Every year Garmin releases at least a few new fish finders among other electronics. Of course, not all of them are well-received by users, and not all of them offer a great price-quality ratio. That’s why we’ve put together this list featuring the best Garmin fish finders for 2021. All the models on this list have gathered so far an almost clean 5-star user rating. Therefore, in case you’re looking for a top-quality fish finder, these are the top ten from Garmin.
Top 10 Garmin Fish Finders
Fish Finder | Features | Price |
 | - CHIRP sonar | |
 | - CHIRP sonar | |
 | - CHIRP/ClearVü sonar | |
 | - CHIRP/ClearVü sonar | |
 | - CHIRP/Cv/Sv sonar | |
 | - CHIRP/ClearVü sonar | |
 | - CHIRP/ClearVü sonar | |
 | - CHIRP/ClearVü sonar | |
 | - CHIRP/Cv/Sv sonar - 5 Hz GPS - LakeVü g3 - Quickdraw Contours - Wireless connectivity | |
 | - CHIRP/Cv/Sv |
Garmin Striker 4
Although the Striker 4 010-01550-00 is one of the first Garmin fish finders of the Striker series 
(released in 2015), it still is one of the most popular models at the moment. That’s because it’s the most affordable unit and pretty much offers an excellent price/quality ratio.
The Striker 4 is equipped with a 3.5-inch color display, featuring a pixel matrix of 480V x 320H and LED backlight for superior readability. Its waterproof rating is IPX7 which essentially means that it can withstand incidental water exposure. It does not have Wi-Fi or other networking features and comes with the standard tilt-and-swivel mount.
This Garmin fish finder does not have, nor it supports ClearVü sonar. It only has standard CHIRP sonar. It supports three base frequencies, these being 50/77/200 kHz. It also supports dual-frequency. It makes available several standard sonar features such as Fish Symbol ID, A-Scope, Ultrascroll, Auto Gain, Flasher, Split-Zoom, and several alarms.
The transducer included with the unit is the Garmin 010-10249-20. It’s a dual-beam transducer that supports 77/200 kHz. Evidently, it does not support ClearVü. It casts two conical beam, one of 45° @ 77 kHz, the other of 15° @ 200 kHz. The 77 kHz beam has the greatest depth range; it can scan depths up to 1,900 ft. (579 m). The transducer comes with a transom mount, 20 ft. (6 m) of cable, a 4-pin connector, and has an internal temperature sensor.
The Garmin Striker 4 fish finder is not a full chartplotter but does have basic navigation features. First of all, it has a GPS plotter so it allows you to save waypoints and plot your course, view your current coordinates, and more. The unit does not support charts. It also lacks the Quickdraw Contours feature which is available with the newer Striker versions.
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Garmin Striker Plus 4
The Striker Plus 4 010-01870-00 is currently one of the most affordable Garmin fish finders. Although it is one 
of the units released in 2018, and the newer Vivid series was already released it is still available at the moment. It only has CHIRP sonar, the basic GPS plotter, and the Quickdraw Contours feature.
Since it’s one of the most basic Garmin fish finders, the Striker Plus 4 does not support SideVü, ClearVü, or Panoptix sonar. However, it does support four frequencies for its standard CHIRP sonar, these being 50/77/83/200. The CHIRP intervals may vary depending on the transducer. The unit also supports dual-frequency. Thus, if you pair it with a dual-beam transducer, it can use both beams at the same time and you can view their returns in split-screen.
The unit comes with the standard Garmin dual-beam transducer that supports 77/200 kHz. It’s a plastic transducer, has 20 ft. (6 m) of cable, with a 4-pin connector. It is also temperature capable. It uses conical sonar beams. Their width is 45° @ 77 kHz and 15° @ 200 kHz. Also, this transducer has a depth capability of 1,900 ft. (579 m).
Similar to all other Striker models, the Plus 4 has a basic GPS plotter feature. It does not support charts, so the position of your boat and your trail are shown on a blank sheet. It also has a GPS speed function, it can show coordinates, and gives you the possibility to save up to 5,000 waypoint. Although it does not support charts, the unit has the Quickdraw Contours feature. This allows you to create your own fishing maps by recording the depth contours of your lake.
