Ice angling is very different from other kinds of fishing as you can only fish where you have drilled an ice hole and you have to fish vertically. This means you can’t cast your line way out into a lake and cover a large area, catching fish involves drilling your hole in the right fish location.
Using the best fish finder for your money will allow you to locate fish almost instantly. As soon as you have drilled your ice hole you can use your ice fish finder to find fish underwater and make a call if you’re in the right place or not, and if you are, use the fish finding features to catch more fish than ever.
Image | Product | Details | |
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Best Fish Finder For All-Around UseLowrance HOOK² 4X Ice Fishing and All-Season Pack |
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Best Ice Fishing Finder For The MoneyGarmin Striker 4 with Portable Kit |
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Best Ice Fish FinderHumminbird ICE HELIX 5 CHIRP GPS G2 |
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Best Ice Fish Finders On A BudgetHumminbird PIRANHAMAX 4 PT |
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Best Ice Fishing Fish FinderGarmin ECHOMAP UHD 73cv Panoptix Ice Fishing Fish Finder |
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But, what makes a fish finder a good ice fishing fish finder? With so many ice fishing electronics on the market, it’s hard to find the right ice fish finder. Not to worry, I am here to help and have gathered up some of the best ice fishing fish finders and reviewed them for you below.
Contents
ToggleOut Best Ice Fishing Fish Finders
Lowrance HOOK² 4X Ice Fishing and All-Season Pack
Specs
- Size Display: 4 inch
- Display: Color
- Waterproofing: IPx7
- Power: 200 W RMS
- Frequency: 50/77/200 kHz
- Sonar: Broadband sounder, CHIRP
- Flasher: No
- Global Positioning System: Yes
- Memory: Internal
- Charts: No
- Transducer: 2 included
- Depth: 170ft
- Wi-Fi: No
- Bluetooth: No
- Water Temperature: Yes
Pros
- All season portable fish finder
- Provides accurate ice fishing sonar images
- Covers a large area with CHIRP sonar technology
- Includes a GPS and an accurate base map
- Versatile for use on a boat or ice fishing
- Includes two transducers for ice fishing and boating
- Comes in a weather protective portable case
- Great battery life
Cons
- Charts can not be added
- Limited depth range of 170 ft
- No flasher included
Lowrance HOOK² 4X Ice Fishing fish finder and All-Season Pack is an awesome fish finder if you’re a fishing enthusiast who loves to go ice fishing and to go summer fishing off a boat or kayak, as you can use it for both. With this fish finder for ice fishing, you get everything you need in the all-season pack to go fishing immediately at any time of year.
It comes with a portable protective cover that keeps the display safe from cold weather, a sonar transducer for ice fishing, another sonar transducer for boat/kayak fishing, plus all the cabling and a rechargeable battery.
These ice fish finders use a broadband sounder and a CHIRP sonar to show you detailed images of what’s happening under the ice/water. They work just like regular fish finders but they have an ice fishing transducer that can handle the freezing water.
You’ll see very detailed images on the 4-inch hi-res display and be able to see structure, bottom contours, and fish dept up to a water depth of 170ft.
Included with this ice fishing finder is a built-in GPS which you can use to mark your favorite ice fishing spots so you know exactly where to drill your hole the next time you fish. You can also use the built-in GPS for navigation on lakes and the sea in the summer after the cold weather has passed.
While this is a great all-around fish finder it’s a bit limited by its 170ft depth range if you were to use it out in the ocean. It also doesn’t come with an ice fishing flasher which more ice anglers like to use a lot.
Garmin Striker 4 with Portable Kit
Specs
- Size Display: 3.5 inches
- Display: Color
- Waterproofing: IPX7
- Power: 200 W RMS
- Frequency: 50/77/200 kHz
- Sonar: CHIRP
- Flasher: Yes
- Global Positioning System: Yes
- Memory: Internal
- Charts: No
- Transducer: Portable
- Depth: 1,600 ft freshwater, 750 ft saltwater
- Wi-Fi: No
- Bluetooth: No
- Water Temperature: Yes
Pros
- The portable kit includes everything you need to start fishing
- Simple and easy to install
- Very versatile and can be used on ice/kayak/boat
- Super accurate CHIRP sonar images
- Includes a flasher for vertical/ice fishing with
- Comes with GPS for marking good areas and navigation
- It will make charts for you using QuickDraw
- Very easy to understand and use
- Super affordable and reliable
Cons
- The screen size is a little small
- Adding charts isn’t possible
The Garmin Striker 4 ice fishing fish finders with their portable kit are about as versatile as a regular fish finder can be. You can use them for ice fishing or as a portable fish finder for kayak or boat fishing.
