fibers apart and allowing more UV light to penetrate. For hands, this means a glove that fits comfortably without being stretched tight will maintain its protection better.
One important trade-off: when fabric gets wet, it can lose some of its protective ability. The Skin Cancer Foundation gives the example of a white T-shirt that drops from a UPF of about 7 to a UPF of only 3 when wet. While a dedicated UPF sun glove will start with a much higher rating, keeping it dry helps it perform as labeled. If you are fishing in conditions where your hands will get wet repeatedly, consider how that might affect the glove’s UV blocking over the course of a day. Our sun protection clothing guide covers UPF shirts, hats, and gaiters in more detail.
Handling Fish: Why Gloves Are Usually Not the Answer
The organization Keep Fish Wet, which bases its advice on scientific evidence about catch-and-release, emphasizes that fish have a protective slime layer and scales that guard against disease. Contact with dry, hard, or rough surfaces can remove that slime and make fish more vulnerable to infections. The group’s principles state that holding fish with clean, wet hands or a soft rubber net helps keep the slime layer and scales intact.
This means dry or textured gloves are not recommended for handling a fish you plan to release. Even a short amount of handling with a dry glove can strip slime. Keep Fish Wet also advises minimizing handling time overall, because the stress of being caught already puts a fish at a physiological disadvantage. The longer a fish is out of the water or in contact with dry surfaces, the greater the potential harm.
If you need extra grip while unhooking a fish, wetting your hands before touching it is a simple step that follows the “keep fish wet” principle. The group’s tips also note that rubber nets are less abrasive than knotted nylon mesh nets and do less damage to slime, scales, and fins. For more on choosing a net that is gentle on fish, read our landing net guide.
For fish that are hard to control, including toothy fish, Keep Fish Wet allows lip gripping devices only when there is no other way to handle the fish, and says fish should never be held vertically by a lip gripper. For most catch-and-release fishing, the clearest guidance is to skip the glove and use wet hands.
Comparing Glove Choices by Situation
The table below sums up the hand protection advice for three common fishing scenarios.
| Situation | Glove choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cold-weather fishing (ice fishing, winter banks) | Insulated mittens with thin liner gloves underneath | Mittens trap more heat than gloves; thin liners keep hands covered when mittens are removed for baiting or unhooking fish, and help keep mittens dry (Minnesota DNR). |
| Sun protection while fishing | UPF-rated sun gloves (dark or bright, dense fabric, loose fit) | UPF 50+ blocks 98% of UV rays; dark colors absorb UV; loose fit prevents stretching that can reduce protection; wet fabric may lose some protective ability (Skin Cancer Foundation). |
| Handling fish for release | Wet bare hands or a soft rubber net (no dry or rough gloves) | Dry, hard, or rough surfaces remove the protective slime layer and scales, increasing disease risk; wet hands and rubber nets are less damaging (Keep Fish Wet). |
Caring for Your Fishing Gloves and Staying Safe
For cold-weather mittens and liners, the Minnesota DNR guide underscores the importance of staying dry. If your thin gloves get wet from handling bait or fish, swap them for a dry pair. The guide also describes the signs of frostbite (skin turning white and feeling numb and hard) and says to warm affected areas slowly, without rubbing.
Follow the care label on sun-protective gloves. Because wet fabric lets more UV through, gloves give their rated protection when they are dry. The Skin Cancer Foundation notes that regardless of UPF, stretched or wet clothing becomes more transparent to UV light, so inspecting gloves for thinning or stretched-out areas is worthwhile.
When it comes to fish handling, the simplest habit is also the best for the fish: keep your hands wet, and use a soft rubber net when you need one.
Fishing regulations, including license requirements, gear restrictions, and size and bag limits, vary by state and body of water. Always check with your state wildlife agency before heading out. The Minnesota DNR guide, for example, references the state’s fishing regulations booklet for catch-and-release rules and other requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use regular winter gloves instead of mittens for ice fishing?
The Minnesota DNR’s ice fishing safety guide specifically recommends mittens because they trap more body heat than gloves. Fingers share warmth when they are together inside a mitten. If you prefer gloves, the guide suggests wearing them as a thin liner underneath mittens so you still have coverage when you need to use your fingers for baiting or unhooking fish.
Do sun gloves work when they are wet?
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, wet fabric can lose some of its UV-blocking ability. A white T-shirt, for example, drops from a UPF of about 7 to a UPF of only 3 when wet. While a dedicated UPF 50+ sun glove starts with much higher protection, keeping it dry helps it perform as labeled. If your gloves get wet while fishing, allowing them to dry before relying on them again for sun protection is a good practice.
Why shouldn’t I wear gloves when releasing a fish?
The Minnesota DNR explains that a fish’s slime coating protects it from parasites, bacteria and fungus, and Keep Fish Wet adds that dry or rough surfaces can remove that slime. Dry gloves count as one of those surfaces. Using clean, wet hands or a soft rubber net is the recommended way to handle a fish you plan to release.
For more on apparel and protection while fishing, browse our apparel and protection category.
Sources
- Minnesota DNR MinnAqua: Ice Fishing and Winter Safety
- The Skin Cancer Foundation: Sun-Protective Clothing
- Keep Fish Wet: Principles
- Keep Fish Wet: Tips
About Weston Barrett
Weston researches and writes buying guides and how-to articles on beginner & family fishing. Picks are based on product specifications, brand reputation and patterns in owner feedback, and are updated as new models come out.
