One of the key factors to consider when choosing the right fish finder is the price. Considering some units cost more than a thousand dollars, it’s easy to see why the premium isn’t best for everyone. If you are an avid angler in need of a dependable unit but don’t want to spend a lot of money, you have come to the right place. Many brands are now offering great fish finders under $300 and we have narrowed down the 10 best to ease your search. These units provide accurate data and make it easy for you to find fish without putting a hole in your pocket.
Keep reading to learn more about our favorite fish finders under $300.
Best Fish Finders Under $300:Our Top Picks
We made a list of the best picks on the market, and below you can read our extensive reviews to help you choose the product for you.
Lowrance HOOK2 5X with SplitShot Transducer and GPS Plotter
Features:
- Features auto-tuning sonar and phone-like menus
- Offers a wide-angle CHIRP sonar cone giving you double the coverage
- A single transducer can be mounted on the transom
- Comes complete with a SplitShot transducer
- Provides basic navigation with a GPS plotter
The Lowrance HOOK2 5X Fish Finder has an amazing 5-inch screen and phone like menus that are very easy to use. What you also get apart from phone line menus is wider sonar coverage. This is double the coverage of many fish finders found on the market making it easy for you to find the fish you are looking for.
Setting up this fish finder is very easy because you can easily mount it onto a transom, trolling motor or even inside a hull. The SplitShot transducer this product gives your CHIRP sonar and DownScan sonar which are useful when fishing.
Even though the navigation system is basic on the surface thanks to the GPS plotter, you can use it effortlessly. It lets you do things like finding your bearings, follow trails and even add waypoints however, the only downside is no maps are included.
Pros:
- Phone like menus that are easy to you
- Very easy product to set up
- Comes complete with a SplitShot transducer
- Has a split-screen feature which many customers love
- Has an amazing GPS that lets you navigate with ease
- Offers a wide-angle CHIRP sonar cone giving you double the coverage
Cons:
- Many customers don’t like this fish finder because it does not include any maps
- One might experience a few power issues
- Very expensive product for customers on a budget
Humminbird 410150-1 PiranhaMAX 4 Fish Finder
Features:
- Display size diagonal of 4.3 Inches
- Dual-beam sonar
- 2400 watts PTP/300 Watts RMS
- Depth Sonar 320 ft (20) 455 kHz, 600 ft (20) 200 kHz
- Sonar Coverage 28° & 16° @ -10dB
With over 4 decades of experience under their belt, Humminbird knows how to make good quality fishing products. With sharp imagery and a 4.43-inch color screen, Humminbird 410150-1 PiranhaMAX 4 Fish Finder is a very stylish product that clearly shows you everything that’s going on under your boat.
It has a user-friendly interface and a dual beam sonar which helps you highlight contours, structure, and fish. You can change your viewing angles with ease thanks to the tilt and swivel mount feature.
Lastly, you also get a product that offers you 2400 watts PTP/300 Watts RMS, a depth sonar 320 ft (20) 455 kHz, 600 ft (20) 200 kHz and a sonar coverage of 28° & 16° @ -10dB.
Pros:
- A very easy product to install
- Amazing screen
- Portable
- Value for money
- Has a feature that alerts you when fish is in range
Cons:
- The transducer mount is very fragile and can pop very easily
- It does not have the GPS feature
Garmin Striker 4 with CHIRP Traditional Transducer
Features:
- Clear VÜ scanning sonar
- A keyed interface with dedicated buttons
- Has a waypoint map
- Chirp sonar chirp
- Built-in flasher
Third on the list is the Garmin Striker 4 with Transducer, 3.5″ GPS Fishfinder and the clear VÜ scanning sonar allows you to see everything around when you are in your boat. With amazing photographic imagery, you can see fish, structure, and objects very easily.
It features a waypoint map which makes it easy for you to navigate, mark and view various locations such as stumps, docks and brush piles. You also get a maximum depth of 1,600 feet in freshwater and 750 feet in saltwater which is very impressive.
