Best Fish Finder For Small Boat
There’s a quick answer to the question “what is a fish finder?” Fish finders make catching fish a lot easier.
You go from fishing blind to seeing exactly where on the water fish are holding, so you can change your tactics to match.
You may think that most fish finders are only for large boats like sport fishers but nowadays, you can find them for everything from smaller boats to kayaks.
The best fish finder for small boats can give you everything from accurate imaging to GPS and even charts of the water you’re fishing, may it be freshwater fishing or saltwater fishing, and are well worth owning.
Our Best From The Review
Top Pick
Garmin Striker Plus 7Cv
Has a large screen of 7 inches plus ClearVU sonar so you’re able to see almost picture-like images.
Garmin Striker Plus 7Cv
The all-around best fish finder is the Striker Plus 7Cv from Garmin.
It has excellent sonar with both CHIRP and ClearVu plus a large 7-inch screen to view it all on.
It also features GPS for marking spots and knowing where you are and it’ll even draw maps for you.
Editor’s Choice
Humminbird Helix 5 SI
Allows you to scan for fish on either side of your boat so you can see if fish are lurking to your left or right in waters you haven’t disturbed with your boat yet.
Humminbird Helix 5 SI
The best fish finder for a small boat in my eyes is the Humminbird Helix 5 SI.
This versatile unit gives you everything you need from fish finders with a good-sized display, detailed sonar with side and down imaging, plus a GPS/chartplotter.
You’ll never lose your way, always mark and find your spots, and you’ll be able to see any fish that are around your boat.
Best Kayak Fish Finder
Deeper Smart Sonar PRO+
The best kayak fish finder is the Deeper Smart Sonar PRO+.
This accurate small fish finder unit uses your phone or tablet as a display and is portable and castable too. The best thing about it is that it takes the headache out of kayak fishing as it requires no mounting, you can drag it behind your boat.
This small fish finder requires no onboard power source that would weigh your kayak down.
The Best Fish Finders For A Small Boat
Lowrance Elite 5 Ti
A little overkill for a small boat due to its abundance of features and power, but if you want a touch screen display, it’s one of the best around.
Lowrance Elite 5 Ti
The Lowrance Elite 5 Ti might be a little overkill for a small boat due to its abundance of features and power, but if you want a touch screen display, it’s one of the best around.
This fishfinder from Lowrance comes with a 5-inch color display screen that gives you crystal clear images and you can see it clearly no matter the weather, even in direct sunlight.
Touchscreen
The touch screen makes it easy to navigate through all the features but you do pay quite a bit extra for it, so you have to really want it and be willing to spend some extra bucks.
This sonar fish finder comes with both CHIRP sonar and down imaging technology that allows you to see accurate pictures of what’s under your small boats using multiple frequencies.
Sonar
It uses both low and high-frequency sonar waves to give you excellent readings in any type of water to a maximum water depth of 1000ft. It’s perfect for deep water and shallow water, in both fresh and saltwater environments.
The fish finder also features a broadband sounder that intensifies the readings to give you better target separation so you can quickly tell the difference between fish and debris.
TrackBack
These fish finders also include handy features like TrackBack that allows you to record and then review sonar history, so you can look at your productive fishing spots at the end of the day and try to work out why the fish were there.
This great sounder from Lowrance is also a GPS and chartplotter. It comes preloaded with an Insight USA Worldwide Basemap that makes navigation easy plus you can add your own preferred maps via the SD card port.
Navigation
It’s easy to navigate with and will do everything you’d expect like plan routes, save waypoints tracks, plus let you know your location, speed, and heading.
The only downside to these fish finders for small boats is that some units can turn themselves on and off at will. This is rare and usually comes down to a voltage issue, but it’s worth bearing in mind.
Here’s an in-depth review of the Lowrance Elite 5 Ti, check it out for more detailed info about the Elite 5 Ti.
