Fish finders come in many sizes offering more or less features and accessories, and some go up to 4,000 bucks, or even more. However, especially if you’re usually fishing on a lake, from a small boat or kayak, chances are you’ll never need features like marine GPS, maps with aerial photography, Radar, or even networking. Therefore, if you’re on a budget, here are some of the best fish finders under $300 that you can get in 2020.
Contents
Top 10 Fish Finders Under $300
Fish Finder | Features | Price |
 | - CHIRP/ClearVü sonar | |
 | - CHIRP/ClearVü sonar | |
 | - CHIRP/ClearVü sonar | |
 | - CHIRP/DownScan sonar | |
 | - Wide Broadband sonar | |
 | - DualBeam sonar | |
 | - DualBeam Plus sonar | |
 | - Dual Beam sonar | |
 | - Dual Beam sonar | |
 | - Dual Beam sonar |
Garmin ECHOMAP Plus 43cv
Although the Garmin ECHOMAP Plus 43cv is pretty close to the $300 mark, it still falls into this 
category. Evidently, it is one of the most complete fish finders that you can get for just under $300.
In terms of sonar, this Garmin fish finder offers standard CHIRP sonar and ClearVü sonar for structure scanning. It also includes the classic Garmin GT20-TM transducer which comes with a transom mount and also has an internal temperature sensor. With the included transducer, the unit is capable of 77/200 kHz for standard CHIRP, and 455/800 kHz for ClearVü, and can scan depths up to 1,900 ft. (579 m).
For navigation, the unit has built-in 5 Hz GPS and is pre-loaded with the LakeVü g3 charts. These charts offer coverage for the US inland waters presenting more than 17,000 lakes, rivers, and reservoirs with up to 1-foot depth contours. The unit is also compatible with the BlueChart g3, BlueChart g3 Vision, and LakeVü g3 Ultra. Also, if your favorite lake is not covered by the included charts, the unit also has the Quickdraw Contours feature which allows you to draw your own custom fishing map.
The unit’s display is 4.3″ in diagonal with a pixel matrix of 272 x 480. It’s keypad-operated and has a pretty straightforward interface, easy to work with. It comes with a quick-release, tilt/swivel mount. It has NMEA 0183 connectivity but lacks the wireless connectivity feature that only the more expensive Garmin units have. It also has a microSD card slot in case you want to upgrade its chart base or transfer data.
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Garmin Striker Plus 5cv
The Garmin Striker Plus 5cv is also a fish finder pretty close to the mark of $300, but nonetheless, it falls 
into this price category. As opposed to the ECHOMAP Plus 43cv, it is not pre-loaded with charts and does not support charts. It only has a basic GPS plotter which shows your boat and location on a blank sheet, but you can still mark waypoints and track your course. However, the unit does have the Quickdraw Contours feature which allows you to draw your own maps.
The Striker Plus 5cv makes available two sonar technologies. It has built-in CHIRP sonar and ClearVü. It includes the CV20-TM transducer which supports both types of sonar, being capable of 77/200 kHz for traditional CHIRP and 455/800 kHz for ClearVü. Its depth capability is 250 ft (76 m) for ClearVü and 1,600 ft. (487 m) for standard CHIRP (@77 kHz). The unit offers an impressive range of standard sonar functions including Fish Symbols, A-Scope, Flasher Mode, Bottom Lock, Sonar Recording, and more.
As its name suggests, the unit features a 5-inch diagonal display with a pixel matrix of 800 x 480. Needless to say, it has integrated backlight for superior readability in direct sunlight. Similar to the other Striker models, it doesn’t have networking features or a microSD card.
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Garmin Striker Plus 4cv
The Garmin Striker Plus 4cv is one of the smallest and most affordable fish finders with down scanning sonar.
It also has traditional CHIRP sonar and comes with the CV20-TM transducer that supports both these sonar technologies. This transducer has an internal temperature sensor, a transom mount, 20 ft. (6 m) of cable, and a 4-pin connector. With the included transducer, this fish finder system can use 200/77 kHz sonar channels for traditional CHIRP and 455/800 kHz for ClearVü. The system’s maximum depth capabilities with the included transducer are 1,600 ft. (487 m) for traditional CHIRP and 250 ft. (76 m) for ClearVü.
Since it’s one of the Garmin Striker units, this fish finder does not support charts (like LakeVü or BlueChart). It only has a basic GPS plotter that shows you position on a blank background. However, the unit does have the Quickdraw Contours feature so you can create your own bathymetric maps. It also has trackplotting and waypoint creation functions.
The unit features a 4.3-inch diagonal display with a vertical layout, a pixel matrix of 480V x 272H, and LED backlight for improved readability in direct sunlight. It’s not networkable (no NMEA or Ethernet). It also does not have a microSD card reader. It comes with the standard tilt/swivel mount.
