Last Updated on December 22, 2020
Best GPS Fish Finder Quick List
- Humminbird HELIX 7 CHIRP MEGA SI GPS G3
- Garmin ECHOMAP UHD 93sv
- Humminbird HELIX 9 CHIRP MEGA SI+ GPS G4N
- Lowrance HOOK2 5 TripleShot Fish Finder with TripleShot Transducer and Navionics+ Map Card
- Humminbird HELIX 5 CHIRP SI GPS G2 Fish Finder
- Garmin Striker Plus 5cv Kayak Fish Finder with GT20-TM Transducer
- Panoptix LiveScope Ice Fishing Bundle with ECHOMAP UHD 93sv
- Panoptix PS22 Ice Fishing Bundle with ECHOMAP UHD 73cv
- Humminbird Helix 5 CHIRP GPS G2 Portable Fish Finder
- Garmin Striker 4 Portable Fish Finder
- Deeper CHIRP Smart Sonar Castable Fish Finder
- Deeper PRO+ with GPS Castable Fish Finder
The best Fish Finder will offer two essential technologies that serious angles should consider: GPS and Side-Imaging. All of our top picks from Garmin, Lowrance, and Humminbird offer these technologies. GPS gets you to fishing spots fast, gets you home and offers mapping and satellite overlays. Side Imaging allows you to scan large areas of water and gets you fishing faster. Below, we also include some specialized reviews for kayak fish finders, portable fish finders, ice fishing fish finders, and castable fish finders.
Humminbird HELIX 7 CHIRP MEGA SI GPS G3
An excellent GPS fish finder combo. Choosing between Side-Imaging and Down-Imaging for your fish finder is confusing, but with this unit you don’t need to, it offers both. It is our top pick because of the value you get in a GPS and Side Imaging fish finder. The HELIX 7 CHIRP MEGA SI GPS G3 fish finder features MEGA Side Imaging, MEGA Down Imaging, Dual Spectrum CHIRP Sonar, AutoChart Live , GPS and Humminbird Basemap built-in. The 7″, ultra-wide display gives you ample room to view the many pre-loaded split screen view options.
MEGA Side Imaging: See the world below like never before with crystal-clear viewing out to 125 feet on either side of your boat. You’ll unlock new details with up to 3X more output than standard Side Imaging sonar.
*LakeMaster and Navionics Compatible: SD Cards are not included in this model but this model is compatible.
Garmin ECHOMAP UHD 93sv
A great value for a GPS fish finder offering side imaging and if you’re looking for preloaded LakeVü g3 inland maps this is your best option. The sunlight-readable 9” touchscreen chartplotter features a quick-release bail mount, and the transducer bundle adds Ultra High-Definition scanning sonar and CHIRP traditional sonar. Includes the GT54UHD-TM Ultra High-Definition Scanning Sonar All-in-one Transducer providing the highest resolution ClearVü and SideVü scanning sonar images available and amazingly clear high wide CHIRP traditional sonar. The GT54 Ultra High-Definition all-in-one transducer provides image details so clear and precise, you can actually see fish hanging just off branches of submerged trees, brush and rocks. You can see size differences between bigger and smaller fish and even see individual fish swimming in bait balls. You get the highest resolution ClearVü and SideVü scanning sonar images available plus amazingly clear high wide CHIRP traditional sonar.
SONAR SUPPORT: This chartplotter supports a variety of Garmin transducers (sold separately), including the Panoptix LiveScope™ scanning sonar system, which lets you see all around your boat in real time.
VIVID COLOR PALETTES: High-contrast vivid scanning sonar color palettes make it easier than ever to distinguish targets and structure.
PRELOADED MAPPING: Experience unparalleled coverage and detail with preloaded LakeVü g3 inland maps featuring integrated Navionics® data. Maps cover more than 18,000 lakes with up to 1’ contours.
QUICKDRAW CONTOURS: Create personalized fishing maps on-screen with 1’ contours. Keep the data to yourself, or share it with the Quickdraw Community on the Garmin Connect™ app3.
Humminbird HELIX 9 CHIRP MEGA SI+ GPS G4N
If you’re looking for a larger screen, ethernet connectivity and are willing to pay a little extra, consider this fish finder. The HELIX 9 CHIRP MSI+ GPS G4N features a 9″ display, MEGA Side Imaging+, MEGA Down Imaging+, Dual Spectrum CHIRP Sonar and internal GPS with Humminbird Basemap. As with all HELIX G4N models, this HELIX 9 includes standard features such as AutoChart Live, Wi-Fi and NMEA 2000®, in addition to Bluetooth® and Ethernet networking for compatibility with the One-Boat Network™ family of products from Humminbird, Minn Kota and Cannon.
