Ever been ice fishing with an ice fishing flasher in the cold weather?
It’s like going from ice fishing blind to knowing everything that’s going on under your ice hole.
Take a peek at the top three picks from the lineup…
These flashers will show you the water column, your bait depth, and the depth of any fish that are there so you can tailor your techniques and focus on catching fish.
Some of the best ice fishing flashers also have a GPS and, depending on the brand, some of the best ice fishing finders too, so you can mark your fishing spot and see a classical sonar view while you’re ice fishing.
There are quite a few flashers to choose from and finding the best ice fishing flasher for you is no easy task.
Luckily, I’ve done the hard work for you and rounded up some of the best so you can see these ice fishing flashers worth.
The Best From The Review
Top Pick
Humminbird ICE Helix 5
The Humminbird ICE 5 isn’t just a flasher it’s a GPS and traditional sounder. Shows detailed images and can be used to mark waypoints.
Humminbird ICE Helix 5
The all-around best ice fishing flasher is the Ice Helix 5.
It’s got nearly all the features: a GPS, flasher, chart plotter, and sounder all in one.
You can use it to give you accurate readings of what fish targets lurk beneath the water depth all year round whether you’re at an ice fishing hole or summer boating plus you can navigate your way around the world if you want to.
Best Value
Humminbird ICE-35
Features a three-color fiber-optic display that makes it easier to read. You can locate fish, see your bait, and the bottom on the screen so you can fish with ease.
Humminbird ICE-35
The best ice fishing flasher, if you’re on a budget, is the Humminbird Ice 35.
It’s the best for ice anglers on a budget because it’s the most affordable and gets the job done.
It’s easy and simple to use, gives accurate readings, and has all the power of 100W you need to locate fish and catch them.
Editor’s Choice
Humminbird ICE Helix 7
It has many features including a GPS, fish finder, and it’s deadly accurate to give to the best ice fishing around.
Humminbird ICE Helix 7
The best ice fishing flasher in my opinion is the Ice Helix 7.
It’s a fully functioning sounder, GPS, chart plotter, and flasher all in one with the best features around.
It gives super-accurate readings, has the best screen clarity, gives you split-screen multiple views, you can add maps, mark waypoints, navigate, and it’ll even make maps based on the sonar waves.
This unit does it all bar catching the fish for you.
Our Best Ice Fishing Flashers
Top Pick
Humminbird ICE Helix 5
The Humminbird ICE 5 isn’t just a fish flasher it’s a GPS and traditional sounder with CHIRP sonar. Shows detailed images and can be used to mark waypoints.
Humminbird ICE Helix 5
The Humminbird ICE 5 isn’t just a flasher it’s a GPS and traditional sounder.
This means you can use it as an ice fishing flasher in sub zero temperatures marking waypoints with the GPS as you go.
Then once the cold weather has passed, you can take it on your boat or kayak to use it to detect fish targets.
Screen
This ice-fishing flasher comes with a digital five inch screen that is in full color. It’s easy to read no matter the weather and it’s waterproof too.
You can also split the screen to see multiple views such as the flasher and a 2D sonar unit, as well as the fish finders too.
The fish flasher shows you detailed images in real-time of what’s happening in the ice hole you’re fishing vertically in so you’re able to detect fish that come past, as well as your bait and the bottom with ease.
You can also zoom in to focus on areas where the fish are hanging out.
Sonar and Battery
This ice-fishing sonar system uses CHIRP sonar technology that works on multiple frequencies with a power output of 500W to give you the fullest picture possible.
The battery life on this fish flasher is 7-10 hours depending on the mode you’re using, so you can get a full day fishing out of it with ease.
This truly is one of the top ice units in my opinion due to its versatility and accuracy.
The only drawback is that it does take some a few hours to understand the features of this ice fishing sonar system, to begin with, but after a while, it’ll be second nature.