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Lowrance Hook Reveal 5x SplitShot
The Hook Reveal 5x SplitShot is one of the Lowrance fish finders released in 2020. Similar to the
Striker Plus 5cv, it is close to the $300 mark, but still falls into this price category. It also has the same range of features.
The unit has two built-in sonar technologies, these being standard CHIRP and DownScan. As its name suggests, it includes the SplitShot transducer which supports both these sonar technologies. Although the unit supports multiple frequencies, with the included transducer, this Lowrance fish finder can only use the 200 kHz channel for standard CHIRP but can use both 455/800 kHz channels for DownScan. Its maximum depth capabilities are 500 ft. (153 m) for CHIRP, and 300 ft. (91 m) for DownScan.
The unit has a built-in basic GPS plotter and offers the possibility to save waypoints or plot your course. Just like the Garmin Striker units, it does not support charts but does have the Genesis Live feature which allows you to create your own charts. It’s important to mention that the unit has a microSD card slot and you can only save your created maps on a data card.
Last but not least, the Hook Reveal 5x SplitShot features a 5-inch SolarMax display with a pixel resolution of 800 x 480. It has a keypad operated interface. It does not have networking features and comes with a standard Gimbal mount.
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Lowrance Hook2-4x Bullet
Although it’s one of the units released in 2017, the Lowrance Hook2-4x Bullet is still available for now. It’s one
of the most affordable 4-inch fish finders at the moment. It offers Wide-Angle Broadband Sonar and supports only one frequency (200 kHz). It comes with the Bullet transducer which uses a 40° beam capable of scanning depths up to 500 ft. (153 m). It has several standard fish finding functions such as Fish ID, Circular Flasher, Depth Alarm, Bottom Range, Automated Sonar Settings, etc. However, it does not have a split-view feature.
The Hook2-4x Bullet has a built-in GPS plotter but does not support charts. It allows you to save waypoints on a black background and plot your course. However, it does not support charts and does not have the Genesis Live bathymetric feature as the newer Hook Reveal models.
The unit is equipped with a 4-inch WVGA color display with LED backlight. It is keypad operated. Since it’s a basic unit, it does not have networking features such as Ethernet or NMEA ports. It comes with the standard tilt mount.
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Humminbird Piranhamax 4 DI
Although the PiranhaMax 4 DI is one of the fish finders released by Humminbird in 2016, it is still 
available. It’s a fish finder only unit; in other words, it does not have built-in GPS and does not support charts.
This Humminbird fish finder offers two types of sonar, DualBeam and Down Imaging. It supports two frequencies for its traditional view DualBeam sonar, these being 200/455 kHz. For Down Imaging, it supports only 455 kHz.
The included transducer is the classic XNT 9 DI T. It supports both sonar technologies built-in the unit. It also has an internal temperature sensor. The 200 kHz beam has a depth capability of 600 ft. (183 m), while the depth capability of the DI beam is 320 ft. (97.5 m).
Needless to say, the unit is not networkable. It does not support NMEA and does not have Ethernet or wireless connectivity. It has a color display, 4.3″ in diagonal, with a pixel resolution of 480V x 272H. It is also IPX7 waterproof. And finally, the unit includes the standard tilt/swivel mount.
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Humminbird HELIX 5 Sonar G2
The HELIX 5 Sonar G2 is also one of the Humminbird fish finders released a few years ago, but still 
available at the moment. Just like the PiranhaMax 4 DI, it’s a sonar only fish finder; it does not have GPS or charts. It also does not support Down Imaging sonar. It only DualBeam Plus sonar with the traditional view. It’s also important to mention that it does not have CHIRP technology. Of course, functions like Selective Fish ID, SwitchFire, RTS, and Circular Flasher are also available with this fish finder.
The unit comes with the standard XNT 9 20 T dual beam transducer. It supports 200/83 kHz and offers a maximum depth capability of 1,500 ft. (457 m). The transducer also has an internal temperature sensor and comes with 20 ft. (6 m) of cable.
The unit does not have a microSD card reader, NMEA ports, Ethernet, or wireless connectivity. If features a 5-inch color display with a pixel resolution of 800H x 480V and LED backlight. It is also IPX7 waterproof.
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Deeper Pro+ Smart Sonar
The Deeper Pro+ Smart Sonar is not exactly your standard fish finder. That’s because it does not
include a control unit. All the sonar elements are encased in a spherical shell made of tough plastic. It is intended for use with a smartphone and castable with a fishing rod. It connects to your smartphone (or tablet) via the Fish Deeper app available for iOS and Android. Fish Deeper is a multi-purpose app. It offers standard 2D sonar and a Circular Flasher sonar view.