Lastly, it has a chirp sonar chirp which sends frequencies continuously to provide the user with a wide range of information. The built-in flasher is also a nice added feature that lets you view sonar information making it perfect for vertical jigging and ice fishing.
Pros:
- Maximum depth of 1,600 feet in freshwater and 750 feet in saltwater
- Chirp sonar chirp which sends frequencies continuously to provide the user with a wide range of information
- Waypoint map which makes it easy for you to navigate, mark and view various locations
- Clear VÜ scanning sonar allows you to see everything around when you are in your boat
Cons:
- Very small screen
FF688C 3.5″ Phiradar Color LCD Boat Fish Finder
Features:
- Designed for amateur and professional fishermen to find fish locations
- Depth and bottom contour of water
- Display Type: 3.5″ 18bit TFT V320XH240 sunlight readable.
- Depth reading from 1.8 to 984ft (0.6-300m) in 1/10th precision.
- Bottom contour and water temperature indicator.
- 100 levels of sensitivity setting and multi-level depth range.
- Auto-zoom bottom tracking and quick manual zoom.
- Multi-language menu settings
- User selectable feet or meter reading.
- 200KHz/83KHz dual beam sonar frequency.
- Anti-interference from the grass when used in lake
- Display different bottom (grass, sand, rock) in the sea.
- 800 watts maximum output power
- 100 watts RMS power.
- Battery strength indicator
The FF688C 3.5″ Phiradar Color LCD Boat Fish Finder is perfect for professional and amateur fishermen. The multi-language menu settings allow you to choose from over 10 languages. These languages include Spanish, Italian, English, French, Russian, German, Polish, Chinese, Dutch just to name a few.
You can choose to read in meters or feet and the battery strength indicator lets you know how much power you have while lake, river or ocean fishing. Other key features include depth reading from 1.8 to 984 feet in 1/10th precision, clear fish icon and a depth alarm of 3 – 99 feet.
Very easy to set up and 200KHz/83KHz dual beam sonar frequency, you will be able to display everything under your boat from rocks, sand, and even grass. Below are the pros and cons of this incredible fish finder.
Pros:
- Multi-language menu settings
- 200KHz/83KHz dual beam sonar frequency
- Very easy product to use as well as set up
- Battery strength indicator
Cons:
- Does not have a GPS feature
- The screen is small at 3.5 inches
LUCKY Portable Fish Finder
Features:
- Easily find fish, water depth, water temperature, bottom contour and more
- Rechargeable
- Easy to use
- Lightweight
- Depth Capability of147 feet (45m)
- Sonar Coverage: 90 degrees beam angle in 125Khz
- Wireless operational Range: 328 feet (100m)
- Display: 2.8 inch LCD with 3 color tone: Blue, Red, and Gray
The LUCKY Portable Fish Finder is a truly remarkable product that feels at home on both salt and freshwater. It is an incredible tool for anyone who wants to mark fish from their Kayak, boat or offshore with ease.
Super lightweight and easy to use, you can choose from 3 color displays (blue, gray and red), adjust the sensitivity and remove or add any alarms as well as fish icons. You get a reliable depth capacity of 147 feet, the wireless operating range of 328 feet and sonar coverage of 90 degrees beam angle in 125Khz.
Pros:
- Select from three different color tones (blue, gray and red)
- Reliable and accurate reading
- Lightweight
- 147 feet depth capacity
- 328 feet wireless range
- Sonar coverage
Cons:
- The 2.8-inch screen is too small for some people
Venterior Handheld Fish Finder with Sonar Sensor Transducer and LCD Display
Features:
- Detect and display water depth, approximate fish location, fish size, short and tall weeds, sand and rocks on the sea bed.
- Setting can be saved when turned off.
- It can be used in lakes, rivers, seas, and other fishing environments.
- Depth range from 1 meter to 100 meters
- Round transducer with 25 ft cable
- Removable transducer float.
- It can be used for fishing off the dock, on a boat, and ice fishing.