Pros
- Works down to minus 20 Fahrenheit
- Comes with a protective bag
- Includes GPS and a detailed basemap
- You can use it in summer too as a regular fish finder
- Gives accurate readings
- You can zoom in to see fish more clearly
- Add maps with ease
- Eliminates interference from other flashers
Cons
- A little technical to use at first
MarCum RT-9 2.0 Ice Flasher
More of a tablet with a transducer that can also be used to download android apps and watch movies.
MarCum RT-9 2.0 Ice Flasher
The MarCum RT-9 2.0 Ice Flasher is more of a tablet with a transducer that can also be used to download android apps and watch movies.
As an ice fishing flasher, it’s quite versatile. It’ll even fit on the bottom of a five-gallon bucket.
Connectivity
You can connect two transducers and one camera to it at once and view two of the three of them at once in split-screen mode on the 9 inch screen.
This means you can use it in flasher mode and watch the fish live on the camera feed, although the camera and second transducer are not included in the price.
The ice fishing flasher is accurate and works down to 300ft deep, more than enough for most cold weather lakes.
Real-time Sonar
It uses a real-time sonar to show you the bottom, your bait, and any fish.
Once you find a hot spot, you can use the touch screen color display to mark a waypoint point so you can come back to it another day.
There are quite a lot of negatives that make this not the best ice fishing flasher on the market.
Price
Firstly, it’s overpriced at its current price point and costs almost double of other units that give you the same data and accuracy.
This ice-fishing sonar is also confusing to use, has a small battery life of 6 hours, is hard to charge, and using the touch screen with gloves is tricky, so your hands will get cold.
Specs
- Display: 9 inch Color
- Touch Display: Yes
- Waterproofing: IPX7
- Power: 500 W
- Frequency: na
- Sonar: Dual-beam
- GPS: Yes
- GPS Memory: SD slot
- Transducer: Included
- Depth: 300 ft
- Wi-Fi: No
- Bluetooth: No
Pros
- Comes with a GPS and Navionics basemap
- Connect up to 2 transducers and 1 camera at once
- View multiple datasets at once on the split-screen
- See underwater video of the fish beneath
- Zoom in on fish with the sonar
- See your lure and fish clearly
- Large screen
Cons
- The touch screen is hard to use with gloves
- The battery life is only 6 hours
- Confusing to use
- Hard to charge
- Overly expensive
MarCum M3 Flasher Lithium Combo
One of the premier ice fish flashers if you’re looking for a dedicated analog model that’s just for ice fishing.
MarCum M3 Flasher Lithium Combo
The MarCum M3 Flasher Lithium Combo is one of the best ice fishing flashers if you’re looking for a dedicated analog model that’s just for ice fishing.
Display
This ice-fishing sonar has an ease to read three-color flasher display; one color for fish, the other for the bottom, and one for your bait.
It works down to 160 ft and has a 4 depth levels to choose from using the dial on the 5-inch screen.
You can also adjust the gain for sensitivity to get the perfect readings for your fishing scenarios.
Transducer
The MarCum M3 ice fishing flasher uses a dual-beam transducer with a power output of 200 W to give you accurate readings.
It also comes with excellent interference rejection so as not to stop any other flashers or ice fishing electronics from messing up your signals.
This isn’t the best ice fishing flasher in my opinion, even though it does a good job.
At its price point, you can get a GPS and ice finder for the same money that’ll be far more versatile and work all year round plus give you way more data and the ability to see maps and mark your fishing areas.
Specs
- Display: 5-inch, three-color flasher
- Touch Display: No
- Waterproofing: IPX7
- Power: 200 W
- Frequency: Na
- Sonar: Ice Flasher
- GPS: No
- GPS Memory: No
- Transducer: Included
- Depth: 160 ft
- Depth: 160 ft
- Bluetooth: No
Pros
- Easy to use
- Good battery life
- Easy to see your jig, the bottom, and the fish
- 4 depths
- Works to minus 20 Fahrenheit
- Good interference rejection
Cons
- No GPS or fish finder included
- Can’t use it outside of ice fishing
- Expensive
Marcum VX-1i
Similar to the MarCum M3 but it’s more affordable and comes without a battery life indicator.