The portable kit includes a display unit with a 3.5-inch screen that you can read in all weather, even direct sunlight. The display sits on a swivel mount in the protective carry case and easily connects to the ice transducer and to the included rechargeable battery.
The Garmin Striker 4 ic fishing fish finder comes with excellent sonar features including dual sonar frequency DualBeam and CHIRP. The sonar waves can go to a huge max depth of 1600ft and they provide incredibly accurate images of fish targets, structure, and bottom contours.
These ice fishing finders also come with one of the best ice fishing flashers around that features six depth ranges. This makes fish detection through your ice hole incredibly easy as there is even a fish alarm that tells you when the fish are under you. You can then identify fish depth and math it with your bait, and even see the fish follow your bait on the flasher.
Along with all these amazing ice fishing sonar features, this ice fish finder also comes with the best Garmin fish finder technologies like GPS and Garmin QuickDraw Maps. This means you can use the GPS to mark good spots for drilling in the winter and for navigation in the summer. Plus, Quickdraw will actually create 1ft contour maps for you while you’re fishing.
As far as ice fishing gear goes, this is one versatile fish finder that has all the features for winter and summer. The only drawback to these portable fish finders is that the screen is a little small but that’s also why it’s so affordable.
Humminbird ICE HELIX 5 CHIRP GPS G2
Specs
- Size Display: 5 inches
- Display: Color
- Waterproofing: IPX 7
- Power: 500 W RMS
- Frequency: 50/83/200 kHz
- Sonar: CHIRP
- Flasher: Yes
- Global Positioning System: Yes
- Memory: MicroSD
- Charts: Yes
- Transducer: Portable
- Depth: 400ft
- Wi-Fi: No
- Bluetooth: No
- Water Temp: Yes
Pros
- Comes with a full portable kit with cover, display, transducer, cables, and battery
- Excellent easy to read hi-res color screen
- Super detailed images using CHIRP sonar
- Has a flasher for vertical ice fishing
- Includes a GPS and you can add charts to it
- It will build charts for you using AutoChart Live
- Comes with a detailed base map preloaded
- You can buy a separate transducer for fishing on boats/kayaks
- Simple and easy to use/install
Cons
- A little more expensive than most
The Humminbird ICE HELIX 5 CHIRP GPS G2 ice fishing fish finder is one of the best ice fishing fish finders around as it has literally all of the best ice fishing sonar features you could ever want.
This ice fishing fish finder has GPS, charts, CHIRP sonar, a flasher, self-mapping software, and even a charger for glow-in-the-dark jigs.
You get all of these features neatly delivered in a portable kit with cables, a battery, and a transducer so you can be ready for a fishing trip at a moment’s notice, so long as the battery is charged up.
The display unit has a large 5-inch color screen that is easy to read and you can split the screen in two to see multiple data views. This means you can watch a super accurate CHIRP sonar image on one side while watching one of the top ice fishing flashers on the other – you will never not see a fish that swims under you.
As well as these awesome sonar features, this ice fishing fish finder comes with charts and a GPS. Having a fish finder with charts is invaluable when ice fishing as you can walk over the ice to a part of the lake that is likely to hold fish in winter, like a drop off for example, and waste no time fishing in the wrong areas.
While the charts help you find hot spots, the GPS lets you mark them exactly so you can return to them when you next go fishing.
Another great thing about this fish finder for ice fishing is that you can use it outside of winter too. You just need to buy a different transducer and then you can mount this in a boat or kayak. It can read up to a water depth of 4o0 ft meaning it’s perfect for use in the sea as well as freshwater too.