- 5 user-selectable sensitivity
- Battery save mode
- Backlight mode
- Fish alarm
- Water depth shows by meters/feet.
The Venterior Handheld Fish Finder can be used in many fishing environments such as seas, rivers, and lakes. You can display as well as detect the fish size, weeds, fish location, water depth and rocks on sea beds.
You also get a 25-foot cable with a removable float. This makes it ideal for fishing on a boat, off the dock and ice fishing. It also has a few amazing features setting like backlight mode, battery save mode, unit of measure and fish alarm. The depth of the water is shown in feet or meters.
Lastly, the display screen is not waterproof however, to keep it dry you can put it in a bag. With a depth range from 1 meter to 100 meters, this is a very wonderful product for any fishing enthusiast.
Pros:
- You get a 25-foot cable with a removable float
- A very easy product to use
- Extremely portable and excellent for a fishing enthusiast
Cons:
- The image detail on this product is poor
- The display screen is not waterproof
Garmin Striker Plus 4 with Dual-Beam transducer
Features:
- Includes dual-beam transducer with Garmin Chirp traditional sonar for crystal-clear images
- Remarkable target separation
- Built-in Garmin quickdraw contours mapping software
- Built-in GPS lets you mark waypoints, create routes and view boat’s speed
- Bright, Sunlight-readable 4.3” display and intuitive user interface
- Rugged design for every fishing environment
The Garmin Striker Plus 4 with Dual-Beam transducer is very effective at what it does and its rugged design makes it ideal for any fishing environment. The impressive bright 4.3-inch screen though small to some people has a split-screen option. It also ensures everything is visible and the user interface is not complicated to use at all.
You can view the speed of your boat, create routes and mark waypoints thanks to the built-in GPS. The dual-beam transducer with Garmin Chirp traditional sonar gives you some of the clearest images you can find on a fish finder with incredible detail.
Lastly, the amazing quickdraw contours mapping software allows you to store and create maps. This feature alone is the reason why many people buy this fish finder.
Pros:
- Quickdraw contours mapping software allows you to store and create maps
- A built-in GPS for easy navigation
- Dual-beam transducer with Garmin Chirp traditional sonar gives you some of the clearest images you can find on a fish finder
- Has a split-screen option
- Very easy product to install
Cons:
- The screen is small for some customers
Lowrance HOOK2 4X with Bullet Skimmer Transducer
Features:
- Auto-tuning sonar and phone-like menus
- It offers a wide-angle sonar cone giving you double the coverage of traditional fish finders.
- A single transducer can be mounted on the transom
- The included Bullet Skimmer transducer gives you traditional 2-D sonar (fish arch) views.
Seen as the younger brother to the HOOK2 5X, the Lowrance HOOK2 4X – 4-inch Fish Finder with Bullet Skimmer Transducer has some impressive features too. Whether it is on a small boat or kayak, this fish finder will not let you down.
Even though it doesn’t come with a GPS feature, it is one of the easiest products to use thanks to the phone like menus and the auto-tuning sonar. It comes with a bullet skimmer transducer which offers you a traditional 2D sonar view to make your fishing experience as pleasant as possible.
Just like the HOOK2 5X, it is very easy to set up and can be mounted inside the hull, trolling motor and a transom. Lastly, you get a wider sonar coverage with this fish finder because you get double the coverage just like its older brother. Even though the screen is only 4 inches, it gets the job done.
Pros:
- A very easy product to use
- Excellent value for money and offers you double coverage
- Bullet skimmer transducer which offers you a traditional 2D sonar view to make your fishing experience as pleasant as possible.
- Has an auto-tuning feature
Cons:
- There is no GPS feature
- Most customers say that the screen is very small
Conclusion
It takes a good strategy to find a good fish finder for less than $300 with a few of the latest features i.e. CHIRP, side vu sonar, down imaging etc. The models reviewed above are the best in terms of price, capabilities, and value. All you have to do is identify what works best for your fishing situation.