Marcum VX-1i
The Marcum VX-1i ice fishing sonar is similar to the M3 above but it’s more affordable and comes without a battery life indicator.
This is a standard ice fishing flasher with a three-color display, showing you an accurate depth of the bottom, fish, and your bait so you can tweak your fishing tactics to catch more fish.
The ice fishing flasher comes with a dual-beam transducer that has a power output of 1000 W to give you accurate readings.
It has 4 depth ranges and hits a max depth of 160 ft.
You can also adjust the sensitivity setting to match your fishing area and zoom in to certain depths to get a more detailed view of what’s happening on the color flasher display screen.
This unit gives you target separation down to 2 inches, which is pretty accurate, and it stops any interference from other flashers in the area.
It’s one of the top ice flashers around if you’re looking for something affordable and simple to use. All you have to do is adjust the dials, watch the flashes, and start fishing.
It’s not the best ice fishing flasher in my eyes due to the lack of a fish finder and GPS, but at least it’s not overpriced for what it is like some of the others.
Specs
- Display: 5-inch, three color
- Touch Display: No
- Waterproofing: IPX7
- Power: 1000 W
- Frequency: na
- Sonar: Ice flasher
- GPS: No
- GPS Memory: No
- Transducer: Included
- Depth: 160 ft
- Wi-Fi: No
- Bluetooth: No
Pros
- 2-inch target separation for seeing fish and your jig easily
- 4 depth ranges
- Works down to minus 20 Fahrenheit
- Easy to use
- Adjustable power with the gain knob
- Accurate readings
- Good interference rejection
Cons
- No GPS or ice fishing finders included
- Basic sonar and screen
Editor’s Choice
Humminbird ICE Helix 7
It has many features including a GPS, fish finder, and it’s deadly accurate to give to the best ice fishing around.
Humminbird ICE Helix 7
The Humminbird Helix 7 might be the best ice fishing flasher in my opinion.
It has so many features including a GPS, fish finder, and it’s deadly accurate to give to the best ice fishing around.
Display
It comes with a 7-inch display screen that’s crystal clear and easy to see no matter the weather. You can split the display screen into two to see both the GPS and the flasher at the same time, or the flasher and a 2D view, giving you all the data you need.
Sonar
The ice fishing flasher uses a CHIRP sonar with a dual-beam transducer to give you the fullest picture of what’s beneath by working over multiple frequencies.
It’ll work accurately down to 400 feet, you’ll easily see your bait and fish trying to eat it, plus you can record and replay sonar too, to analyze particular fishing spots too.
GPS
The GPS comes with an excellent basemap that has 4000 lakes included and you can add maps through the MicroSD slot. The unit will also use ActiveImaging to build maps for you based on the sonar readings.
There really are no downsides to this unit, the only thing is you’ll need to get used to how it works, but once you’re skilled up, it’s really easy.
Specs
- Display: 7-inch Color
- Touch Display: No
- Waterproofing: IPX7
- Power: 500 W
- Frequency: 50/83/200 kHz
- Sonar: Dual Spectrum CHIRP
- GPS: Yes
- GPS Memory: SD
- Transducer: Included
- Depth: 400 ft
- Wi-Fi: No
- Bluetooth: No
Pros
- Record and replay sonar
- Split-screen to view flasher and 2D sonar simultaneously
- Use the GPS to mark fishing spots
- Make maps using AutoChart Live
- Add lake maps with a microSD
- Goes deep for a flasher
- Can be used as a normal fish finder in the summer
- Accurate images of what’s below with good target separation
- Large easy to read screen
Cons
- A little technical to get used to
Humminbird ICE-55
The Humminbird ICE-55 is a simple unit without GPS or a traditional sounder but works great as a flasher.
Display
The Humminbird ICE-55 has a 6 color display and allows you to choose your color settings to mark the bottom, your bait, and fish.
This is ideal for anyone who finds it hard to pick up certain colors as you can create your own pallet for contrast so you can see the flashes more easily.
Sonar
It works down to 200ft thanks to the 300w dual-frequency sonar and picks up everything that swims through it accurately.
