Best Ice Fish Finders for 2020: Reviews and Comparisons

Most fish finder manufacturers have released at least a few ice fish finders over the years. Each model has its own specifics and includes more or less features and accessories. But nonetheless, all of them offer the circular flasher sonar type, whether it’s LED or LCD-based, and they’re equipped with the proper technology and accessories for fishing on ice and at low temperatures.

On this page, we’re going to put into view the best ice fish fishing finders available in 2020. Evidently, some are older than others, but all of them have benefited so far from an overwhelmingly positive feedback from anglers all over the world. They all have an almost clean 5-star rating on all retailers.

Top 10 Ice Fishing Fish Finders

Product	Display Type	Sonar	Transducer(s)	Navigation Features	Networking Features
Humminbird ICE HELIX 5 CHIRP G2 Check Discounted Price on Amazon	LCD, 5-inch, 800x480	Dual Spectrum CHIRP	Xi 9 1521	N/A	N/A
Garmin Striker Plus 5 Ice Check Discounted Price on Amazon	LCD, 5-inch, 800x480	2D CHIRP, ClearVü capable	GT8HW-IF	GPS plotter, Quickdraw Contours	N/A
Humminbird ICE HELIX 7 CHIRP GPS G3N All-Season Check Discounted Price on Amazon	LCD, 7-inch, 800x480	Dual Spectrum CHIRP	Xi 9 1521, XNT 9 HW T	Internal GPS, Humminbird Basemap, AC Live Ice	Bluetooth, Ethernet, MicroSD card slot
Garmin ECHOMAP Plus 73cv Panoptix Ice Fishing Bundle Check Discounted Price on Amazon	LCD, 7-inch, 800x400	2D CHIRP, Panoptix LiveVü, ClearVü capable	Panoptix PS22-TR, GT10HN-IF	5 Hz GPS, LakeVü g3 maps, Quickdraw Contours	NMEA 0183, Wireless connectivity, MicroSD card slot
Garmin ECHOMAP Plus 73cv Ice Fishing Bundle Check Discounted Price on Amazon	LCD, 7-inch, 800x400	2D CHIRP, ClearVü capable, Panoptix capable	GT10HN-IF	5 Hz GPS, LakeVü (g2) maps, Quickdraw Contours	NMEA 0183, Wireless connectivity, MicroSD card slot
Vexilar FL-18 GP1812 Ice Fishing Flasher Check Discounted Price on Amazon	3-color LED	Single beam (200 kHz)	TB0080	N/A	N/A
Humminbird ICE-55 Flasher Check Discounted Price on Amazon	Optic fiber & LCD Combo	Dual beam (240/455 kHz)	XI 9 19	N/A	N/A
Lowrance HOOK2 Ice Fishing All-Season Pack Check Discounted Price on Amazon	LCD, SolarMAX, 4.3-inch 480x272	Single beam (200 kHz)	Ice transducer 000-14088-001, Bullet skimmer	N/A	N/A
Deeper PRO+ Check Discounted Price on Amazon	N/A Any IOS or Android smartphone	Dual beam	Built-in	Internal GPS, Depth contour recording	Internal WiFi
MarCum LX-7 Check Discounted Price on Amazon	LCD, 8-inch, 800x600	Dual beam	Standard ice transducer	N/A	N/A

Humminbird ICE HELIX 5 CHIRP G2

The ICE HELIX 5 CHIRP G2 (411180-1) is one of the ice fish finders released by Humminbird in 2019. It’s a pretty standard ice fish finder pack, including the unit, the ice transducer, and the portable kit. It is important to mention, though, that the unit does not have navigation features. It’s a sonar only fish finder.

Sonar

The included unit with this Humminbird ice fishing fish finder is the HELIX 5 CHIRP G2. This unit does not have Down Imaging or Side Imaging; it’s only capable of 2D CHIRP sonar. It supports three main frequencies; these are 50/83/200 kHz. Therefore, the unit can be paired with various other transducers from Humminbird and supports High, Mid, and Low CHIRP.

The fish finder unit’s built-in sonar is slightly better than for the older ICE HELIX CHIRP GPS G2 (410430-1) as it offers 6 interference rejection settings (up from 5) for keeping competing sonar signals from cluttering the display of your unit and for delivering a clear view of what’s under the ice. Plus, it is a year-round capable fish finder. It can be paired with all the HELIX 5 CHIRP G2 transducers so you can install it on your boat.