As opposed to the older Garmin Striker 4, the new Plus model features a slightly larger and brighter display. Its display is 4.3″ in diagonal (up from 3.5″). It has a pixel matrix of 480H x 272V. It does not have networking or wireless connectivity features. It comes with the standard tilt-swivel mount.
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Garmin Striker Vivid 4cv
The Striker Vivid 4cv is one of the Garmin units released at the end of 2020. It’s similar to its predecessor, the 
Garmin Striker Plus 4cv but has the new Vivid color palette which is an improvement to the ClearVü sonar. For reference, this is the Garmin part number 010-02550-00.
The Striker Vivid 4cv has two sonar technologies built-in, these being standard CHIRP and ClearVü. It supports multiple frequencies, including 50/77/200 kHz for standard CHIRP, and 260/455/800 kHz for ClearVü. Evidently, since it’s one of the smallest Garmin units, it does not support SideVü or Panoptix sonar.
The comes with the classic GT20-TM transducer which has an internal temperature probe, a transom mount, 20 ft. (6 m) of cable, and a 4-pin connector. It supports both sonar technologies provided by the unit. For ClearVü, it uses two oval beams with a coverage of 2.5° x 53°@ 455 kHz and 1.6° x 29° @ 800 kHz. The maximum depth for Cv is 750 ft. (288 m). For standard CHIRP, the transducer uses two conical beams with a coverage of 15° @ 200 kHz, and 45° @ 77 kHz. The maximum depth range for the CHIRP sonar, is 1,900 ft. (579 m).
The unit is not a chartplotter. In other words, it does not support any charts. However, it does have a built-in basic GPS plotter that allows you to mark waypoints, record tracks, and create routes on a blank background. However, although the unit does not have charts, nor it supports charts, it has the Quickdraw Contours feature which is basically a bathymetric mapping application. Thus, you can reveal and record the depth contours of your favorite lake and create your own, custom fishing charts.
The unit has a vertical layout with a 4.3-inch LCD display featuring a pixel resolution of 480V x 272H, with LED backlight. It is also IPX7 waterproof.
The unit is keypad-operated; it does not have touchscreen technology. Just like the other Striker models, the unit lacks any networking ports like NMEA or Ethernet. It also does not have wireless connectivity. If you’d also like wireless connectivity on your Striker unit, the Vivid units with 7 and 9 inch displays have it. And finally, the unit comes with the tilt-swivel mount.
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Garmin Striker Plus 5cv
The Garmin Striker Plus 5cv 010-01872-00 is one of the 5-inch units of the Striker Plus series released
in 2017. It’s also one of the models that have gathered an impressive amount of 5-star reviews from users which places it on our list of best Garmin fish finders. Even though the new Striker Vivid 5cv was released at the end of 2020, the Plus unit is still available.
The unit offers two sonar applications, these being traditional CHIRP and ClearVü. For traditional CHIRP, it supports 50/77/200 kHz, while for ClearVü the frequencies supported are 260/455/800 kHz. The unit is also dual-frequency capable, meaning that it can run two frequencies simultaneously and you can view the returns from both, in split-screen.
The first version of the Striker Plus 5cv came with the CV20-TM transducer. However, the newer versions include the classic Garmin GT20-TM. This transducer features a transom mount, has 20 ft. of cable, and an internal temperature sensor. It supports both standard CHIRP and ClearVü. For standard CHIRP, the beams are conical with a coverage of 45°/15°, while for Cv, they are oval and offer a coverage of 53°x2.5° and 29°x1.6°. The maximum depth ranges for this transducer are 1,900 ft. (579 m) for standard CHIRP and 750 ft. (228 m) for ClearVü.
Since it’s a Striker unit, the Garmin 010-01872-00 only has a basic GPS plotter as its main navigation feature. It cannot be loaded with charts such as BlueChart or LakeVü. The plotter indicates your position, speed, and other data, on a blank page rather than a map. It also allows you to save waypoints and record your trail.
The Quickdraw Contours feature is also available with this Striker unit. This application uses the GPS and the standard CHIRP sonar data to reveal and record the depth contours of the lake you’re scanning. So, even if the unit does not have its own charts, you can create your own bathymetric maps with it.