You’ll easily see the depth of your bait, fish, and how fish react to it. Plus you can switch from a wide beam to a narrow cone size to cover a large area or focus in.
Depth Range
It has 4 depth ranges that can be adjusted manually and it comes with an automatic range too, so you don’t have to fiddle around if you don’t want to.
You can also adjust the gain to match the sensitivity you need, and it has a handy digital depth dial so you always know how deep it is without reading the dial.
The only negative to this unit is that the ice fishing transducer cord clips can come apart easily and you may need to use some electrical tape to secure them.
Specs
- Display: 5-inch 6 color
- Touch Display: No
- Waterproofing: IPX7
- Power: 300 W
- Frequency: Dual Frequency
- Sonar: Dual-beam
- GPS: No
- GPS Memory: No
- Transducer: Included
- Depth: 200 ft
- Wi-Fi: No
- Bluetooth: No
Pros
- Adjustable gain to match the sensitivity of your fishing scenario
- Wide or narrow sonar beam to focus or cover a larger area
- Zoom in to a specific depth
- Manually adjustable depths
- Automatic depth level for ease of use
- 6 color display allows you to mark the bottom, your lure, and fish with your own color choice
- Digital depth reader
Cons
- No GPS
- Limited sonar tech
- Transducer cord clips come apart
Marcum LX-6S
The Marcum LX-6S takes things to the next level with an LCD color display that can give you multiple views while you’re ice fishing.
Marcum LX-6S
The Marcum LX-6S takes things to the next level with an LCD color display that can give you multiple views while you’re ice fishing.
You can see a typical sonar view, flasher view, vertical and vertical zoom views.
You can zoom in to 5, 10, 20, and 40 ft sections of the total depth to give you the best detail possible.
Transducer
The unit comes with a dual-frequency ice-ducer with sonar footprint technology that works at two transducer cone angles, 8- and 20-degrees, to give you a wide area coverage or a narrow focus so you can find more fish or focus on the ones you’re already seeing.
It’s highly accurate with a target separation down to a ¼ inch for excellent bait and fish readings. This means you can use small baits too that a larger target separation might not pick up.
Display
The display also gives you extra data like a digital depth readout, sensitivity, range, and interference on the screen so you can adjust accordingly.
Overall it’s a simple unit to use but it’s a little tricky at first, otherwise, all it’s missing is GPS. It is a little expensive, and you could get a sounder, GPS, and flasher unit all in one for a smaller price.
Specs
- Display: 6-inch, Color LCD
- Touch Display: No
- Waterproofing: IPX7
- Power: 500 W
- Frequency: na
- Sonar: Dual beam
- GPS: No
- GPS Memory: No
- Transducer: Included
- Depth: 300ft
- Wi-Fi: No
- Bluetooth: No
Pros
- Switchable 8- and 20-degrees ice fishing transducer
- Gives flasher, vertical, vertical zoom, and traditional sonar views
- Target separation down to ¾ inch
- Simple to use
- Gives you sonar footprint technology, sensitivity, target separation, depth reach, and interference data on the screen
- Accurate images on a 6-inch color screen
- Modify the screen to suit you
Cons
- No GPS
- A little tricky to understand at first
- A bit expensive
MarCum M5 Flasher System
Another basic unit that is only best for ice fishing due to the lack of GPS and sonar.
MarCum M5 Flasher System
The MarCum M5 Flasher System is another basic unit that is only best for ice fishing due to the lack of GPS and standard sonar.
It comes with a basic 3 color flasher display that identifies the bottom, your bait, and any fish with separate colors.
Easy to Use
The best thing about this unit is that it’s very easy to see and to use. Just dial in one of the 4 depths to match the depth on the bottom, up to 160 ft.
Then adjust the gain to match the sensitivity to give you steady readings.
After that, drop your bait down and watch it flash as it descends, then move it into the depth and fish are at to get a bite.
Sonar
This ice-fishing flasher uses multiple sonar frequencies to give you accurate readings and target separation.
It does a great job of removing any interference and you can zoom in to different parts of the water column to get into the details when you need to.