Internal GPS and Humminbird Basemap: Our enhanced basemap provides you with a clear view of underwater terrain and surrounding points of interest so you can fish and navigate with total confidence. Identify buoys, day markers, hazards, marinas, contours, depth markers and much, much more. Includes charts of more than 10,000 lakes, plus coastal coverage for the continental U.S. *LakeMaster, CoastMaster™ and Navionics Compatible: SD Cards are not included in this model but this model is compatible.
Lowrance HOOK2 5 TripleShot Fish Finder with TripleShot Transducer and Navionics+ Map Card
A great value and loaded with features. The perfect size GPS fish finder for kayaks and small boats, this is a fish finder with a full sonar experience. Tripleshot 3-in-1 displays give you wide-angle High CHIRP Sonar and Sidescan/Downscan Imaging™ with full chartplotter and basic GPS plotter navigation options. If kayak fishing, there are tons of mounting attachment options for your kayak and many fishing kayaks include Lowrance Transducer mountings.
Features:
– High-resolution, SolarMAX display
– Autotuning sonar
– Double the CHIRP sonar coverage of most fishfinders
– Broadband Sounder, High CHIRP, SideScan and DownScan Imaging™ sonar options
– Full chartplotter and basic GPS navigation options
– Preloaded C-MAP US Inland Mapping or C-MAP® US Coastal mapping (not available on HOOK2 X models)
Humminbird HELIX 5 CHIRP SI GPS G2 Fish Finder
Choosing between Side-Imaging and Down-Imaging for your GPS combo fish finder is confusing, but with this unit you don’t need to, it offers both. The 5″ widescreen display on this GPS fish finder is the perfect combination of portability and visibility for a kayak or small boat. This HELIX 5 CHIRP SI GPS G2 model features CHIRP Digital Sonar, CHIRP Side Imaging, CHIRP Down Imaging, GPS mapping, AutoChart Live, the new HumminbirdⓇbasemap, DualBeam PLUS and SwitchFire.
AutoChart Live: Create real-time maps of your fishing spots, with access to patented Humminbird® LakeMaster® features. Map depth contours, bottom hardness and vegetation as you drive your boat, with eight hours of built-in recording time.
A ton of features that make this a top pick for a GPS fish finder – details below.
CHIRP Side Imaging: Filter out noise and clutter for a clearer view of the world below. It’s the perfect blend of CHIRP Digital Sonar precision and Side Imaging detail—with 480 feet of side-to-side coverage.
CHIRP Down Imaging: Filter out noise and clutter for a clearer view beneath your boat. It’s the perfect blend of CHIRP Digital Sonar precision and Down Imaging detail.
CHIRP Digital Sonar: View details that other forms of sonar won’t show you. Humminbird CHIRP Digital Sonar is engineered to help you see individual fish, clearly identify bait and structure, and reach greater depths and range.
Garmin Striker Plus 5cv with GT20-TM Transducer
The Garmin Striker Plus 5CV is another 5-inch screen fish finder. When paired with the GT20-TM Transducer, it’s a great selection for a kayak fish finder. Perfect for the shallow water fisherman who want traditional and CHIRP ClearVü scanning sonar, the GT20-TM transducer consistently displays fish arches as well as clear pictures of objects, structure and fish that pass below your boat. Garmin ClearVü scanning sonar gives you a nearly photographic, wide image below your boat. With ClearVü, you clearly see structure, submerged objects and fish. For less money than our two previous picks, you get a lot of features for the money in this kayak fish finder.
Built-in Garmin Quickdraw Contours mapping software lets you create and store maps with 1’ contours for up to 2 million acres.
Features:
– Includes transducer for built-in Garmin CHIRP traditional sonar plus CHIRP ClearVü scanning sonar
– Built-in GPS lets you mark waypoints, create routes and view boat’s speed
– Bright, sunlight-readable 5” display and intuitive user interface
– Rugged design for every fishing environment
Panoptix LiveScope Ice Fishing Bundle with ECHOMAP UHD 93sv
The premium live scanning sonar for ice fishing, this is the best ice fishing fish finder you can buy. Yes, it comes at a premium price but the revolutionary Panoptix LiveScope sonar technology, paired with a large ECHOMAP Plus 93sv keyed-assist touchscreen display, makes this the ultimate bundle for serious ice fishing. LiveScope Down actually shows moving sonar images of what is below the ice, enabling you to watch fish respond to your jig or bait — and see whether they are moving toward or away from it.
