Tested: COROS NOMAD GPS Watch Nails Maps, Fishing, Fitness, and Journaling

Outdoor watches usually fall into two camps. You either get a heavy-duty navigation tool that feels like a brick on your wrist, or a sleek smartwatch that looks great but dies after a few hours of use.

The COROS NOMAD, however, professes to suffer neither drawback. Instead, the brand claimed it would offer serious GPS performance, memory-keeping tools, and real-world durability, all in a package that doesn’t feel like you’re wearing a wrist weight.

But why ask GearJunkie’s hunting and fishing editor to test this watch from a brand that has become a fan favorite in the running, climbing, and athletic spaces? Because it might just be the first smart watch to offer fishing settings.

To say I was a bit skeptical would be an understatement. But since I began testing the COROS NOMAD, this watch hasn’t let my wrist go.

In short: The COROS NOMAD is actually a rugged GPS watch that offers mapping, neat fishing tools, and adventure journaling — at a price that’s pretty hard to beat. It weighs next to nothing, and the battery life is epic. If you aren’t dependent on constant iPhone interactions, this might just be the watch for you.

COROS NOMAD GPS Watch Review

What’s New? Cool Features

Adventure Journaling

This is the feature that definitely makes the NOMAD stand out. COROS built it so you can capture the trip as it happens without digging for a phone or scribbling notes. During testing, I used voice notes to log trail conditions and fishing spots. They uploaded cleanly, and the transcriptions were good enough that I didn’t have to make many corrections later.

The ability to add photos and videos during an activity feels more immersive than I expected. Instead of having random pictures on my phone with no context, they linked to a specific hike or fishing trip in the COROS app. When I looked back, the whole outing was there, the route, conditions, photos, and notes laid out like a story.

I also liked being able to tag locations on the fly. Dropping a pin on a section of trail or a hole in the river felt quick and natural, and I know I’ll use those markers again. I loved that it didn’t get in the way of being outside. It took seconds to log something, and then I was back to the experience itself.

Fishing Modes

This is where the NOMAD starts to feel like it was designed with real anglers in mind, which sounds cheesy, but it’s true. COROS built in eight separate fishing modes that let you do more than just start and stop an activity. Each mode gives you tools to log catches, mark exact spots, and track species, which helps build a running history of your waters.

On the water, I found the moon and tide data especially neat. Because I don’t live on the ocean, I’m fascinated by that level of water knowledge and can only imagine it would be killer for shore fishing.

While I don’t make all my fishing decisions based on a screen, having barometric pressure information instantly available kept me more aware of what the day was doing. Watching it drop during a trip gave context to why the bite might slow down or pick up.

Logging catches through the watch felt more seamless than I expected. Instead of digging for a phone or carrying a notebook, I tagged a couple of fish with quick notes on conditions and species. It was the kind of detail I normally forget by the time I get home, but the NOMAD locked it in without slowing me down. I don’t always log my catches, but for the sake of my odd fascination with record keeping, I love that it’s so easy to.

For someone who treats fishing trips as both recreation and record, this feature turns the NOMAD into a living field journal. It won’t make you a better angler, but it will keep an accurate record of why you aren’t a better angler.

COROS NOMAD Watch: Tested

I wore the NOMAD ($349) for daily walks, hikes, bike rides, and a few fishing trips. For something that looks larger than most of my other watches, it surprised me with how lightweight it feels.

I have smaller wrists, and big watches usually dominate them, but the NOMAD didn’t feel overwhelming. It rode light and comfortably enough that I often forgot I had it on until a notification buzzed.

The screen visibility certainly impressed me. Whether I was in bright sun on an afternoon hike or low light near dusk by the river, the high-contrast display stayed clear.

I wore the NOMAD ($349) for daily walks, hikes, bike rides, and a few fishing trips. For something that looks larger than most of my other watches, it surprised me with how lightweight it feels. I have smaller wrists, and big watches usually dominate them, but the NOMAD didn’t feel overwhelming. It rode light and comfortably enough that I often forgot I had it on until a notification buzzed.

The navigation felt fast and accurate, and I didn’t deal with lag when scrolling through maps. The Adventure Journal feature also felt more natural than I expected. I logged quick notes and tagged a few fishing spots without fumbling through menus, and the voice-to-text function caught almost everything without me having to repeat myself.

Battery life lived up to the claims. After a week of mixed GPS tracking and daily use, I barely dented the battery bar. The fishing modes are worth highlighting, too. Logging catches and seeing tide and moon data in real time felt like a nice addition that made the watch feel more like a tool and less like a novelty.

Navigation and Mapping

The dual-frequency GPS, powered by the new Gen 3 processor, locked in quickly on every outing. Global maps with street names and waypoints make it easy to stay on track, and I had no issues saving or returning to locations. It’s responsive, snappy, and surprisingly reliable for a watch at this price.

Durability

The build hits the sweet spot between rugged and wearable. The aluminum and polymer bezel feels sturdy without being heavy, the mineral glass hasn’t picked up scratches (yet), and 50m water resistance handled rain and river splashes without a second thought.

I wore it in the shower, in the river, and dunked it in 5-gallon buckets of whatever, and it handled like a champ.

Health and Fitness Tracking

The NOMAD covers the health side of life, too. The watch tracks continuous heart rate during workouts and daily wear, which gives me a good read on both effort and recovery.

Sleep tracking proved accurate as well. Nights where I knew I tossed and turned showed up as restless, while solid nights reflected as deep and restorative.

It also delivers the usual suite of activity metrics, from step counts to calories burned, and lays them out in the COROS app with simple, easy-to-read charts. While it doesn’t drown you in the wellness extras you’ll see from more lifestyle-focused smartwatches, it nails the core health features most outdoor athletes actually want.

During testing, I liked seeing how my heart rate shifted during climbs on hikes or even spikes while reeling in fish. The data gave me context without being super-overwhelming, which is exactly how an outdoor watch should handle health tracking.

Compared to Apple Watch: A Minor Drawback

One thing to note is a little notification lag. iPhone notifications didn’t come through quite as fast as something like an Apple Watch, and when they did, they were pretty bare bones and minimalistic. It’ll tell you your phone is ringing and you have texts, but don’t expect to dive into and respond to those things from the watch.

If you’re used to the style of smart watch where you can, this isn’t what you’re getting here.

There will be an adjustment period, but honestly, I’ve learned to love it. I knew my phone was ringing and knew I had texts and from who, what else really matters? It’s about time we all learn to stay connected without being so connected, right?

Final Thoughts: COROS NOMAD

I’ve put the NOMAD through just about everything in the past couple of weeks. It’s come along on daily walks, long hikes, bike rides, done some roping, trail riding, and fishing trips, and it’s handled every bit of it without complaint.

The lightweight build kept it comfortable even on my tiny wrists, the GPS and mapping stayed sharp, and the Adventure Journal and fishing tools actually added something I use instead of feeling like fluff.

Add in solid health tracking, excellent battery life, and a rugged design, and the $349 price feels more than fair. I was shocked when I learned it would be so reasonable. After using it, I assumed it might hit closer to double.

If you spend most of your time outdoors and want a watch that can both guide you and help you remember the trip, the COROS NOMAD is absolutely worth it.