This Garmin fish finder has a 5-inch diagonal display, WVGA color, with a pixel resolution of 800H x 480V. It has backlight for improved readability in direct sunlight. Since it’s a Striker unit, it does not have any networking features or WiFi. It also lacks the microSD card slot feature.
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Garmin Striker Plus 7sv
If you’re looking for an affordable 7-inch fish finder with side imaging sonar, the Striker Plus 7sv is definitely
one to put on your list. As opposed to the smaller Striker units, this particular model has wireless connectivity. This gives you the possibility to sync it with your smartphone via the ActiveCaptain app, in order to pre-plan your trip, share your Quickdraw Contours maps with the Quickdraw Community, and even receive smart notifications from your phone. The unit does not have other networking features, though. It does not support NMEA or Ethernet.
The unit makes available three types of sonar: traditional CHIRP, ClearVü, and SideVü. It supports 50/77/200 kHz for traditional sonar, and 260/455/800 kHz for Cv and Sv. It comes with the CV52HW-TM transducer which supports all sonar technologies built-in the unit. For standard sonar, it can only use a high-wide beam at 150-240 kHz with a 24°-16° beam. For ClearVü and SideVü, the frequencies supported by this transducer are 455 kHz (425-485 kHz) & 800 kHz (790-850 kHz) and the beams are oval, with a range of 50°x2° @ 455 kHz, and 30°x1° @ 800 kHz. The standard sonar beam depth range is 800 ft. (244 m), the ClearVü depth range is 250 ft. (76 m), while the SideVü side range coverage is 500 ft. (152 m).
The Garmin Striker Plus 7sv is equipped with a basic GPS plotter. It is not pre-loaded with any maps and does not support any maps. Thus, the GPS uses a blank sheet as background, but you can still see your coordinates, mark waypoints, and record tracks. It also has the Quickdraw Contours feature.
The unit’s display features a pixel resolution of 800H x 480V. It is IPX7 waterproof. It comes with the tilt-and-swivel mount. Its transducer connector is a 4-pin type, but the box also includes a 12-pin to 4-pin adapter cable.
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Garmin ECHOMAP UHD 63cv
The ECHOMAP UHD is a series of fish finders released by Garmin at the end of 2019 and the beginning 
of 2020. The Garmin ECHOMAP UHD 63cv is one of the most affordable models from this series. In terms of sonar, it is capable of 50/77/83/200 kHz for traditional CHIRP, while for ClearVü, it supports 260/455/800 kHz. Of course, since it’s a UHD unit, it has the UHD ClearVü mode.
The unit includes the GT24UHD-TM transducer which comes with a transom mount, 20 ft. (6 m) of cable with a 4-pin connector, and has a built-in temperature sensor. This transducer uses two beams, one for High-Wide CHIRP at 150-240 kHz with a coverage of 24°-16°, the other for UHD Cv, at 760-880 kHz with a coverage of 0.94° (fore to aft) and 60°. Its maximum depth capability is 800 ft. (244 m).
The unit is a chartplotter. It is pre-loaded with the LakeVü g3 charts which cover more than 17,000 U.S. U.S. lakes, rivers, and reservoirs in high detail with up to 1-foot depth contours. The internal GPS receiver operates at 5 Hz so it can provide position updates up to 5 times per second. The unit also has the Quickdraw Contours feature for custom bathymetric mapping and can save up to 5,000 waypoints, 100 routes, and 50 tracks.
The ECHOMAP UHD 63cv is equipped with a 6.2″ diagonal display with a pixel matrix of 800H x 480V. The display is WVGA color with LED backlight for improved readability. It does not have touchscreen technology as the bigger screen models, only the keypad on the right side of the display. NMEA 0183 and NMEA 2000 connectivity is available with this Garmin fish finder, as well as WiFi. The unit is compatible with the ActiveCaptain app which offers the possibility to connect online, download software updates, maps, or upload the maps you have created with the Quickdraw Contours feature and share them with the Quickdraw Community. The unit also has a microSD card slot.