The unit’s ice flasher mode offers 1024 segments for a more detailed view of your jig and the fish attacking it. Along with the sonar segments, the flasher also provides plenty of other readings, including Gain, Depth, Range, the diameter of the sonar beam based on depth, Battery Status, Zoom Range, and more. This Humminbird ice fishing fish finder can also read Temperature; however, the included transducer does not have an internal temperature sensor.

Transducer

The Humminbird HELIX 5 CHIRP G2 fish finder comes with only one transducer, the standard Humminbird ice transducer Xi 9 1521. It’s a plastic transducer featuring 8 ft. (2.4 m) of cable and a stabilizing floater.

This transducer is capable of a CHIRP range between 130-250 kHz. Therefore, with this transducer connected, this ice fishing fish finder system offers High CHIRP possibilities only.

The transducer can use only one conical beam with a variable coverage between 15°-21°. The maximum depth capability of its beam is 400 ft. (122 m).

Control Unit Features

The included HELIX 5 CHIRP G2 head unit has a 5-inch color display, with a pixel resolution of 800 x 480. It has adjustable LED backlight for superior readability in direct sunlight and at night. It also has a Jig Charge Mode, offering the possibility to charge your glow-painted lures.

This fish finder unit does not have touchscreen technology. It’s keypad operated. It offers split-screen possibilities for up to two applications per view, so you can use the circular flasher and a 2D standard sonar view in split-screen.

Since it’s a basic fish finder unit, it does not offer networking possibilities. It does not support NMEA networks and does not have Ethernet. It also does not have an SD card reader.

Portable Kit

The main element of the portable kit is the case. This case integrates a mount for the fish finder unit with a durable handle, two front pins for wrapping the transducer cable, and a special slot for fixing the ice transducer in place. The plastic mount can be removed from the bag.

The bag itself is made of a durable synthetic mesh material. It features two zippers at the front and two side pockets that can come in pretty handy. And finally, the portable kit also includes a 9 Amp Hour battery, and a charger for it, along with the power cables.

Pros & Cons

Summary

The Humminbird ICE HELIX 5 CHIRP G2 is a sonar-only ice fishing fish finder. It includes a portable case, the HELIX 5 head unit, the ice transducer, a battery and a charger for it. The fish finder unit makes available an advanced digital ice fishing flasher and the standard 2D CHIRP sonar view. It’s also compatible with several other transducers from Humminbird, so it’s a year-round fish finder.

Garmin Striker Plus 5 Ice Fishing Fish Finder

The Garmin Striker Plus 5 Ice (010-01872-20) is one of the Garmin ice fishing fish finders released in 2018, but it still hasn’t been discontinued yet, and so far it has benefited from great feedback from users. The included unit offers 2D CHIRP and ClearVü sonar possibilities, and also has basic GPS.

Sonar

First of all, the head unit of this fish finder has two types of sonar, these being 2D traditional CHIRP sonar and ClearVü sonar for structure scanning. However, the ice bundle only includes the ice transducer, so in order to use ClearVü, you will have to opt for a ClearVü capable transducer as well. The unit does not support SideVü or Panoptix sonar.

In terms of sonar frequencies, the unit supports 50/77/200 kHz for 2D sonar, and 260/455/800 kHz for ClearVü.

Since the unit is included with an ice fishing fish finder bundle, the most important feature to cover here is its digital Circular Flasher. This sonar view shows the sonar information on a circular depth scale. The current depth is displayed in the center, but you can also have other readings on the flasher page, such as water temperature, clock, or battery voltage.

The segments displayed on the outer ring of the flasher indicate different strengths of the sonar return. For example, the bottom, or basically any strong signal is displayed red, while the weaker signals such as small fish or your jig, appear as thin green lines. Evidently, you will be able to see your jig as a thin green line descending from the right side of the ring.

Of course, this fish finder unit also offers the possibility to view the 2D standard sonar imaging. It also offers various other features, such as Fish Symbols, Bottom Lock, A-Scope, Auto Gain, and more.

Transducer

The transducer included with this Garmin ice fishing fish finder bundle is the GT8HW-IF. This transducer is equipped with 8 ft (2.4 m) of cable, a foam floater for stability, and has a 4-pin connector. It does not integrate a temperature sensor. However, the unit can show temperature.

The GT8HW-IF transducer offers High Wide CHIRP possibilities. It casts a conical beam with a variable coverage between 24° and 16°. It uses the 150-240 kHz channel and offers a maximum depth capability up to 800 ft. (244 m).