The downsides to this unit are the lack of GPS and traditional sonar, plus the buttons are not the best and are a little small and hard to use with ice fishing gloves on.
Specs
- Display: 5-inch, 3 color
- Touch Display: No
- Waterproofing: IPX7
- Power: 300 W
- Frequency: na
- Sonar: Dual Beam
- GPS: No
- GPS Memory: No
- Transducer: Included
- Depth: 160ft
- Wi-Fi: No
- Bluetooth: No
Pros
- Simple and easy to use
- Easily adjustable depth rage
- Accurate target separation
- Solid interference rejection
- Adjustable zoom for focussing in on fish
- Zoom is movable through the water column
- Easy to read display
Cons
- No GPS or traditional sounder
- Small buttons
Best Value
Humminbird ICE-35
Features a three-color fiber-optic display that makes it easier to read. You can see your bait, fish, and the bottom on the screen so you can fish with ease.
Humminbird ICE-35
The Humminbird ICE-35 is the most affordable unit in the review and it’s still pretty reliable too.
Display
This ice-fishing flasher features a three-color fiber-optic display that makes it easier to read thanks to the solid colors.
You can see your bait, fish, and the bottom on the screen so you can fish with ease.
This unit comes with 100 W of power and can hit up to 200ft despite having a lower power output than other flashers.
Transducer
It uses a dual-frequency transducer that lets you pick from wide or narrow beam depending if you want to focus in or cover a wider area.
This means you can dial into structure or fish, or keep a wide eye out for anything that might swim into range.
Depth Range
The unit comes with 4 depth ranges, you can zoom into certain depths and adjust the gain to find the right sensitivity.
You might find you have to play with the gain a lot when you change depths to get the right readings though..
This unit can give you false bottom readings but this is rare, plus it’s lacking a GPS and traditional sounder, but at least it’s very affordable.
Specs
- Display: 5-inch, 3-Color Fiber Optic Flasher Display
- Touch Display: No
- Waterproofing: IPX7
- Power: 100 W
- Frequency: Dual Frequency
- Sonar: Dual Beam
- GPS: No
- GPS Memory: No
- Transducer: Included
- Depth: 200 ft
- Wi-Fi: No
- Bluetooth: No
Pros
- Adjustable gain for dialing in the sensitivity of your flasher for your fishing scenario
- Adjustable dynamic zoom to focus in on the fish at different depths
- Most affordable flasher in the review
- Adjustable depth level up to 200 ft
- Accurate readings and simple to use
- It shows you the bottom, fish, and your lure in real-time clearly on the easy to read screen
- Choose from a narrow and a wide beam sonar for detail or large coverage
Cons
- No GPS
- You have to adjust the gain a lot as you change depths
- Can give a false bottom reading
Vexilar FL X-28 Ice ProPack II
Another standard ice fishing flasher but it does have some extra features that make it a little better than your average one.
Vexilar FL X-28 Ice ProPack II
The Vexilar FL X-28 Ice ProPack II is another standard ice fishing flasher but it does have some extra features that make it a little better than your average one.
Modes
The Vexilar FL X-28 Ice ProPack II has some of the best modes around including shallow water, weed bottom, and power saving.
The power-saving mode keeps your battery life lasting longer, as does the shallow water mode, and the weed bottom mode helps you with the target ID but differentiates the weeds from fish.
Transducer
It comes with an ice ducer that works on two beams and automatically adjusts them depending on the depth to give you the best possible picture. It can pick up ¼ inch targets, has a digital feet readout, and is one of the best around for using small baits due to the high sensitivity.
It also come with a universal transducer holder system.
Depth Range
The unit comes with six depth ranges to choose from and one of the six depth ranges is automatic, meaning you don’t have to fiddle around, the unit will do it for you.
Overall it’s a great unit that comes with a battery storage compartment but it is a little expensive and more expensive than units that are GPS, Chartplotter, standard sonar, and flasher all in one.