Humminbird PIRANHAMAX 4 PT
Specs
- Size Display: 4.3 inches
- Display: Color
- Waterproofing: IPX7
- Power: 300 W RMS
- Frequency: 200/455kHz
- Sonar: Dual-beam
- Flasher: No
- Global Positioning System: No
- Memory: Internal
- Charts: No
- Transducer: Included
- Depth: 600ft
- Wi-Fi: No
- Bluetooth: No
- Water Temp: No
Pros
- Comes with a portable kit and is ready to fish
- Excellent battery life of 10 hours plus
- Accurate sonar readings using DualBeam
- A great depth range of 600 ft
- Handy settings like Fish ID, Fish Alarms, and Depth Alarms
- Works well on kayaks and boats too
- Simple to use and navigate through the features
- Very affordable
Cons
- GPS, Charts, and CHRIP are not included
- This is no flasher for vertical fishing
The Humminbird PIRANHAMAX 4 PT is another super portable fish finder that is worth considering if you’re on a budget. It’s incredibly affordable, comes with a portable kit that has everything you need to start using it immediately and it works just like traditional fish finders.
While this is a good fish finder for ice fishing, the fact that it’s portable means you can use it on the ice, in the sea, on a boat, or on a kayak. It’s an all-around fish finder that works for every season.
These multiple frequency fish finders come with just one type of sonar – DualBeam. DualBeam scans using two sonar frequencies and you can choose to use a wide beam for more coverage or a narrow beam to focus in.
This fish finder can scan in shallow water all the way up to a huge depth of 600 ft and it will show you super clear images on the 4.3-inch display. You can then set fish alarms, depth alarms, and even use the fish finder mode that creates fish icons instead of arches making it easier to understand the image for beginners.
While this ice fishing fish finder is pretty awesome, the reason it’s so affordable is because it’s lacking quite a few features. There is no GPS, self-mapping, charts, CHIRP, and not even a cheap ice fishing flasher so I’d recommend sticking with another unit if those are features you desire.
Garmin ECHOMAP UHD 73cv Panoptix Ice Fishing Fish Finder
Specs
- Size Display: 7 inches
- Display: Color touchscreen
- Waterproofing: IPX7
- Power: 500 W RMS
- Frequency: 130-300 kHz
- Sonar: CHIRP, ClearVu, Panoptix
- Flasher: Yes
- Global Positioning System: Yes
- Memory: MicroSD
- Charts: Yes, LakeVu preloaded
- Transducer: Panoptix
- Depth: 800ft
- Wi-Fi: Yes
- Bluetooth: No
- Water Temp: Yes
Pros
- Super clear 7 inches screen with multiple split-screen options
- The key assisted touch screen makes it easy to use
- Amazing range of sonar features
- Provides a super detailed and accurate sonar image
- You can record and review sonar history
- Comes with charts and GPS
- LakeVu charts are included and preloaded
- Accurate flasher makes for vertical/ice fishing
- Works on ice or on boats and kayaks
- Good battery life
Cons
- Super expensive
The Garmin ECHOMAP UHD 73cv Panoptix Ice Fishing Fish Finder is one of the best fish finders on the market but it’ll only be the right fish finder for you if you have a huge budget. That’s right, this fish finder is super expensive but you get some amazing features for the high price tag that will add a lot to your fishing game.
Let’s start off by talking about the sonar features of this fish finder. It comes with CHIRP, ClearVu (down imaging), the best ice fishing flasher, and Panoptix.
CHIRP provides accurate images and is great for searching, ClearVu zooms into fishy spots for extra detail, the flasher is for vertical fishing and Panoptix gives you a live photo-like image of what’s going on under the surface. With all these sonar features, there really is nowhere left for fish to hide.
Another amazingly useful thing about Panoptix is that you can turn the transducer, a bit like you might a periscope, to see forwards, down, left, right and more. You can choose to view fish as Fish Icons or arches and set fish and depth alarms too plus record and review sonar history.
These sonar features are awesome for ice fishing but they are also amazing for use in summer too on boats or kayaks.
As well as having everything you need from a sonar perspective this fish finder comes with GPS and charts too, and LakeVu charts are included and preloaded. You can use the charts to find possible fishing areas while walking on the ice and mark them if they are productive using the GPS.