As we’ve mentioned above, this transducer does not offer ClearVü capabilities. Therefore, if you want to use Cv with your Striker Plus 5 fish finder unit, you will have to opt for a GT20 or GT22 transducer.

Navigation Features

The Garmin Striker Plus 5 Ice fish finder unit is not a chartplotter, so it does not have built-in charts, and does not support any charts from Garmin. However, it does have a basic GPS plotter. It also has waypoint creation and trackplotting functions.

Although it doesn’t support charts, this fish finder unit does have the Quickdraw Contours feature. This allows you to scan the lake where you’re fishing and draw the depth contours on the GPS plotter. A Depth Range Shading function is available as well. This function specifies the upper and lower limits of a depth range, and also lets you color code that depth range.

Control Unit Features

The unit features a 5-inch LCD display with LED backlight. It has a pixel resolution of 800 x 480 and it is IPX7 waterproof.

The unit does not have touchscreen technology; it is keypad operated. However, it has a very easy to use interface. Also, the unit does not offer networking possibilities and does not have a microSD card reader.

Portable Kit

The included portable ice fishing kit features a carrying bag with mount, battery, and charger. The carrying bag is made of synthetic mesh material featuring two side pockets. The mount is made of heavy-duty ABS material with a handle at the top for the easy handling of the fish finder unit. It also has a grommet for cable management.

The included battery is a 12Ah type that should be able to power your fish finder unit with no problem for at least 12 hours. A charger for the battery is included, along with the necessary power cables.

Pros & Cons

Summary

The Garmin Striker Plus 5 Ice Bundle is an ice fishing fish finder pack which includes the Garmin Striker Plus 5cv unit, an ice transducer, and the carrying case with the battery and charger. The fish finder unit offers 2D sonar and ClearVü sonar possibilities. It also has a basic GPS plotter and the Quickdraw Contours feature. It’s an excellent ice fishing kit, and also a year-round fish finder as it can be mounted on a boat, with a transom or in-hull transducer.

Humminbird ICE HELIX 7 CHIRP GPS G3N All-Season

The ICE HELIX 7 CHIRP GPS G3N All-Seasons (411210-1) is a pretty complete year-round fish finder kit. It includes an ice transducer and a transom transducer, while the fish finder unit also offers the full range of navigation features.

Sonar

First of all, the unit included with this Humminbird ice fishing fish finder is the HELIX 7 CHIRP GPS G3N. Therefore, it does not support Down Imaging or Side Imaging sonar. It only has Dual Spectrum CHIRP sonar. It supports the 50/83/200 kHz base frequencies.

Since it’s an ice fish finder, it has an advanced digital circular flasher with 1024 segments for a more detailed view of your jig and the fish attacking it. Along with the sonar segments, the flasher also provides plenty of other readings, including Gain, Depth, Range, the diameter of the sonar beam based on depth, Battery Status, Zoom Range, and more.

Among other features, we can also count 6 interference rejection settings (up from 5 that the older G2 version has) for keeping competing sonar signals from cluttering the display of your fish finder unit and for delivering a clear view of what’s under the ice. Adjustable sonar zoom is also available.

Transducers

The Humminbird ICE HELIX 7 CHIRP GPS G3N All-Season includes two transducers, the Xi 9 1521 and the XNT 9 HW T. The Xi 9 1521 is a single-beam ice transducer. It uses a conical beam with a variable coverage between 15° and 21° and offers a maximum depth capability of 400 ft. (122 m). It has 8 ft. (2.4 m) of cable and a stability floater. It does not have an internal temperature sensor.

The XNT 9 HWT is a regular transducer for mounting on a boat. It comes with a transom mount, it has 20 ft. (6 m) of cable, and has an internal temperature sensor. It’s a High CHIRP transducer and backs the unit’s Full Mode (150-220 kHz), Wide Mode (140-200 kHz), and Narrow Mode (180-240 kHz). For narrow mode, the beam has a coverage of 25°, while for the other two, the coverage is maximum 42°. For Full Mode it is adjustable. The maximum depth capability of this transducer is 1,200 ft. (365 m).

