Nine freshwater sinkers, one for each common rig, plus a weight chart that says how heavy to go for a Texas rig, drop shot, bottom rig or bottom bouncer.
Most sinker guides list the shapes and stop there. Egg, bullet, split shot, walking, no-roll. Then they tell you to use "just enough weight" and leave you to guess what that means in ounces. The guess is the hard part. A 1/8 oz weight that is perfect on a Texas rig in four feet of water is useless for a bottom bouncer in 30 feet, where the usual starting point is 3 oz.
So this page does both jobs. It ranks nine freshwater sinkers, one for each rig most anglers actually tie, and it puts a starting weight on every rig in the chart further down: which shape, how many ounces to begin with, and what should make you go heavier. The numbers are common starting points from bass and walleye anglers and guides, not laws. Wind, current and how fast you want the bait to fall all move them.
If you only buy one thing, buy a split-shot assortment and a box of 1/4 to 1/2 oz egg sinkers. That covers bobber fishing and bottom fishing in ponds and lakes. Add drop shot, tungsten and bottom-bouncer weights when you start fishing those rigs. Tom has not tested these sinkers. The ratings and review counts are Amazon buyers', read off each listing while this page was built.
You do not need every shape. Most anglers carry two or three, and add the rest only when they start fishing the rig that needs them.
For bobber rigs and for adding a little weight to a bait. A dial pack keeps the sizes sorted.
The sliding weight for a bottom rig in ponds and lakes. Add a swivel or a bead and a stop so it cannot slide onto the hook.
For Texas-rigged worms and creatures. Tungsten is smaller and more sensitive; lead is cheaper.
If you fish a drop shot for bass or panfish. The pencil shape snags less than a round weight.
For rivers and rocky bottoms, where round sinkers roll away or wedge in cracks.
For drifting or trolling spinner rigs and live bait for walleye. Buy them in two or three weights.
A starting point for each rig: the sinker shape, the weight to tie on first, and what should make you go heavier. These are common rules of thumb from bass and walleye anglers and guides, not fixed numbers. Use the lightest weight that does the job.
Pinch the shot 6 to 12 in above the hook. Add shot until the bobber stands upright with most of it underwater, so a bite pulls it down easily. Ranked pick: Eagle Claw split shot (#1).
Slide an egg sinker on the main line above a swivel, then 12 to 24 in of leader to the hook. Go to 1 oz or more for long casts or current. Ranked pick: Bullet Weights egg sinkers (#2).
1/8 oz in shallow, calm water, 1/4 oz as the all-round size, 3/8 to 1/2 oz in deep water or wind. The hook sits 12 to 18 in above the weight. Ranked pick: Reaction Tackle drop shot weights (#3).
A common rule is 1/8 oz to about 6 ft, 1/4 oz to 12 ft and 3/8 oz deeper. Use 1/2 oz in grass and 1 oz or more to punch matted vegetation, pegged with a bobber stop. Ranked pick: Reaction Tackle tungsten flipping weights (#4).
A slip sinker above a stopper and a 3 to 6 ft leader. Use enough weight to keep feeling bottom at your drift speed. A banana-shaped sinker walks over rock that eats round weights. Ranked pick: Lindy No-Snagg (#5).
A heavy barrel or bullet weight above a swivel, then a 2 to 4 ft leader to a soft plastic. 3/4 oz is the usual middle. Go lighter in shallow water and heavier for long casts. Ranked pick: Booms Fishing Carolina Ready Rigs (#6).
A nail weight pushed into the head of a stick worm, hooked through the middle. Go lighter for a slower fall and heavier for wind and deeper water. Ranked pick: Reaction Tackle tungsten nail weights (#7).
Start around 1 oz in slow water and add weight until the bait holds. Heavy current can need 3 to 4 oz or more. A flat sinker stays put where an egg rolls. Ranked pick: Catfish Sumo no-roll sinkers (#8).
The usual 10-to-1 rule: 1 oz for every 10 ft of depth, so 2 oz in 20 ft. Go heavier in wind, current or at faster speeds, so the wire arm stays nearly vertical. Ranked pick: Dr.Fish bottom bouncers (#9).
Short on time? Start with these top-rated fishing weights and sinkers picks.
Eagle Claw Removable Split-Shot Sinker Assortment (124 Pieces) is the #1 pick here, on 4.6-star Amazon buyer ratings (836 of them) and one clear job: bobber rigs and live bait.
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Bullet Weights Lead Egg Sinkers (1/2 oz, Box of 160) is the #2 pick here, on 4.7-star Amazon buyer ratings (1,490 of them) and one clear job: bottom rigs in ponds and lakes.
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Reaction Tackle Lead Drop Shot Weights (1/8 oz, 25-Pack) is the #3 pick here, on 4.6-star Amazon buyer ratings (2,003 of them) and one clear job: drop shot for bass and panfish.
Check PriceDetailed picks with verdicts, strengths, tradeoffs, and the situations where each one makes the most sense.
Quick verdict: Eagle Claw Removable Split-Shot Sinker Assortment (124 Pieces) is the #1 pick here, on 4.6-star Amazon buyer ratings (836 of them) and one clear job: bobber rigs and live bait.
Quick verdict: Bullet Weights Lead Egg Sinkers (1/2 oz, Box of 160) is the #2 pick here, on 4.7-star Amazon buyer ratings (1,490 of them) and one clear job: bottom rigs in ponds and lakes.
Quick verdict: Reaction Tackle Lead Drop Shot Weights (1/8 oz, 25-Pack) is the #3 pick here, on 4.6-star Amazon buyer ratings (2,003 of them) and one clear job: drop shot for bass and panfish.
Quick verdict: Reaction Tackle Tungsten Flipping Weights (1/2 oz, 4-Pack) is the #4 pick here, on 4.7-star Amazon buyer ratings (1,078 of them) and one clear job: texas rigs and punching grass.
