Compared
OnWater and Rivus
OnWater is an access app first, and a strong one. It put free public-access maps on the phone before anyone else did, and it covers every kind of fishing, from bass to trout to salt. Rivus goes the other way. One kind of water, read as deep as it goes, trout on the fly.
What OnWater does well
OnWater put free public-access data on the map before anyone else did, with 100,000-plus access points, property lines, a species layer covering 100-plus fish, and a conditions dashboard that pulls USGS flow and weather and pings you when your water looks good. If you fish a lot of different water and species and want access without a paywall, it’s a genuinely useful map.
Where the two apps split
OnWater shows you the access and the raw conditions. Rivus reads them. OnWater covers every fish that swims. Rivus goes deep on one, trout on the fly, and turns those numbers into today’s play.
What Rivus does that OnWater doesn’t
Rivus takes today’s flow, water temperature, weather, and hatch for the exact trout stretch you’re fishing, tells you the play and whether it’s even worth the drive, then changes its answer as the day moves. And it shows you the fly to match, with a picture, from your own box.
Use both
OnWater to find access and scan your options. Rivus to read the trout stream you land on and fish it well.