Top 10 Best Fish Finders in 2021 (Buying Guide)

For many avid anglers, the modern fish finder has become every bit as valuable of a tool as a rod or reel.

Fish finders allow anglers to locate pockets of fish, as well as an underwater structure that offers significant promise. In our increasingly modernized world, fish finders tend to be “must have” equipment whenever one heads for their nearest lake or river.

Today, there are a vast number of fish finders available for purchase. These units differ greatly in their features and functional abilities. Premium fish finders are highly reliable, produce quality images that are easy to decipher, and allow multiple waypoints to be marked for future reference.

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10 Best Fish Finders in 2021

The Garmin Striker 4 is likely to be a wonderful option for those who are new to fish finder use. This unit features a simple to operate interface, which should be easy to get the hang of for even the most inexperienced of users. In fact, with only an afternoon’s worth of use, most anglers become proficient enough in the use of this unit, that they can operate it with little to no issue.

Criteria Used For Evaluation

When planning to purchase a fish finder, it is important to recognize that no two units are the same. By giving ample consideration to each of the following factors, one is better able to select a fish finder that best suits their specific needs.

Criteria #1: Cone Angles and Beams

Cones and angles are the meat and potatoes of fish finding units, which control how you see what lies beneath the water’s surface.

A fish finder relies upon signals that are sent and received from a transducer. These signals are sent in the form of beams that deliver radio frequencies throughout the water. The width at which these beams cover is referred to as cones. The cone angle and beam count of a fish finder differ from one unit to the next. 

Cone angles vary tremendously and generally range between 9 and 60 degrees. A wider cone allows a unit to analyze a greater area in a single scan. However, a wide cone does not provide as definitive of a view at deeper depths. On the other hand, narrow cones provide a clearer picture in deep water but cover a very limited area.

While the transducers of many standard fish finders emit only a single beam, but more advanced units now possess multi-beam capabilities. As a unit’s beam count increases, so do a unit’s range of coverage. However, multi-beam units also cost significantly more than standard, single beam units.

Criteria #2: Frequencies

Choosing the right transducer frequency can be the difference between seeing what you wish to see, and being left guessing.

The frequency of sonar that a fish finder emits also differs from one particular unit to the next. The most universally utilized sonar frequencies are 50 kHz, 83 kHz, 192 kHz, and 200 kHz. As a fish finder’s frequency increases, so does its ability to quickly cover water, and avoid background noise. However, higher frequencies do not penetrate as deeply as lower frequency outputs.

When fishing shallow water, it is best to use units with higher frequencies, such as those in the 192 kHz and 200 kHz range. Alternatively, when fishing deeper water, an output of 50 kHz is desirable. For an excellent compromise, an 83 kHz frequency can be quite employed.

Criteria #3: Pixel Count

Pixels are a small part of the much larger story that your fish finder is attempting to tell you.

When seeking out a fish finder to purchase, it is important to understand the role that pixel count plays in determining display quality. The picture that is shown on a fish finder’s display head is made up of many minuscule dots, called pixels. The more of these dots that a display presents, the better its picture will be. Therefore, one can refer to a fish finder’s pixel count in order to determine the clarity of its display.

However, one must always take cost into consideration. As a fish finder’s pixel count rises, so does its sales price. Those units which feature crystal clear displays, often retail at a premium price point. By account, it is always best to purchase a fish finder with the highest pixel account that you can afford.

Criteria #4: Display Screens

Much like a TV, the quality of a fish finder’s display directly determines how easy its images will be to view.

Today’s fish finders come in numerous display formats, with some being infinitely easier to view than others. The three main fish finder display types are black and white, color, and high-definition. Each of which can be imagined in parallel with subsequent development within the television market.

Fish finders with black and white displays are generally very affordable. However, they also leave quite a bit to be desired in picture quality. Color display sonar units are priced moderately and likewise offer a standard grade picture. On the upper end of the spectrum, high-definition displays are now offered for a top-tier price.

Criteria #5: Transducer Wattage

A transducer’s wattage is one of the single biggest factors related to how well sonar frequencies penetrate through the water.

The wattage of a transducer carries an RMS designation. This designation directly reflects the amount of power that is being pushed through a transducer, and the unit’s ability to penetrate the depths below with its output. The higher a particular unit’s RMS rating, the easier it is for the unit transducer to deliver its output in less than ideal circumstances, such as extremely deep or silty water.