Specs
- Display: 5-inch, 5 color
- Touch Display: No
- Waterproofing: IPX7
- Power: 50 W
- Frequency: 200 kHz
- Sonar: Dual-beam
- GPS: No
- GPS Memory: No
- Transducer: Ice Ducer
- Depth: 300 ft
- Wi-Fi: No
- Bluetooth: No
Pros
- Adjusts beam based on depth
- Numerous modes including power saving, shallow water, and weed bottom
- ¼ inch target separation for using small jigs
- Super accurate ice-ducer for spotting fish, bottom, and your bait
- Digital depth readout so you always know where you’re at
- Six depth ranges for awesome accuracy
- Adjustable sensitivity
- Quiet
Cons
- A little expensive
- No GPS or traditional sounder
What Is An Ice Flasher?
An ice flasher is an ice fishing sonar device like an ice fishing fish finder.
An ice fishing flasher makes sure you’re able to see what’s beneath the ice under your boots. I’ve reviewed some here.
An ice fishing flasher will show you the bottom, your bait, and any fish that pass under you allowing you to tailor your fishing techniques to what it shows you.
Parts
An ice fishing flasher comes in two parts; a screen to show you what’s happening beneath the ice, and a ice fishing transducer for detecting what’s happening beneath the water depth.
How Do Ice Fishing Flashers Work?
The top ice fishing flashers work by sending sonar waves out of the transducer that then bounce back to the transducer off anything they hit like the bottom, fish, or your bait.
The ice fishing flasher then calculates the distance, time, and more data that you’ll need a physics degree to understand and sends it to the display to show you how deep it is, what depth your bait is at, and what depth the fish are at.
You can then use the ice fishing flasher to move your bait around the water column to the bottom or to where the fish are, and then actually watch fish come and eat the bait or refuse it.
Why Use An Ice Flasher For Fishing?
The main reason you would use an ice fishing flasher is to catch more fish.
It’s a great way to make the most out of your ice fishing gear.
You go from fishing blind without an ice fishing flasher to knowing what’s happening underwater with one.
You could even use it together with an underwater fishing camera for better results.
By knowing what’s happening beneath you, you can tell if you’re in a bad spot without any fish and move to a good one.
Provides Essential Information
You can see if there are fish down but they don’t like your bait, and then change to one they do like.
You can also see what depth the fish are at and move your bait into their zone to get a bite.
Without knowing all the data that ice fishing flashers give you, you could sit outside your ice fishing tent at a fishing spot, looking at a fishing hole, in near sub zero temperatures, without any fish under you, catching a cold instead of a five gallon bucket of fish.
You could also be surrounded by smaller fish but not know what depth of the water column they’re at or if they don’t like your bait.
Do You Need An Ice Flasher For Ice Fishing?
You certainly don’t need an ice fishing flasher to catch fish ice fishing. Much like you don’t need an ice fishing sled. They can still be great to have though.
Many ice anglers don’t own them and rely on their fishing wits to catch fish instead of technology.
But, by using an ice fishing flasher, you can start using science instead of your fishing instincts, and you’ll have a lot less fishless days as they’ll help you find the hot spots where fish are lurking and help you target your techniques to catch them.
Things To Consider When Buying An Ice Fishing Flasher
Types Of Ice Fishing Flasher
Standard Flasher
The run of the norm ice fishing flasher has an analog display with a depth dial and knobs that you turn to tune it to your depth and sensitivity.
They’re easy to use, just tune in a few dials and let the flashing begin.
Once you have tuned in your depth and sensitivity, the depth dial will flash in three different colors.
One color to show you the bottom on the dial and therefore the depth, another color for fish that’ll flash at their respective depth, and another color that’ll flash at the depth of your bait.
Function
By using all three color flashes you can see the bottom depth, watch your bait ascend and descend through the water column, move it to where any fish are, watch fish move towards your bait and eat it or not.
It’s a simple but effective method for knowing exactly what’s happening beneath you when you’re ice fishing, but it does show you a limited amount of data with no digital screen or GPS.
NOTE
A standard ice fishing flasher isn’t useful except when you’re stationary like in ice fishing, as when the ice clears you’ll be moving around to fish and casting out, rather than just jigging beneath where you stand.