Specs
- Size Display: 5 inch
- Display: Color
- Touch Display: Yes
- Waterproofing: IPX7
- Power: 500 W
- Frequency: 83/200, 455/800kHz
- Sonar: CHIRP, Down scan
- GPS: Yes
- GPS Memory: SD
- Transducer: Included
- Depth: 1000 ft
- Wi-Fi: No
- Bluetooth: Yes
- Water Temperature: Yes
Pros
- Review and record any sounder history
- Comes with Insight USA Worldwide Basemap preloaded
- Compatible with other maps and they’re easy to add
- Controls Motorguide Xi5 Trolling Motor and Power-Pole shallow anchors via Bluetooth
- Includes an easy to use touch screen
- Accurate sonar with CHIRP and down scan
- Broadband sounder for excellent target separation
- Accurate and easy to use GPS
Cons
- Quite expensive due to the touch screen
- Turns itself on and off in some cases
Garmin Striker 4 Plus
The Striker 4 Plus is one of the best fish finders for small boats around thanks to it being a portable fish finder like the other units here.
It comes with a handy suction cup mount of the transducer so you can take it on and off any vessel you please, from an inflatable fishing kayak to a small boat, one day to the next.
CHIRP
This portable fish finder uses both CHIRP and dual beam sonar to show you exactly what’s under your boat at any time. CHIRP covers both deep and small water simultaneously to give you a full picture and you can choose to run it with a wide beam for great coverage whilst fishing or a narrow beam when you want to focus more on what’s directly under your boat.
Display
This depth finder then sends all the data to the sunlight-readable color display.
The color display is 4.3 inches in size and has a great resolution of 272 X 480 pixels that is readable even in direct sunlight.
You can also split the screen into two to view the GPS and sounder at the same time.
GPS
The GPS is accurate and allows you to mark waypoints, view your speed, heading, location, and tracks. Plus it’ll actively make a sonar map for you of the area you’re covering.
This comes without any maps and you can’t add any either, it’s just a GPS, not a chartplotter. You might have thought that GPS and chart plotter is the same thing, but they are not, and if you want to know the difference between them, click here.
You might be wondering, what’s the difference of the Striker 4 plus to the Striker 4 model? To help you out, here’s a detailed review of the Striker 4 so you could compare them.
Specs
- Display Size: 4.3 inch
- Display: Color
- Waterproofing: IPX7
- Power: 200 W
- Frequency: 50/77/83/200 kHz
- Sonar: Dual-beam sonar, CHIRP
- GPS: Yes
- GPS Memory: Internal
- Transducer: Included
- Depth: 1600 ft fresh, 750 ft saltwater
- CHIRP: Yes
- Wi-Fi: No
Pros
- Comes with an accurate GPS
- Has a large maximum depth
- Gives accurate images with CHIRP sonar technology
- Crisp and easy to see color display
- Waterproof and durable built
- Includes a suction cup transom mount transducers for portability
- It’ll map the area for you with Garmin quickdraw
- Good screen resolution with 272 X 480 pixels
Cons
- The mount for the color display is a little flimsy
- You can not use any maps with the GPS
Best Kayak Fish Finder
Deeper Smart Sonar PRO+
The Deeper Smart Sonar PRO+ is another portable fish finder for small boats.
It’s actually a castable fish finder that you can also tow behind your boat.
This means it’s super versatile and you can use it anywhere from a small boat and ice fishing to shore fishing.
Speaking of ice fishing, if you’re in the market for ice fishing rods, I have an article here that might help you out.
Connectivity
This wireless fish finder for small boats connects to your phone or tablet via its own HotSpot and uses it as the display, similar to the ones we reviewed here.
It has a connection range of 330 feet, meaning you can cast it way to the sides to see if there are any good fishing areas you’re missing.
This fish finder uses dual beam sonar to allow you to switch between a narrow or wide beam while you’re fishing.
Range
It displays everything that’s under the water with 0.5-inch target separation so you’ll know what’s a fish and what isn’t.
It has a max water depth range of 260ft, which is enough for shore fishing, shallow lakes, or inshore fishing in the ocean. It’s a bit shallow for use on deep ocean ventures where you’ll want 1000ft at a minimum.
GPS
The fish finder also has a built-in GPS that saves all your data to the app and will make bathymetric maps for you. It’ll also save all the sonar data too so you can review it when you want to.
The power source is an in-built battery that lasts 6 hours on a full charge which is pretty good but a little limiting.