When fishing inland bodies of water, such as lakes or rivers, a 200 watt (RMS) rating is typically sufficient. However, when fishing in deep, blue coastal waters, the use of a unit with a rating of 1000 watts (RMS) or more is advised.

Criteria #6: GPS Capabilities

GPS software turns a fish finder into an invaluable tool that most anglers do not leave home without.

Today, we no longer live in the primitive age of fish finder use. Gone are the days in which fish finders served just a single purpose. Today, most units of this nature now feature a wealth of additional functions, with perhaps the most important of which pertaining to GPS use. The advent of GPS capable fish finders have revolutionized the way that we fish and allowed us to be more efficient when on the water.

While non-GPS fish finders are still available for purchase, there are numerous reasons to spend the extra money in order to upgrade. The use of a GPS enabled fish finder allows you to mark brush piles and other underwater cover as waypoints for future return. Many such units also depict underwater topography as well.

Criteria #7: Water Resistance

It is immensely important to consider how you will be using a fish finder before making a purchase. Will you be fishing from a relatively stable bass boat, or do you plan to attach your fish finder to a kayak? This question is of value, because its answer determines how much water exposure a particular sonar unit is likely to be exposed to. While some fish finders are impervious to the effects of water, others are not. 

One should always consult a fish finder’s IPX rating before proceeding in the purchase process. A unit’s IPX rating designates how much water it can be exposed to without suffering adverse effects. The higher the number, the more water exposure a unit can handle. 

The real world application for this rating comes into play when determining what level of protection is needed, for the particular type of fishing that you intend to take part in. It is reasonable to assume that a fish finder used in a kayak would require a higher IPX rating, than a similar unit used in a significantly more stable bass boat.

Questions & Answers

Fish finders vary greatly in price from one end of the spectrum to the other. These prices can range from as little as $70 to as much as $5,000 or more. However, in the world of fish finders, you typically get what you pay for. Lower end fish finding units offer little more than basic sonar, with little in the way of quality screen resolution. However, units found at the top end of this price scale typically feature highly accurate side imaging capabilities, a full range of GPS capabilities, and second to none screen resolution.

Overall, the average cost of a moderate quality fish finder generally falls in the $300-$800 range. Units at this price point usually feature concise, reliable imaging, reasonably quick feedback times, and color display screens.

While a number of quality fish finders are currently available from small or obscure companies, there is certainly something to be said for the products of any number of the most popular sonar manufacturers. In many cases, these companies have risen to prominence for a significant reason. Most have a stellar track record of quality customer service and excellence in their craft. This in itself can be a legitimate reason to buy predominantly form these larger, more established manufacturers.

In the world of fish finders, three main companies dominate the landscape. Lowrance, Garmin, and Humminbird have all been mainstays in the fish finding industry since its inception. All three of these companies also have a reputation for producing some of the highest quality fish finders currently available.

Fish finders do not technically make you a better angler. In fact, that would be like saying that a road map makes you a better driver. However, the use of a fish finder does allow you to be a more efficient angler. Their use points you in the right direction so that you spend less time blindly casting where fish might, or might not be. Instead, you are able to spend more of your time casting to the confirmed location of fish, in the hopes of enticing a strike.

This is the same reasoning behind why tournament anglers rely so heavily upon their fish finders. While any such angler could locate and catch fish without any assistance, they simply choose to use a fish finder because they are facing a time limit. A day’s tournament ends at a set time when all anglers must return to have their fish weighed. Therefore, fish finders allow these anglers to make the best use out of the limited time that they do have.

There is no set rule as to how long a fish finder will, or will not last. However, one must consider that a sonar unit is an electronic device and will eventually wear out or succumb to internal circuitry issues. On average, most fish finders seem to last 4-6 years, though some last significantly longer, and others significantly shorter. It is worth considering that heavily used fish finders will likely experience a shorter service life, though their total hours of operation will likely fall into the average tier.

In any event, one should take all possible measures to prolong the life of their fish finder. In order to facilitate this, make sure to place your fish finder inside of your home when not in use, protect your fish finder from significant water exposure when possible, and prevent any hard impacts that could damage such a unit.

Most fish finders do come with a warranty of some type. However, the length and extent of this warranty is solely up to the manufacturer of the unit in question, and such circumstances can differ significantly from one fish finder to the next. Generally speaking, a 1-2 year warranty tends to be the industry standard for most fish finders.

It is also important to remember that most warranties will not cover any form of physical damage or neglect. Therefore, if a fish finder were to become damaged in an event outside of a manufacturer’s control, it is highly unlikely that such an event would be covered.