Navigation Features

The unit has internal GPS and the Humminbird Basemap charts. This chart base covers more than 10,000 U.S lakes with 1 ft. depth contours, and also provide coverage for coastal waters, showing depth markers, buoys, hazards, marinas, nav-aids, and various other points of interest. Plus, this fish finder unit is compatible with the Navionics+, Navionics Platinum+, LakeMaster, LakeMaster Plus, and SmartStrike fishing charts. However, it does not support the older Navionics Gold & HotMaps.

The AutoChart Live Ice feature is also available with the Humminbird ICE HELIX 7 CHIRP GPS G3N. This is a depth contour recording feature that uses the 2D sonar and GPS data to reveal and draw the depth contours of your lake. It’s also an AC Live version adapted for ice fishing, but can also be used on a boat.

Although it’s a G3N fish finder unit and has extra networking features, the ICE HELIX 411210-1 does not support Radar and AIS units. It does, however, support GPS heading sensors and i-Pilot Link.

Control Unit Features

The included HELIX 7 CHIRP GPS G3N fish finder unit features a 256-color LCD display, with LED backlight and pixel matrix of 800 x 480. The unit is also IPX7 waterproof. Its interface is keypad operated; it does not have touchscreen technology.

As opposed to the older units, this one has a Jig Charge Mode. This gives you the possibility to quickly charge any glow-painted lure.

This fish finder unit is networkable. It offers Ethernet connectivity so it can be interlinked with other units for data transfer, or communicate with various other boat instruments such as external GPS or heading sensors. It also has Bluetooth connectivity. The Bluetooth connection allows you to sync your unit with your smartphone via the Humminbird FishSmart App for software updates, chart downloads from your ChartSelect account, or other data transfer. Plus, you can opt for a Bluetooth RC2 wireless remote control for your unit.

A microSD card slot is also available. Therefore, you can update the unit’s software via microSD card, use different charts from Navionics or LakeMaster, or use a data card for waypoint backups, sonar recording, etc.

Portable Kit

The All-Seasons kit includes quite a few accessories. First of all, you get the portable bag which is made of a durable synthetic mesh material. It features two zippers at the front and two side pockets that can come in pretty handy.

Since it’s a portable fish finder, you get a 9 Amp Hour battery, a charger for it, and all the necessary connectors.

We’ve already mentioned that the XNT 9 HW T features a transom mount, but a suction cup mount is also included. Plus, you also get the classic Gimbal (tilt-swivel) mount for the unit.

Pros & Cons

Summary

The Humminbird ICE HELIX 7 CHIRP GPS G3N is a pretty complete ice fishing fish finder bundle. It includes the ice transducer and the 2D transducer for boat. The included fish finder unit offers 2D sonar possibilities along with a 1024-segment digital flasher, GPS and the Humminbird Basemaps. Needless to say, the carrying case, battery, mount, and several other accessories are included with it. It’s not one of the most affordable ice fishing bundles, but definitely offers excellent value for the price.

Garmin ECHOMAP Plus 73cv Panoptix Ice Fishing Bundle

The Garmin ECHOMAP Plus 73cv Panoptix Ice Fishing Bundle (010-01893-21) is currently one of the best and most inclusive ice fishing fish finders that you can get at the moment. It’s not one of the most affordable fish finders but does come with the Panoptix PS22 transducer which is definitely worth the extra buck. The unit is also a chartplotter and offers a wide array of navigation features.

Sonar

The included Garmin ECHOMAP Plus 73cv unit is capable of three types of sonar. These are standard 2D CHIRP, ClearVü, and LiveVü. The standard CHIRP sonar offers the traditional sonar view. The ClearVü sonar offers photo-like clarity sonar imaging right under the transducer, while the LiveVü sonar, as its name suggests, offers a real-time sonar feed offering the possibility to see the movement of your lures and the fish attacking them.

Due to the included Panoptix transducer type, the system offers the possibility of using LiveVü Down, and LiveVü Forward. LiveVü down offers a real-time sonar feed directly under the transducer. LiveVü Forward allows you to scan the surroundings; so basically you won’t have to cut multiple ice holes, as the LiveVü sonar gives you the possibility to view all the fish in a range of a few hundred feet from that particular ice hole.

The fish finder unit supports multiple frequencies, including 50/77/200 kHz for standard CHIRP sonar, and 260/455/800 kHz for ClearVü. It also supports 417 kHz for LiveVü. Of course, since this is a “cv” unit, it does not support SideVü sonar.

It’s also important to mention that the unit itself also has a standard digital ice flasher feature which can be used in split-screen with the 2D standard sonar view.