You would have to stop using it and recharge if it runs out which may cut your fishing day a little short.
Casting
The only other thing to be wary of is while this is a compact and portable fish finder, it’s also heavy to cast out – You’ll want to use some heavy gear like a 60lb braid to ensure it doesn’t break off.
Specs
- Display Size: Smartphone
- Display: Smartphone
- Waterproofing: Yes
- Battery: Rechargeable
- Power: N/A
- Frequency: 90/290 kHz
- Sonar: DualBeam
- GPS: Yes
- GPS Memory: Smartphone
- Depth: 260 ft
- CHIRP: No
- Wi-Fi: Yes
Pros
- Large connection range of 330ft
- Creates a detailed map for you in the app
- Great for fishing from the shore with
- Simple to use, lightweight, and portable fish finder
- Has a good battery life of 6 hours
- Gives you nice detailed sonar images
- Doesn’t require an onboard power source
Cons
- Limited fishing time with only 6hrs of battery
- Heavy unit to cast
- Not as good maximum depth range as others
Humminbird PIRANHAMAX 4
A great fish finder for a small boat or kayak, and it’s ideal for anyone on a budget thanks to its low price.
Humminbird PIRANHAMAX 4
The Humminbird PIRANHAMAX 4 is a great fish finder for a small boat or kayak, and it’s ideal for anyone on a budget thanks to its low price.
This small boat fish finder isn’t packed full of features like some of the others but it’ll give you a detailed picture of what’s under your boat thanks to the accurate sonar.
Features
The PiranhaMax 4 sonar fish finder comes with a 4.3-inch sunlight-readable display plus a transducer and a mount for easy installation on your small boat or kayak.
The display is readable even under direct sunlight, rugged and durable thanks to its waterproof housing, and it’s simple to navigate through the features on it.
Sonar
The sonar uses a dualbeam across two frequencies. A high frequency for shallow water and wide beam to great coverage and a low frequency for focusing in deep water down to 600 feet.
You’re able to see everything with this combination but it’s not quite as good as CHIRP sonar.
Fish ID
These fish finders also feature Fish ID+ to help you see what’s a fish and what’s debris. You can also program alarms like depth alarm and fish alarm with this smart fish finder so you never miss a trick, or when you are about to hit shallow water for your small boat.
If you want to know more about this fish finder, you check out our detailed review of the PiranhaMax 4 Di.
Specs
- Display Size: 4.3 inch
- Display: Color
- Waterproofing: IPX7
- Power: 300 W
- Frequency: 200/455kHz
- Sonar: Dualbeam sonar
- GPS: No
- GPS Memory: NA
- Depth: 600 feet in freshwater & saltwater
- CHIRP: No
- WiFi: No
Pros
- Sonar gives details and accurate images
- Dualbeam allows you to cover a wide area or focus in
- Crystal clear easy to read 4.3-inch screen
- Easy to install to the hull or transom
- Fish ID+, fish alarms, depth alarms, and zoom
- Waterproof and durable
- Very affordable
Cons
- No GPS included
- Basic sonar
Top Pick
Garmin Striker Plus 7Cv
Has a large screen of 7 inches plus ClearVU sonar so you’re able to see almost picture-like images.
Garmin Striker Plus 7Cv
The Striker Plus 7Cv from Garmin is an upgraded version of the Strike 4 we looked at before.
This small boat fish finder comes with a larger screen of 7 inches plus ClearVU sonar so you’re able to see almost picture-like images.
CHIRP
The sonar on this fish finder uses CHIRP to give you excellent full picture images while you’re cruising.
Once you have found something interesting like a depth change or structure, you can turn on ClearVu mode to see exactly what’s down there.
GPS
This fish finder also comes with a GPS for marking waypoints, route planning, seeing your tracks, and knowing your location, speed, and heading. Unfortunately, it’s not a chartplotter so you can’t add maps to it but it will build you a map of your fishing areas with the sonar data.
Display
The larger screen means you can split into 3 views to see CHIRP, GPS, and ClearVu at the same time, all the data you could ever want while fishing.
A wireless fish finder that lets you connect your phone via wifi to get email and text notifications on the display and use the ActiveCaptain app to save and share your data with other Garmin users on the app.