The Deeper Pro+ sphere integrates a dual-beam 15°/55° transducer. Its maximum depth capability is 260 ft. (80 m). It also has a pretty decent WiFi range; it should be able to send data to your smartphone in a range up to 330 ft. (100 m).
Internal GPS and a bathymetric map creation function are also available with this fish finder. This being said, you can create your own custom maps for your fishing spots with the most up to date depth contours.
Last but not least, the unit features a USB port concealed by the top cover of the spherical shell. It can be charged via USB cable with a smartphone charger or from a PC. It also comes with a portable bag.
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The fishing line to which it is attached may snap and you can lose your Deeper Pro+ or it may be difficult to retrieve. |
Vexilar SP200 T-Box
The Vexilar SP200 T-Box is a fish finder similar up to a point with the Deeper Pro+ model. However, it
is not castable with a fishing rod. It includes a conventional dual-beam transducer with a transom mount and a small sonar black box. The sonar black box also has an internal WiFi module so it can connect to your smartphone or tablet via the free SonarPhone app available for iOS and Android phones.
The SonarPhone app offers a pretty wide array of fish finding features, including fish icons, bottom zoom, noise rejection, surface clarity, automatic range, fish alarm, and more. It can also run both beams of the transducer simultaneously. Unlike the Deeper Pro+ app, it does not have a map creation function. However, it is compatible with the Navionics app. Therefore, if you install the Navionics mapping app, the SonarPhone app can work with it so you can view the sonar and the maps in split-screen.
The transducer operates at 200/83 kHz. Its maximum depth capability is 240 ft. (73 m). It has 25 ft’ (7.6 m) of cable and the WiFi range of the sonar box has a range of approx. 300 ft. (91 m).
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Phiradar FF688C
The Phiradar FF688C is a standard, sonar-only fish finder. It does not support charts or GPS. It 
offers dual-beam sonar (200/83 kHz), however, it can only run one frequency at the time. It offers a pretty decent range of standard sonar features, such as A-Scope, Fish Identification (fish icons), Bottom Zoom, Fish Alarm, Depth Alarm, and more.
The unit includes a basic dual beam transducer. It features 20 ft. (6 m) of cable, a transom mount, and has an internal temperature sensor. Needless to say, the unit can display the water temperature, but since it does not have GPS, it cannot indicate the speed of your boat. The maximum depth capability of the transducer is 984 ft. (300 m). Also, the beam coverage is 60° @ 83 kHz, and 20° @ 200 kHz.
The control unit features a 3.5″ color display with a pixel resolution of 320 x 240 and LED backlight. It is keypad operated and does not have any networking features or a microSD card. It comes with a standard tilt mount.
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What to Look for When Choosing Your Fish Finder
Needless to say, the 10 fish finders that we’ve covered here may not be all the models available under $300. Therefore, if you’re looking for an affordable fish finders, here are a few aspects to consider.
Brand
Some of the most popular fish finder brand names at the moment are Garmin, Humminbird, and Lowrance. They pretty much offer fish finders from the most basic models to the most inclusive and most advanced. Some of their most affordable models are actually covered on this page. However, even their most basic units may cost a little extra due to the brand name’s popularity (quality too). So, if you only want a basic fish finder that costs under $300, you should also check some of the less popular brands such as Phiradar, for example.
Sonar
Most basic fish finders are usually equipped with only one sonar technology. However, you can still find models under $300 that have both traditional 2D sonar and down scanning sonar. Also, it can be quite a plus if a fish finder supports dual-frequency, meaning that it can use and display the returns from two transducer beams.
Transducer
Not all fish finders come with a transducer, but there are many models under $300 that do. It’s definitely a plus to have a full fish finding system out of the box and not have to look for a compatible transducer once you’ve got your unit. Also, you can be sure that the transducer included with your fish finder is compatible with it. All the fish finders on this page include a transducer
If you’re looking for an affordable fish finder, chances are you may not need GPS and charts. However, in case you do, there still are several models under $300 that include features like this. For example, the ECHOMAP Plus 43cv is one of the most complete models in this category offering standard GPS and the LakeVü charts. Also, units like the Lowrance Hook Reveal 5x, or the models in the Garmin Striker series, have basic GPS and a bathymetric mapping feature such as Genesis Live or Quickdraw Contours.
Networking Features
Again, if you’re looking for an affordable fish finder, you may not need networking features such as NMEA support, Ethernet, or online connectivity. Most models in this category don’t have these features. The only model under $300 that we could find, that actually supports NMEA 0183, is the ECHOMAP Plus 43cv.
Final Word
The fish finders that we’ve covered here are some of the best under $300 available in 2020, at least for the moment. Our top 10 covers models for all budgets and needs. Each one comes with a transducer, and most of them offer at least dual-beam sonar. They all offer excellent value for the price, and so far, most of them have gathered the best user feedback.