This unit combines the revolutionary Panoptix LiveScope sonar technology, paired with a large ECHOMAP Plus 93sv keyed-assist touchscreen display, makes this the ultimate bundle for serious ice fishing. Easily adjust the transducer to your fishing techniques with forward and down scanning LiveScope modes. You’ll eliminate guesswork and drill fewer holes to locate schools of fish under the ice in real time.
Features:
– Panoptix LiveScope bundle includes ECHOMAP Plus 93sv touchscreen combo with keyed assist plus LVS32 transducer with GLS 10 sonar black box and swivel pole mount
– Easy-to-interpret live scanning sonar allows you to see fish and structure up to 200’ in any direction
– Two modes in one transducer (LiveScope™ Forward and LiveScope™ Down) adapt to your fishing technique; locate schools of fish, and know exactly where to drill your next hole
– Preloaded LakeVü g3 inland maps with integrated Garmin and Navionics® data cover more than 17,000 lakes
– Ability to create custom combination screen to include map and sonar views
– Easily adjust the transducer to your fishing techniques with forward and down scanning LiveScope modes. You’ll eliminate guesswork and drill fewer holes to locate schools of fish under the ice in real time.
– LiveScope Forward sonar shows all around below the ice, so you can track schools of fish in any direction.
– Customize your views on the ECHOMAP Plus 93sv screen, so you can see what matters. Create combination pages that include map and Panoptix™ sonar views. The easy-to-use interface makes setup a breeze, so you can spend more time fishing.
– Along with the ECHOMAP Plus 93sv combo, this capable bundle includes a LVS32 LiveScope transducer with swivel pole mount plus a 12Ah battery with charger and power cable. It all comes in a rugged, glove-friendly portable carrying case, so you can just grab the sturdy handle and head out for your next ice fishing trip.
Panoptix PS22 Ice Fishing Bundle with ECHOMAP UHD 73cv
Although it doesn’t include LiveScope, Panoptix is still incredible technology and this should be an ice fishing fish finder to consider. Panotpix all-seeing sonar is unlike anything you’ve ever seen on the water. It gives you the ability to see all around your boat in real time and in 3 dimensions. Drill fewer holes and catch more fish when you use Panoptix technology included with this bundle.
This versatile bundle includes the 7” ECHOMAP UHD 73cv touchscreen combo with keyed assist for three types of sonar, and go from ice to open water so you’ll get year round use from this bundle. See what’s below the surface with the included Panoptix PS22-TR transducer. Use the swivel pole mount to change your angle. The rugged, portable carrying case lets you easily transport it from hole to hole and season to season.
Features:
– LiveVü Forward sonar shows up to 100’ all around you and below the ice, so you can locate schools of fish and know where to drill the next hole.
– LiveVü Down sonar shows moving sonar images of what is below the ice, so you can watch fish respond to your jig.
– Garmin CHIRP traditional sonar provides crystal-clear images with remarkable target separation and jig detection.
– The unit comes preloaded with LakeVü g3 maps with integrated Navionics® data, covering more than 18,000 lakes in the U.S
– The built-in flasher provides accurate jig and fish detection as they swim into the sonar beam.
– You can create custom pages that combine sonar, flasher and map on your display.
Humminbird Helix 5 CHIRP GPS G2 Portable Fish Finder
Nicely packaged into a portable kit, the 5″ widescreen display on this portable fish finder is the perfect combination of portability and visibility. This HELIX 5 GPS G2 model features CHIRP Digital Sonar, GPS mapping, AutoChart Live, the new HumminbirdⓇbasemap, DualBeam PLUS, SwitchFire and a portable kit.
Portable Carrying Case Includes: Suction Cup Transducer and mounting hardware, power cable, gimbal mounting bracket, and soft-sided carrying case that protects your Humminbird for safe transport.
A ton of features that make this our top pick for a portable fish finder – details below.
Garmin Striker 4 Portable Fish Finder
STRIKER 4 fishfinder with portable carrying case is perfect for fishing from a kayak or canoe and is especially handy for ice fishing. Mark and return to your hot spots, boat ramps and docks. You also can share your favorite waypoints and routes with other STRIKER and echoMAP™ chartplotter combos. Smooth Scaling™ graphics provide uninterrupted imagery when switching between depth-range scales. Sonar history rewind allows you to scroll back through sonar images to mark waypoints you originally may have missed. Includes carrying case, rechargeable battery, CHIRP (77/200 kHz) transducer and a tilt/swivel mount. For high-performance CHIRP, you can add-on compatible transducers.