Specs
- Size Display: 7 inch
- Display: Color
- Touch Screen: No
- Waterproofing: IPX 7
- Power: 500 W (RMS)
- Frequency: 50/77/200 kHz, CHIRP (mid and high), ClearVü 260/455/800 kHz
- Sonar: CHIRP sonar, Traditional sonar, ClearVü
- GPS: Yes
- GPS Memory: NA
- Transducer: Included
- Depth: 2300 ft fresh, 1100 ft saltwater
- CHIRP: Yes, and ClearVü
- Water Temp: Yes
- Wi-Fi: Yes
- Bluetooth: No
- Water temperature: Yes
Pros
- Comes with a GPS
- Large easy to read display
- Excellent sonar technology
- ClearVu gives super-accurate picture like images
- Intuitive user interface
- The screen splits into 3 multiple displays
- Durable and waterproof build
- Connects to your smartphone for notifications
- Includes Garmin Quickdraw Contours Mapping
Cons
- You can’t download any maps to the GPS
Garmin Striker 4cv
A fish finder best for ice fishing and small boats thanks to its awesome sonar technology and its flasher feature.
Garmin Striker 4cv
The Striker 4cv from Garmin is a fish finder best for ice fishing and small boats thanks to its awesome sonar technology and its flasher feature.
If you go ice fishing or love to jig and bottom fish, these fish finders are your best choice as they cover all the angles in one unit.
Flasher
Similar to ice fishing flashers that we have reviewed here, the flasher allows you to watch your bait, the bottom, and any fish that come near it.
This means you can tailor your bottom fishing or ice fishing tactics to exactly what’s happening underwater.
It also features CHIRP for a detailed picture while you’re cruising and ClearVu that gives you photo-like images of anything you want to focus on.
The fish finder also comes with a GPS so you can mark spots, see your tacks, plan routes, and more. In fact it’s one of the best fishfinder/GPS combos on the market.
Garmin Striker 4 Plus
You can’t add any maps though and can only use the very basic base map.
As you may have noticed, these fish finders are very similar to the Striker 4 Plus except they come with a flasher and ClearVu sonar but without a map drawing feature.
Display
The only downside to these fish finders is the small 3.5-inch screen, otherwise, they are accurate, portable, and one of the best fish finders for small boats and ice fishing.
Specs
- Size Display: 3.5 in.
- Display: Color
- Touch Screen: No
- Waterproofing: IPX7
- Power: 300 W (RMS)
- Frequency: Traditional sonar: 50/77/200 kHz, CHIRP(mid and high), ClearVü: 260/455/800 kHz
- Sonar: Dual, CHIRP, ClearVu
- GPS: Yes
- GPS Memory:
- Transducer: Included
- Depth: 1,750 ft freshwater, 830 ft saltwater
- CHIRP: Yes
- Wi-Fi: No
- Bluetooth: No
- Water temperature: Yes
Pros
- Comes with a built-in GPS
- It’s portable so you can add it to any small boat or kayak
- Includes a built-in flasher for bottom fishing and ice fishing
- Simple and easy to use Easy to navigate with and shows speed, heading, and more
- Great sonar technology including CHIRP sonar and ClearVu
- Very affordable
Cons
- The screen size is a little small
- You can’t add maps GPS
- No contour mapping software included
Editor’s Choice
Humminbird Helix 5 SI
Allows you to scan for fish on either side of your boat so you can see if fish are lurking to your left or right in waters you haven’t disturbed with your boat yet.
Humminbird Helix 5 SI
The Humminbird Helix 5 SI is a little different from the other fish finders in the review as it comes without CHIRP but with Side Imaging and Down Imaging. If you want side imaging units, you can read my roundup here.
The fish finder allows you to scan for fish on either side of your boat so you can see if fish are lurking to your left or right in waters you haven’t disturbed with your boat yet.
Sonar
The fish finder also comes with down imaging for getting a detailed picture of what’s under your boat, and you can use Dualbeam Plus while you’re cruising.
Dualbeam Plus sends out a wide and narrow sonar beam simultaneously to give you an accurate reading with great coverage to help you find more fish
GPS
The Helix 5 fish finder also comes with a GPS that includes a great base map.