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Garmin ECHOMAP UHD 64cv
The Garmin ECHOMAP UHD 64cv is pretty much the same as the 63cv model that we’ve already 
covered above. However, it comes with the BlueChart g3 coastal maps instead of the LakeVü inland maps. The BlueChart g3 maps have integrated Navionics data and provide coastal coverage for the US waters including the East Coast, Gulf of Mexico, West Coast, and the Canadian side of the Great Lakes. Of course, the unit is compatible with the improved Garmin mapping versions, LakeVü g3 Ultra, and BlueChart g3 Vision. It also has internal GPS (5 Hz), the Quickdraw Contours feature for bathymetric mapping, waypoint creation, route creation, AutoGuidance, and more.
The unit has two types of sonar built-in. These are standard CHIRP and ClearVü. It’s capable of multiple frequencies including 50/77/83/200 kHz for standard, and 260/455/800 kHz for ClearVü. It also has the UHD mode for Cv, in order to provide improved imaging.
The transducer included with the head unit is the standard GT24UHD-TM transducer. It’s made of thermoplastic material, it integrates a temperature sensor, and its cable has a 4-pin connector. It uses only two beams, one for standard CHIRP and one for UHD ClearVü. The standard CHIRP beam offers a coverage of 24°-16° and a depth range of 800 ft. (244 m), while the ClearVü beam is oval, with a coverage of 0.94° x 60° and a max. depth of 200 ft. (61 m).
Finally, the unit is equipped with a 6.2″ display with a pixel resolution of 800H x 480V and LED backlight. It has an IPX7 water resistance rating. Its interface combines keypad navigation with touchscreen navigation which is not bad for a small fish finder. Plus, it is NMEA 0183 and NMEA 2000 capable, has a microSD card reader, and wireless connectivity.
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Garmin ECHOMAP UHD 73cv
The units of the UHD series were well received by users in general, so another model on the
best Garmin fish finders list is the ECHOMAP UHD 73cv. As opposed to the 63cv model, this one is Panoptix compatible. Of course, it’s also a larger unit featuring a 7-inch display with a pixel resolution of 800H x 400V and LED backlight. Similar to the other ECHOMAP models, it has both keypad and touchscreen navigation. It has NMEA 0183 ports and is NMEA 2000 compatible. It also has wireless connectivity and is compatible with the ActiveCaptain app. This app unlocks a wide array of features, such a pre-planning a fishing trip, easy software updates, map downloads, and more.
Along with the Panoptix sonar capabilities, the unit has standard CHIRP sonar and UHD ClearVü sonar. It includes the GT24UHD-TM transducer which is only capable of High-Wide CHIRP 150-240 kHz and UHD ClearVü 760-880 kHz. However, the unit is compatible with various other transducers including several 50 kHz models. It does not support SideVü, though. The maximum depth capability of the included transducer is 800 ft. (244 m), but if the unit is paired with a 50 kHz capable transducer, it should be able to scan depths up to 2,300 ft. (701 m).
The unit is equipped with a 5 Hz internal GPS. This means it can provide position updates 5 times per second. It can also save up to 5,000 waypoints in its memory, 100 routes, and 50 tracks. Each track can have up to 50,000 points.
This Garmin fish finder is also a chartplotter. It is pre-loaded with the LakeVü g3 charts. These cover more than 17,000 U.S. lakes with 1-foot contour detail and offer features such as Depth Range Shading and Shallow Water Shading. The Quickdraw Contours feature is also available so if the included maps don’t cover your favorite lake, you can map it yourself and even share the newly created map with the Garmin Quickdraw Community.
The SailAssist page is also available with this Garmin unit. The sail assist features include laylines, enhanced wind rose, heading and course-over-ground lines, time to burn before the start, and the race times. Also, the unit supports AIS data, DSC data, and is ActiveCaptain compatible.
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Garmin ECHOMAP UHD 93sv 010-02523-01
The ECHOMAP UHD 93sv 010-02523-01 is one of the Garmin units released at the end of 2020. It 
basically replaces the older ECHOMAP UHD 93sv 010-02342-01. It has the new Vivid Color Palette for the structure scanning sonar and comes with the GT56UHD transducer.