Features:
– Easy-to-use 3.5-inch color fishfinder with built-in, high-sensitivity GPS
– Portable carrying case is perfect for kayak, canoe or ice fishing
– Find fish; mark and return to hot spots, docks and ramps
– Includes CHIRP (77/200 kHz) sonar transducer; transmit power (200 W RMS)/(1,600 W peak-to-peak)
– Upgrade to high performance CHIRP with a GT8 or GT15 transducer (each sold separately)
Deeper CHIRP Smart Sonar Castable Fish Finder
Deeper CHIRP is the world‘s first castable, Wi-Fi enabled fish finder that utilizes CHIRP technology. The three beam frequencies, crisp clarity and extreme depth accuracy makes it ideal for quickly locating target species holding spots, pinpointing predator fish and fishing in extreme depths. It is perfect for casting or trolling and mapping (using smartphone or tablet GPS) from a small boat/kayak/SUP, shore and ice fishing.
About Deeper Chirp:
– With a target separation of 0.4” / 1cm, you’ll be able to easily pinpoint target species even when they are amongst a school of bait fish or track the tiniest lure when vertical jigging.
– With CHIRP, surface clutter and noise are minimal, so you can expect precise sonar readings in very shallow water and locate fish as close as 6” / 15cm from the water’s surface. To the other extreme, you will be able to distinguish bottom huggers in water as deep as 330 ft. / 100m.
– 3 Beam Frequencies: Discover fish holding spots faster by scanning an area with the wide angle beam, 47° (100 kHz). Use the mid angle beam, 16° (290kHz) to drill in on that hotspot you’ve located. Home in on your target species with the very detailed, 7° (675kHz) narrow angle beam.
– Charge Fast: 80% in 45 minutes, 100% in 75 minutes. Get back on the water, fast.
Compatibility: From iOS 12.0 and Android 5.0 to the latest iOS and Android devices
Sonar Type: 3 Frequency CHIRP – Narrow CHIRP 675 kHz (cone angle 7°), Medium CHIRP 290 kHz (cone angle 16°), Wide CHIRP 100 kHz (cone angle 47°)
Target Separation: 0.4 in / 1 cm. Narrow Chirp, 0.94 in / 2.4 cm. Medium Chirp, 0.94 in / 2.4 cm. Wide Chirp
Depth Range: 6 in / 15 cm.– 330 ft / 100 m.
Sonar Scan Rate: Up to 15 scans per second
Sonar Modes: Standard, Ice fishing, Boat
Bathymetric Mapping: uses smartphone or tablet GPS to map from boat / kayak / SUP
Operating Temperature: -4°F to 104°F / -20°C to 40°C
Operating Time: Up to 8 hours
Charging Technology: Fast charge, 80% in 45 min., 100% in 75 min.
Internal Battery: Lithium Polymer, 3.7V Rechargeable, 950 mAh
Power Adapter (not included in the box, recommended): Input 110V/220V. Output Micro USB, 5V 2A
Connection Type: Wi-Fi
Connection Range: Stable connection up to 330 ft / 100 m.
Deeper PRO+ with GPS Castable Fish Finder
The Deeper PRO+ is a castable, GPS enabled, Wi-Fi fish finder. It offers more power, more features, outstanding casting range and unbelievable scanning depth giving you incredible scanning and mapping from shore, boat, kayak and on the ice.
GPS onshore mapping: Just cast out, reel in and create detailed maps live on your smartphone screen. The Deeper PRO+ is the only fish finder on the market capable of creating bathymetric maps from the shore.
Features:
– Mark fish. See fish arches and bait balls, or add fish icons with depth tags and fish size.Mark fish. See fish arches and bait balls, or add fish icons with depth tags and fish size.
– Locate structure and vegetation, and see bottom contour, hardness and consistency.Locate structure and vegetation, and see bottom contour, hardness and consistency.
– Know depth and water temperature (only with the START, PRO and PRO+ models) from the moment you start scanning. Know depth and water temperature (only with the START, PRO and PRO+ models) from the moment you start scanning.
– Choose from 3 color palettes for perfect display visibility, whatever the weather.Choose from 3 color palettes for perfect display visibility, whatever the weather.
– Mark your favourite fishing spots, boat launching places, camping sites, parking spots and other places of interest.Mark your favourite fishing spots, boat launching places, camping sites, parking spots and other places of interest.
– Log your catches with photos and detailed notes alongside technique, equipment and baits or lures used.Log your catches with photos and detailed notes alongside technique, equipment and baits or lures used.