You can also add your preferred maps via the SD card and transfer any old data over to the fish finder too.
The GPS is accurate and lets you do all the things you’d expect like mark waypoints and plan routes.
Specs
- Size Display: 5-inch screen
- Display: Color
- Touch Screen: No
- Waterproofing: IPX 7
- Power: 500 W
- Frequency: 200/83/455 kHz
- Sonar: Side Imaging/Down Imaging/DualBeam PLUS
- GPS: Yes
- GPS Memory: 1 x SD card slot
- Transducer: Included
- Depth: 1500 ft
- CHIRP: Yes
- WiFi: No
- Bluetooth: No
- Navionics: Yes Full Specs
Pros
- Easy to use and install
- High-resolution display of 800 x 480 pixels
- Includes a GPS with a good basemap
- Excellent sonar with Side imaging and down imaging
- Waterproof and durable
- Super accurate
- Quality detailed images
Cons
- No CHIRP imaging
Raymarine Dragonfly 6
Comes with a great sounder, plus a GPS/chartplotter all in one affordable unit.
Raymarine Dragonfly 6
The Raymarine Dragonfly 6 fish finder is another best choice fish finder for any small boat. It comes with a great sounder, plus a GPS/chartplotter all in one affordable unit.
Sonar
The sonar on this fish finder includes both CHIRP and DownVision CHIRP.
This allows you to use standard CHIRP sonar with a large coverage while cruising and then switch to DownVision CHIRP to focus the beam under your boat once you find some fish or structure worth fishing.
Display
The fish finder has great target separation that it displays on the quality, easy to see, 5.7-inch display.
You can easily tell what’s a fish and what’s not and plan your fishing tactics or fishing style accordingly.
The GPS/chartplotter on this fish finder is excellent and comes preloaded with a good basemap.
SD Card
You can also use the SD card slot to add maps and data you already own.
The GPS does what you’d expect in terms of route planning, waypoint marking, track following, all with pinpoint accuracy.
The only downside to this fish finder is that it stops working when you’re not moving on the water and won’t be the best for anyone who likes to fish on anchor.
Specs
- Size Display: 5.7 in.
- Display: Color
- Touch Screen: No
- Waterproofing: IPX6/7
- Power: 500 W
- Frequency: 320-380 kHz / 170-230 kHz
- Sonar: Standard CHIRP, DownVision CHIRP
- GPS: Yes
- GPS Memory: SD Card
- Transducer: Included
- Depth: 600 ft
- CHIRP: Yes
- WiFi: No
- Bluetooth: No
- Navionics: Yes
Pros
- Gives great detail of what’s under the boat
- Crystal clear waterproof display
- Great sonar technology with CHIRP and DownVision
- Includes a GPS with a good basemap
- Add other maps with ease
- Simple to use interface
Cons
- Only works when you’re moving
What Is A Fish Finder For A Small Boat?
Fish finders for small boats are your regular fish finders that locate fish but are a little more portable and smaller than larger fish finders that would be used on large boats like sport fishers.
They come with a display and a transducer that can easily be attached to the transom or hull and require minimal power to run without a need for an intricate onboard power source system.
Some of them will also be combo units like the one I’ve reviewed here.
Why Use a Fish Finder?
When fishing on large water like Okeechobee, or in the sea, it’s impossible to see depth changes or a structure where fishes like to hang out without a fish finder.
Finding and fishing large water areas like this with a fish finder increases your success rate no end.
Efficiency
Instead of trying to cover large areas of water not knowing where the fishes are, you’re spending all your time angling in spots where you know there are fish.
NOTE
Other fish finders even come with maps and GPS, letting you mark great fishing spots so you can come straight back to them the next time you’re in the water, wasting zero time looking and more time catching.
How Do Fish Finders Work?
A fish finder works by sending out sound waves from the transducer into the water.
These sound waves are then reflected by the bottom, fish, or debris, back to the transducer.
Once the transducer receives the sound waves back, it sends them to the display where some calculations are done regarding time, speed, and distance (plus a lot more physics) to create the image of what’s under the water on the display.