The unit offers three sonar technologies, including standard CHIRP, ClearVü, and SideVü. It also supports Panoptix sonar. The included GT56UHD transducer supports all three main sonar technologies provided by the unit (CHIRP, Cv, Sv). For the standard CHIRP sonar, it uses a High CHIRP conical beam with a variable coverage of 24° – 16° and a depth capability of 800 ft. (244 m). For SideVü and ClearVü, the beams are oval and thin. Their coverage is 1.1° x 52° @ 455 kHz (425-485 kHz), 0.64° x 35° @ 800 kHz (790-850 kHz), and 0.52° x 52° @ 1000 kHz (940-1100 kHz). The maximum depth range of the ClearVü sonar is 400 ft. (122 m), while the maximum side range of the SideVü sonar is 500 ft. (152 m).
The unit is also a chartplotter. It has an internal 5 Hz GPS receiver which means it can offer position updates 5 times per second. It also has waypoint creation, track recording, and route creation functions. It comes with the LakeVü g3 charts that cover more than 17,000 lakes, reservoirs, and rivers with 1-foot depth contours and offer features like Depth Range Shading and AutoGuidance. Plus, it has the Quickdraw Contours feature for bathymetric mapping.
Similar to the older model, the Garmin 010-02523-01 has a 9-inch, WVGA color display, with LED backlight and a pixel resolution of 800H x 400V. It combines touchscreen with the side keypad navigation and has a highly intuitive, user-friendly interface.
In terms of networking, it has NMEA 0183 ports and supports NMEA 2000, so you can easily connect it to an existent boat grid in order to communicate with other boating instruments. Plus, it has the WiFi feature and is compatible with the ActiveCaptain app for easy downloads, uploads, and other features.
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Garmin Striker Vivid 7sv
The Striker Vivid series was released by Garmin at the end of 2020. It includes several fish finders
with only basic navigation features but as opposed to the older “Plus” units, the “Vivid” units have several extra color palettes for the ClearVü and SideVü sonar.
The Striker Vivid 7sv 010-02553-00 is pretty similar to the Striker Plus 7sv but as we’ve already mentioned, has the 7 new color palettes for its structure scanning sonar. It has three built-in sonar technologies, these being standard CHIRP, ClearVü, and SideVü. It does not have the UHD mode like the ECHOMAP models and also does not support Panoptix sonar.
The unit supports multiple base frequencies, including 50/77/200 kHz for standard CHIRP and 260/455/800 kHz for ClearVü and SideVü. It comes with the GT52HW-TM transducer which has a transom mount, 20 ft. (6 m) of cable, and integrates a temperature sensor. The transducer can only use the 200 kHz channel for the 2D sonar, offering a High Wide CHIRP beam with a depth capability of 800 ft. (244 m). For ClearVü, the maximum depth range is 500 ft. (152 m), while for SideVü, the maximum side beam range is also 500 ft. (152 m).
This Garmin fish finder does not support charts. In other words, it cannot be loaded with a LakeVü g3 or BlueChart g3 map card. It is equipped with a basic GPS plotter that shows the position of your boat on a blank background. However, you can see your current coordinates, save waypoints, record tracks, and create routes. The GPS receiver operates at 5 Hz which means it can provide position updates 5 times per second.
Although the unit does not have charts, it has the Quickdraw Contours feature. This application uses the GPS system and the 2D CHIRP sonar system to reveal and record the depth contours of the lake you’re scanning. Thus, you can create your own fishing maps even if the unit does not support BlueChart or LakeVü.
The unit features a 7-inch display with a pixel matrix of 800H x 480V with LED backlight. It does not have NMEA or Ethernet ports but does have internal WiFi. Therefore, you can sync it with your smartphone via the ActiveCaptain app. This app allows you to download or upload charts from the Quickdraw Contours Community. It also offers the possibility to download software updates, save waypoints, and more.
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Buyer’s Guide for the Best Garmin Fish Finders
As we’ve mentioned above, Garmin releases at least a few new fish finders, if not a whole series, every year. However, not all of them are well-received and not all of them may fit your needs or budget. Therefore, here are a few things to consider if you want to end up with one of the best Garmin fish finders.
Fish Finder Series
So far, Garmin has released several chartplotter and fish finder series. These are GPSMAP, ECHOMAP, and Striker.
GPSMAP series. The Garmin GPSMAP units focus on offering a wide array of navigation features and networking possibilities. All of them support Radar but not all of them have built-in sonar. Most do support sonar, though, if they are connected to a GSD or GCV Black Box sonar module. So, these being said, the GPSMAP models are multifunction boating instruments, rather than fishing tools. They’re also quite a bit more expensive, in general, than the units of the other Garmin series.