Fish Finder GPS Ice Flashers
One of the top types of flashers on the market are regular fish finder GPS units with a built-in ice fishing flasher.
These types of ice fishing flashers are far more useful and versatile than a standard ice fishing flasher as they work as a GPS, a regular fish finder, and a flasher.
They come with a digital display that can show you your flasher and a 2D view of what’s happening beneath the surface at the same time.
Features
They also come with a GPS for marking waypoints, and you can add maps to see the contours of the lake and find fishing spots without drilling a hole and checking.
The sonar unit that comes with these kinds of flashers is also more sophisticated and will give you a fuller, more detailed picture of exactly what is underwater.
Versatility
You can also use your fish finders when you’re not ice fishing by plugging it into another transducer and taking it on your boat or kayak to use in the summer (make sure to pack a brolley system!).
You can go and fish all your ice fishing waypoints, mark new ones for the upcoming season, use the maps to find new fishy areas, and a lot more.
Price
You might think there would be a large price difference between a standard unit and a cheap ice fishing flasher that comes as a part of fish finders with GPS, but there isn’t, they sit in the same price bracket.
Some fish finders are actually cheaper than a standard analog ice fishing flasher.
For the same money, you can have a fish finder, GPS, chart plotter, and an ice fishing flasher that you can use all year round, or just an ice fishing flasher.
I know which one I’d choose.
Screen
The size of your ice fishing flasher screen is one of the most important things you need to consider as it’s what you’ll be staring at all day long.
It needs to be easy to read so you can see your bait, fish, and the bottom with ease.
The bigger the screen the easier it will be to see and it also needs to be readable in bright sunlight too.
Depth
Not all units are made equal and their maximum depths all vary.
You should think about how deep the water column of the lake you plan to fish on is and make sure you pick an ice fishing flasher to match.
TIP
Their maximum depths range from 160ft to 400ft, so there should be a model to cover your lake, as not many are deeper than 400ft.
Battery Life
All ice fishing flashers come with a rechargeable battery and if the battery dies after 2 hours on a 10-hour fishing trip, the flasher suddenly becomes more than a little less useful.
Battery life tends to range between 6 and 10 hours depending on the unit you choose, so make sure to pick one that has the right amount of battery life to suit your fishing needs.
Sounding Out
Thanks for reading my article, as you can see the world of flashers isn’t so simple, and finding the right one can be tricky.
If you’re looking at this as one of your first purchases for an ice fishing tackle setup, consider looking into some quality, cold-resistant reels to make the most of the winter.
I’m exceptionally biased and always go for the units that come with more for the money, like a sonder, GPS, and flasher, but that’s just me.
If you’re still struggling to decide which one is the right flasher for you, here’s how I would decide…
Best Value
If you’re after a basic unit that is reliable but affordable, then you can’t go wrong with the Ice-35 from Humminbird.
This ice-fishing flasher is incredibly easy to use, gives you accurate readings, and will help in catching fish all day long.
Top Pick
If you want an all-around unit and don’t mind spending a little more, the Helix 5 from Humminbird is a solid choice.
You get a dual view in flasher mode of both the flasher and a 2D version so you can see everything in a lot of detail and fish accordingly.
This unit is also a GPS so you can mark good spots to return to later, it also has maps so you can find better fishing spots without guessing through the ice, plus its a traditional sounder too.
Editor’s Choice
The best of them all in my opinion is the Helix 7, again, from Humminbrid.
It’s pretty much the same as the Helix 5 I mentioned above, just with a 2-inch bigger screen and more features like AutoChart life that makes maps for you based on the sonar data.
You can also record and review sonar data to see what happened on your ice fishing trips.
I hope you have found these ice fishing flasher reviews useful and if so please share it around with your ice fishing buddies.
We also have loads more content for you to look at if you’re still undecided.
You might find titles like ‘Garmin fish finder reviews’ or ‘Humminbird Helix 9 fish finder review‘ or ‘Best ice fish finder’ which are useful in deciding which unit might be best for you.