Frequencies
Not all the fish finders sound waves are the same though as they are sent out at different frequencies. The higher the frequency the less distance a wave can travel through the water but the more detail you will see.
The best fish finders send out waves at low and high frequencies to penetrate deep into the water with low-frequency sonar waves and give you a lot of detail using high-frequency sonar waves.
Things To Consider When Buying A Fish Finder
Display
The display is important as it’s where you’ll read all the information about what’s under the water.
The larger the display and the clearer the screen, the easier it’s going to be to see.
All the fish finders in the review have a color display with a good resolution, all you have to do is make sure you pick a display size that suits you.
The sizes range from 3.5 to 7 inches but the larger the screen the more expensive the unit.
Sonar
The next thing you will need to think about is the kind of sonar that you want for your home water.
Firstly, how deep is the water you fish in? The sounders in the review have a maximum depth from 260-2300ft, so make sure you pick one that matches the deepest part of the area you fish in.
Once you have this figured out, it’s time to think about what kind of sonar you need, and there are a few to choose from.
If you’re looking for additional info about fish finder sonar, click here. You can also learn about fish arches here
Dual Beam
Dual-beam simply means that the sound waves can be sent out in a wide beam to search a large area or a narrow beam to focus on an area. This is a useful feature to have and all the sounders in this review have it.
CHIRP
If you do a lot of trolling or prospecting, then you’ll want CHIRP. It works by sending out multiple frequencies to give you a very detailed picture of the entire water column from the bottom to the surface.
Side and Down Imaging
Higher-end sounders come with features such as down imaging and side imaging sonar.
They use higher frequency waves to give you an almost picture-like image of what’s to the side or beneath your boat. They are very useful features so see all the details on things like a sunken tree or scanning to the sides to look for shoaling fishes.
Power
The final thing you need to think about is how the fishfinder you want is powered. Some come with a rechargeable battery, others will require a battery on board, and some come with a portable battery back.
All three of these options are available in the review.
If you’re kayak fishing, you might want a unit without the need for a battery on board as they are heavy and take up space. On a small boat or small jon boat, you will have ample room for a battery, so it’s up to you which you prefer.
Most fish finders that require a battery onboard are more powerful.
They will go to deeper depths to find fish and have more sonar features.
If you’re looking for a marine battery, my review of the best trolling motor battery can help you find one.
Summing Up
Thanks for reading my best fish finder for small boat review and I hope we have helped you find the right fish finder for your small vessel whether it’s a boat, a canoe, or a kayak. Find the ideal canoe for you with this best fishing canoe review.
There are many fish finders to choose from and picking the right one comes down to what power you have on your boat if any and how much you want the unit to do.
If you choose a permanently mounted fish finder, you will not be able to travel with it if you ever go camping or decide to borrow a friend’s boat. So, keep this in mind when you are choosing between mounted and portable fish finders.
If you’re still wondering which one is a good fish finder to go for, here’s some more advice.
Top Pick
The Striker 7 CV is affordable, has a GPS, and gives you detailed images while curing and when you want to focus on the bottom.
It’s a great all-around unit that is portable.
Editor’s Choice
A step up in price and features is the Helix 5 SI. It is an awesome sounder, GPS, and chartplotter but it does require onboard power for it to work and is not portable. It’s also large enough to do well as a boating GPS unit.
Best Kayak Fish Finder
The Deeper Pro+ is about as portable as they come and requires no power source.
You can use it anywhere, just charge up the battery and link it to your phone or tablet to see everything beneath the surface.
There is no installation hassle or requiring an onboard battery, making it ideal for kayak fishing and small boats.
Happy Fishing!
Fish finders truly make a big difference to your fishing success as you can target areas that you know have fish in them rather than fishing blind.
I hope you enjoyed the Best Fish Finder For Small Boat Review and found it useful in choosing a new fish finder. If ever the fish finders in this review does not suit your needs or you’re looking for more options, check out my best fish finders review or this Raymarine Dragonfly Pro review.
Please share this best fish finder for small boat review around with your friends and take a look at some of our other articles.
We cover anything you need for fishing, from different fish finders to the best polarized fishing sunglasses, you find all the info you need right here.
