MAINTENANCE-FREE DOCK + PIER LIGHTING
Above Water Green Fishing Lights: Flood vs Spot (What to Buy & Why)
Above Water Green Fishing Lights are becoming more popular for one reason alone: they last a long time on docks and piers with ZERO maintenance. This makes them the light of choice for second homes, rental units, condominiums, investment properties, among many others. There's no argument that above water lights are the only way to have completely maintenance free fishing lights.
Why Outrigger is the category leader in above-water green fishing lights
- Built for long-term dock use with a focus on reliability in real-world conditions.
- True-green wavelength output designed to attract bait and gamefish night after night.
- High-output performance with purpose-built optics for either wide flood coverage or a concentrated spot.
- Maintenance-free by design (above-water mounting avoids lens growth and underwater wire issues).
Quick answer: which one is best?
- Choose the Flood Light for the brightest, widest above-water coverage on open water (docks, piers, boats, jetties).
- Choose the Spot Light for focused brightness on the water (canals, neighbors, deeper water, higher mounting) with minimal spill.
- Both are designed for reliability on docks and piers—above-water mounting means no underwater cleaning and fewer common failure points.
What do we mean by maintenance? Well their counterpart (underwater fishing lights) have to be cleaned and maintained regularly to prevent growth from overtaking them (such as barnacles or algae). They also have to be checked to make sure fishing lines haven't snagged a power wire. Once a hook snags the line, it might cause a very small puncture in the line that will slowly corrode and you won't see it until it's fully corroded through. These are just a couple common problems that lead to premature failure.
Above Water Fishing Light Comparison: Flood and Spot Lights
There are two types of above water fishing lights: flood lights and spot lights. We always get asked which one is better — and the honest answer is it depends on your waterway, your neighbors, and where you want the light concentrated. Here’s the simplest way to choose:
| Feature | Flood Light | Spot Light |
|---|---|---|
| Best use | Open water docks, piers, boats, jetties | Canals, neighbors, focused “pool of light” |
| Coverage | Widest surface-area coverage | Concentrated circle on the water |
| Neighbor-friendly | May be bright across narrow canals | Designed to minimize spill |
| Power options | Battery (12/24V DC) or wall outlet (110/120V AC) | Wall outlet (110/120V AC) (self-contained) |
| Reliability | Above-water = maintenance-free, fewer common failure points | Above-water = maintenance-free, fewer common failure points |
Choose Flood if you want:
- Maximum wide coverage on open water
- Fish attracted across a larger surface area
- Dock, pier, jetty, boat, or portable mounting
Choose Spot if you want:
- A focused “underwater-style” circle on the water
- Less spill to shorelines / neighbors (great for canals)
- Strong performance even when mounted higher or over deeper water
Above Water Green Fishing Flood Lights
The Above Water Green Fishing Flood Light is built for anglers and dock owners who want the brightest, widest above-water green coverage possible. It delivers a true-green wavelength designed to attract bait and gamefish, and it spreads in a flood pattern — meaning it covers a large surface area to create a bigger fish-attracting zone.
Best for:
- Open-water docks/pier heads
- Boat and jetty setups where you want “light everywhere”
- Bringing fish up shallow for topwater and shallow-running lures
Above Water Green Fishing Flood Lights are ultimately the best option for docks or piers on open water, for boats, and even for portable contraptions for fishing at the jetties. The reason: they broadcast an extremely wide flood and can run on battery or generator.
Flood Light Highlights
- Capable of running on battery (12/24V DC) or wall outlet (110/120V AC)
- Incredibly bright wide flood coverage
- Relatively light weight and portable (approx. 6 lbs)
- Compatible with building block power wire harness
- Can purchase Protective Cover separately for when you're gone
- MAINTENANCE FREE — leave it and forget about it
Heads up: If on a canal with neighbors across the water, this light may be bright to look at from shore.
Wall outlet note: If running on 110/120V, keep any driver/power supply mounted in a dry protected area (we recommend under a roof, such as a fish cleaning station). Driver/power supply not needed if running on battery.
Reliability advantage (why above-water wins)
- No lens fouling from barnacles/algae like underwater lights.
- No submerged wiring to snag hooks/lines and slowly corrode.
- Set it up once, then leave it and forget about it.
Want maximum dock/pier coverage?
View Flood Light & Specs →Above Water Green Fishing Spot Lights
The Above Water Green Fishing Spot Light is built for situations where you want the brightest, most controlled light on the water—without flooding the shoreline. It focuses its true-green output into a large circle, mimicking the effect of an underwater green fishing light while staying completely above the water for long-term reliability.
Above water green fishing spot light mounted approximately 10-12 ft above the water.
Mounted a couple feet above the water, still outputs a wide beam similar to underwater lights.
The photo above shows how the above water green fishing spot light is completely self-contained, with just an outlet plug coming off the back of the light housing. This means it's super easy to make your own power extensions by simply connecting an extension cord if needed. To weatherproof your extension cord connection, you can use 2" adhesive heatshrink.
The Above Water Green Fishing Spot Lights are ultimately ideal for canal homes that have neighbors across from them or next to them and don't want to blind them. They are also great if used in deep water or if you want to mount the light up high and still have great brightness and light concentration down on the water.
Spot Light Highlights
- Capable of running on standard wall outlet (110/120V AC)
- Completely self-contained unit (no external drivers or power supplies) with a 110V outlet plug to easily plug into a wall outlet or extension cord and make whatever length line you need.
- Great for deeper water (8+ ft deep) where you need an intense beam to shine deep into the water and bring fish up to the surface.
- Ideal for homes on canals or with close neighbors, this light focuses the green light to the water and minimizes excessive spill to the land.
- MAINTENANCE FREE — leave it and forget about it
Heads up: Spot style pattern means it is less desirable if you want it to cover a large flooded surface area on open waters. This light is more meant to focus the light to the water.
Reliability advantage (why above-water wins)
- No lens fouling from barnacles/algae like underwater lights.
- No submerged wiring to snag hooks/lines and slowly corrode.
- Simple, clean install for long-term dock use—maintenance-free.
Want the “underwater-style” circle without underwater maintenance?
View Spot Light & Specs →There are honestly not many other real con's to list. I would be reaching if I listed anything else. It's a self-contained unit and outputs a ton of light, which is why it has quickly become one of our top selling products.
FAQ: Above Water Green Fishing Lights
Are above water green fishing lights really maintenance free?
Yes. Because the light stays above the water line, you avoid lens growth (algae/barnacles) that commonly overtakes underwater lights and you reduce risk from fishing line snagging underwater wiring.
What makes these some of the brightest above water green fishing lights?
They’re purpose-built for high-output green fishing performance with optics designed for either wide flood coverage or concentrated spot illumination. The result is strong visibility on the surface and a consistent fish-attracting zone night after night.
What makes above water lights more reliable than underwater dock lights?
Underwater lights often fail early due to lens fouling (barnacles/algae) and submerged wiring issues. Above-water lights avoid those common failure points, which is why they’re a top choice for long-term dock and pier installs.
What’s better for canals: flood or spot?
In most canal situations, the spot light is the better choice because it concentrates light to the water and minimizes blinding neighbors across the canal.
What’s better for open water docks and piers?
In most open-water situations, the flood light is the better choice because it covers more surface area and creates a broader fish-attracting zone.
How high should I mount an above water green light?
It depends on the light type and your goal. Spot lights can be mounted higher and still concentrate well. Flood lights spread wider as height increases. When in doubt, message us with your dock height and water depth and we’ll help you choose.