The final thing that makes this the best ice fishing fish finder around is the screen. It’s large at 7 inches and you can split it into 4 so see views of your flasher, CHIRP, GPS, and Panoptix at the same time -or any other mixture of features. With all this info on one screen and at your fingertips, the fish don’t have a chance.
To top it all off, this unit has a touch screen making it super easy to use and there is also a keypad for use when your hands are wet. It really is an amazing fish finder but it’s going to cost you quite a bit.
Things To Consider When Looking For An Ice Fishing Fish Finder
How Portable Is The Unit?
Whatever fish finder you choose to take ice fishing you are going to have to carry it over the ice and put it next to your ice hole for it to work. This means it needs to be portable and the heaviest part of the kit is the battery.
Make sure you pick a unit that will have a good battery life of at least 8 hours and has a battery that isn’t too heavy so you can slide it out to your ice hole.
Does It Come With A Flasher?
Whole traditional sonar images are useful when ice fishing, nothing beats a flasher. A flasher lets you see the depth of the fish and your bait so you can match them, and you can watch the fish’s depth change as it chases and eats or refuses your bait.
This immediately tells you if your bait is going to work or not and if it’s refused, you can change it until you find one that is working well.
Charts & GPS is very useful to have
If you can afford it make sure you get a unit with charts and GPS, or at least GPS. Being able to use charts to find areas that are likely to be productive puts you one step ahead of the game. The GPS will also help as you can mark good areas you find and return to them immediately on your next fishing outing.
Does it work in summer too?
Having to buy one fish finder for summer and one fish finder for winter seems a bit silly doesn’t it? Why pay twice when you can buy one unit that does it all! All the fish finders featured above will work all year round. You might have to buy a different transducer for summer but that’s it.
Another benefit of this is that you can fish the lakes that you ice fish on in winter during the summer. You’ll be able to mark depth changes with the GPS and build detailed 1ft contour maps using self-mapping software. Once you have all this data ready for winter, picking a productive spot for ice fishing will get a lot easier.
Display Size & Type
The larger the display the easier it’s going to be to see the sonar and GPS data. Also with a larger screen, you can split it into multiple screens to see multiple views at once- like your flasher and CHIRP for example which gives you way more data to use to tailor your fishing approach to the situation.
I’d also recommend always having a keypad on the display as pressing buttons is a lot easier with cold weather fishing gloves than trying to manage a touchscreen.
FAQs
Can I use any fish finder for ice fishing?
No, traditional fish finders are not designed for use in icy waters. You must use a special ice fishing fish finder that is specifically designed for this purpose.
What’s the difference between an ice fish finder and a regular fish finder?
An ice fish finder is specifically designed for use in icy waters. It has a transducer that is shorter, and operates at lower frequencies to penetrate the ice. It also has a display that is optimized for viewing in cold weather conditions. A regular fish finder is not designed for use in icy waters and will not work properly.
What is the best ice fishing flasher for the money?
The best ice fishing flasher for the money is the Vexilar FLX-28. It is a top-of-the-line flasher that offers exceptional performance and features including dual frequency sonar, a large LCD display, and a powerful battery. It is also one of the most affordable ice fishing flashers on the market.
Can any fish finder be used for ice fishing?
No, traditional fish finders are not designed for use in icy waters and will not work properly. You must use a special ice fishing fish finder that is specifically designed for this purpose.
Is a flasher or a camera better for ice fishing?
It depends on what you are trying to accomplish. Flashers are better for finding and identifying fish, while cameras are better for tracking the movements of fish. If you are looking for an all-in-one solution then a flasher-camera combo might be your best bet.
Which Ice Fishing Fish Finders Do I Recommend?
While I have reviewed 5 different units there are two that I would recommend over all the others. The first one is the Garmin Striker 4 as it is great if you’re on a budget, has GPS, builds charts for you, and has great sonar including CHIRP and a flasher. You can not go wrong with this option if you’re on a budget.
If money is of no concern and you just want the best finder for ice fishing money can buy then the Garmin ECHOMAP UHD 73cv Panoptix Ice Fishing Fish Finder is the way to go. It’s portable, has charts, GPS, CHIRP, a flasher, Down Imaging, and Panotpix for a live view of what’s happening under you. It simply can be beaten.
The great thing about both of these recommendations is that they also work off the ice during the summer so you can use them all year round.