ECHOMAP series. The Garmin ECHOMAP series offers mid-range fish finder and chartplotter combos. They all have standard internal GPS and are pre-loaded either with the LakeVü maps or the BlueChart maps. These don’t support Radar but do offer NMEA networking possibilities and wireless connectivity. The most recent models of this series are the ECHOMAP UHD and the ECHOMAP Ultra, which have replaced the older ECHOMAP Plus and ECHOMAP CHIRP.
Striker series. The Garmin Striker series includes the most affordable Garmin fish finders. These don’t support charts but do have a basic GPS plotter and the Quickdraw Contours feature. They’re pretty much focused on sonar features rather than navigation features. They don’t have NMEA ports or Ethernet, but the 7-inch and 9-inch models do have wireless connectivity.
Types of Sonar
Currently, there are four main sonar technologies offered by Garmin. These are traditional CHIRP, ClearVü, SideVü, and Panoptix. Depending on unit, these are available in various combinations. For example, the most affordable models, like the Striker Plus 4, only have traditional CHIRP sonar while at the opposite point of the price chart there are models like the ECHOMAP Ultra 126sv which have all the sonar technologies.
Now, depending on the fishing method that you’re using, or the fish that you are looking for, some sonar technologies may be considerably more useful than others. For example, if you’re looking for structure, or bass that might be hiding near structure, DownVü sonar is great. If you’re looking for pike stalking prey near-surface and rely on long lure casts, SideVü will definitely make a difference. And finally, if you want to view real-time lure and fish movement, Panoptix sonar is definitely the sonar technology that you should opt for.
Supported Frequencies
Most Garmin fish finders support at least 77/200 kHz for traditional sonar, and 455/800 kHz for structure scanning sonar such as ClearVü and SideVü. If you’re fishing on lakes that aren’t too deep, the supported frequencies shouldn’t matter that much because with any transducer, you should be able to scan depths of at least a few hundred feet. However, if you’re fishing off-shore, you should definitely opt for a unit that supports 50 kHz for traditional sonar, and 260 kHz for structure scanning (ClearVü). A transducer/unit combo that supports these frequencies should be able to scan depths greater than 2,000 ft.
Transducers
Most Garmin fish finders come with at least one transducer. The most common model included with at least a few units is the GT20-TM. This transducer supports 77/200 kHz for standard CHIRP and 455/800 kHz for ClearVü (does not support SideVü or Panoptix). Of course, each unit is compatible with at least a few transducers. So, in case you are thinking of a future upgrade, you might want to check the transducer compatibility of the unit you’re looking at.
GPS and a decent chart platform are great features to have in a fish finder. They can be quite useful especially if you’re fishing off-shore or on a large lake. All Garmin units starting from 2018 have at least a basic GPS plotter and the Quickdraw Contours feature. If you don’t want to spend on navigation features, the Garmin Striker units are the ones to put on your list. However, if you’re looking for superior navigation features, then you should opt for either a GPSMAP model or an ECHOMAP model. These have at least a 5 Hz internal GPS, and at least LakeVü g3 or BlueChart g3 maps. They are also compatible with their superior versions, LakeVü g3 Ultra, and BlueChart g3 Vision.
Other Included Accessories
Garmin fish finders are available in various bundles. Some include more than one transducer. Especially the ice bundles come with the carrying case, battery, and charger. Even though a bundle like the Garmin 010-01893-21 is intended for ice fishing, it can still be adapted for boat or kayak fishing. Also, accessories such as a unit cover, flush mount, or trolling mount for the transducer can always be useful when on the water, so if there’s a version that includes them all, it’s not a bad idea to go for it.
Final Word
Garmin offers a wide selection of fish finders; some are greater than others and benefit from a considerably higher popularity among anglers. Our page here brings to view the top 10 best Garmin fish finders for 2021. All the models here have an almost clean 5-star rating on all retailer websites. They also cover a wide range of prices, from the most affordable ones to some of the most expensive. Therefore, if you’re looking for a Garmin fish finder, at least one on this list should fit your needs and your budget.