Quick verdict: Lindy No-Snagg Slip Sinkers (3/8 oz, 6-Pack) is the #5 pick here, on 4.6-star Amazon buyer ratings (758 of them) and one clear job: walleye rigs over rock.
Quick verdict: Booms Fishing Carolina Ready Rigs, Brass (1/2 oz, 5-Pack) is the #6 pick here, on 4.5-star Amazon buyer ratings (2,133 of them) and one clear job: carolina rigs, pre-tied.
Quick verdict: Reaction Tackle Tungsten Nail Weights (1/32 oz, 25-Pack) is the #7 pick here, on 4.7-star Amazon buyer ratings (719 of them) and one clear job: neko and wacky rigs.
Quick verdict: Catfish Sumo Flat No-Roll Lead Sinkers (1 oz, 10-Pack) is the #8 pick here, on 4.7-star Amazon buyer ratings (295 of them) and one clear job: river catfish in current.
The rig decides the shape before you think about weight. Split shot pinches on under a bobber. An egg sinker slides on the main line for a bait rig. A bullet weight slides ahead of a Texas-rigged worm. A drop shot weight hangs off the tag end below the hook. Buy the shape your rig calls for and the weight question gets much smaller.
Use the lightest sinker that still does its job: stands the bobber up, holds bottom, or keeps you in touch with the bottom as you drag. Too heavy and fish feel it, the bait falls too fast and you snag more. The chart below gives a starting weight for each rig. Size up for wind, current and depth.
Tungsten is about 70% denser than lead (roughly 19.3 against 11.3 grams per cubic centimetre), so a tungsten weight is about 40% smaller for the same ounces. That smaller weight slips through grass and transmits bottom contact better. It also costs several times more. It pays off on Texas rigs, punching and Neko rigs. On a bait rig, lead is fine.
Round and egg sinkers wedge between rocks and roll downstream. On rocky bottoms use a banana-shaped slip sinker like the Lindy No-Snagg or a bottom bouncer, which rides on a wire arm. In river current use a flat no-roll sinker, which lies flat instead of tumbling.
Get the Eagle Claw split-shot dial and a box of Bullet Weights egg sinkers. Split shot under a bobber and a sliding egg on a bottom rig cover most pond and lake fishing.
Get the Reaction Tackle drop shot weights and tungsten flipping weights. Go 1/8 oz on a shallow Texas rig, 1/4 oz on most drop shots, and 1/2 oz or more in grass.
Get the Dr.Fish bottom bouncers. The usual rule is an ounce of weight for every ten feet of depth, so the 1/2 to 3 oz pack covers about 5 to 30 feet.
The chart gives you a starting weight. This is how to adjust it once your line is in the water.
Find your rig in the chart and start at the light end of its range.
Count until the line goes slack on the bottom. If you lose count or never feel the bottom, the weight is too light for the depth or wind.
On a bottom rig the line should stay put. On a drag or bouncer rig you should feel steady ticks off the bottom, not a weight that skips up or sits dead.
Go from 1/8 to 3/16 or 1/4 oz, or add one split shot. Big jumps make the bait fall too fast and snag more.
If fish nibble and drop the bait, they may be feeling the weight. Try the next size lighter or a slip rig so line runs freely.
Once you know which kit type fits your situation, dig into each gear category for in-depth picks and buying advice:
Want to browse beyond the ranked picks? Filter and sort the full fishing weights and sinkers listing below.
For most pond and lake fishing, 1/4 to 1/2 oz on a bottom rig and one to three split shot under a bobber is enough. Bass rigs run 1/8 to 1/2 oz, with 1 oz or more for punching thick grass. Walleye bottom bouncers start at about 1 oz per 10 ft of depth. River catfish rigs often need 1 to 3 oz or more to hold in current.
A common starting point is 1/8 oz in water up to about 6 ft, 1/4 oz from 6 to 12 ft, and 3/8 oz deeper. Go to 1/2 oz or heavier in thick grass, and 1 oz or more to punch through matted vegetation. Many bass anglers pick by how fast they want the bait to fall rather than by depth alone.
Tungsten is denser, so the same weight is smaller. That helps it slide through cover and lets you feel the bottom better, and it does not contain lead. It costs several times more per weight. It is worth it for Texas rigs, flipping and Neko rigs. For bait rigs and split shot, lead or other cheap weights work fine.
The usual rule is 1 oz of weight for every 10 ft of water, so 2 oz in 20 ft and 3 oz in 30 ft. Go heavier in wind, strong current or at faster trolling speeds. The goal is to keep the wire arm close to vertical with the line at a steep angle, not trailing far behind the boat.
A flat no-roll sinker holds in current where an egg or round sinker rolls downstream. Start around 1 oz in slow water and add weight until it holds. Over rocks, a banana-shaped slip sinker or a bottom bouncer snags less than anything round.
Not nationwide, but several states, including New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and Massachusetts, restrict small lead sinkers and in some cases lead jigs, mainly to protect loons and other waterbirds that swallow them. Rules differ by state and sometimes by lake, so check your state's fishing regulations. Tungsten, brass, steel and tin weights are the usual lead-free swaps.
Reader-supported and free of paid placements. Every pick is ranked on published specs and Amazon buyer ratings, not on who pays us.
Each pick is compared on published specs, materials, design, and category fit across the major brands.
Rankings factor in how well each product matches common freshwater fishing needs, not just popularity.
Star ratings and review volume from Amazon buyers are factored in to reflect real-world satisfaction.
A pick earns its spot by delivering useful performance for the money, whether budget or premium.
We ranked hooks by type and size, from octopus and circle hooks for bait rigs to offset worm hooks for a Texas rig.
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