Transducers

The Garmin ECHOMAP Plus 73cv Panoptix Ice Fishing Bundle (010-01893-21) includes two transducers. Needless to say, the most important one is the Panoptix PS22-TR. This transducer uses an oval sonar beam with a coverage of 120°x20° with a range of 300 ft. (91 m). It is equipped with a special barrel mount that allows you to adjust its angle. Therefore, you can scan with it directly under the ice hole via LiveVü Down, or all around the ice hole via LiveVü Forward.

Of course, this Garmin ice fishing fish finder also includes the classic GT10HN-IF ice transducer. This transducer uses a standard conical High Narrow CHIRP beam. It operates in a CHIRP range of 130-300 kHz and has a variable coverage of 8°-16°. Its maximum depth capability is 800 ft. (244 m).

It’s important to mention here that none of these two transducers offers the possibility to use ClearVü. So, in order to use this type of sonar, you will need a different transducer, like the GT20 or GT22.

Navigation Features

This Garmin ice fishing fish finder kit includes the ECHOMAP Plus 73cv head unit which is also a chartplotter. Therefore, it has built-in GPS and charts. It has a 5 Hz GPS receiver so it can provide position updates 5 times per second. It also offers waypoint creation, route creation, and trackplotting functions.

In terms of charts, this fish finder  unit has the LakeVü g3 platform. These charts cover more than 17,000 U.S. lakes, rivers, and reservoirs in high detail with up to 1-foot depth contours. The Shallow Water Shading feature is available with these charts. Plus, they show fishing areas, boat ramps, camping grounds, marinas, general roads, interstates and other points of interest.

Of course, the unit also has the Quickdraw Contours function. This uses the GPS data and 2D sonar data to reveal and draw the depth contours of your lake on the map. Thus, you can create your own personalized fishing maps.

Control Unit Features

The included ECHOMAP Plus 73cv unit features a 7-inch color display, with a pixel resolution of 800 x 400. It has LED backlight and a waterproof rating of IPX7. It has built-in touchscreen technology but also has a side keypad, and a very easy to use, and customizable interface.

The unit has built-in WiFi. Thus, you can connect it to a WiFi hotspot and download charts or updates. Or, you can sync it with your smartphone via the ActiveCaptain app to pre-plan a fishing trip, access the Quickdraw Community and even get smart notifications from your phone.

This fish finder unit is also networkable. It has NMEA 0183 ports, supports NMEA 2000 and has a microSD card slot. Therefore, you can mount it on a boat and connect it to an already existing boat grid. It supports AIS data, but does not support Radar.

Portable Kit

This Garmin ice fishing fish finder comes with a portable kit that includes a carrying bag with mount, battery, and charger. The carrying bag is made of synthetic mesh material featuring two side pockets. The mount is made of heavy-duty ABS material with a handle at the top for the easy handling of the fish finder unit. It also has a grommet for cable management.

The included battery is a 12Ah type that should be able to power your fish finder unit with no problem for at least 12 hours. A charger for the battery is included, along with the necessary power cables.

Of course, the portable kit includes a floater for the GT10HN-IF ice transducer. The Panoptix PS22 comes with its own special transducer.

Pros & Cons

Summary

The Garmin ECHOMAP Plus 73cv Panoptix Ice Bundle is a complete ice fishing fish finder, including the Panoptix PS22 & GT10HN-IF transducers, and the ice fishing portable kit. The fish finder unit has internal GPS, the LakeVü G3 charts, Quickdraw Contours, and a wide array of other fish finding and navigation features. It’s not one of the most affordable ice fishing systems but definitely has much more to offer than the classic ice flashers.

Garmin ECHOMAP Plus 73cv Ice Fishing Fish Finder

This is one of the older Garmin ice bundles. It includes the ECHOMAP Plus 73cv 2018 version, the one that has the U.S. LakeVü charts, and not the LakeVü g3. But nonetheless, it still is a pretty complete fish finder and chartplotter.

Sonar

To begin with, the included Garmin ECHOMAP Plus 73cv fish finder unit offers two types of sonar, these being 2D traditional CHIRP and ClearVü. It supports multiple base sonar frequencies, including 50/77/200 kHz for 2D and 260/455/800 kHz for ClearVü. It is also compatible with Panoptix transducers.

Needless to say, for the 2D sonar version, the fish finder unit offers a Circular Flasher view for ice fishing. This shows the sonar information on a circular depth scale. The current depth is displayed in the center, but you can also have other readings on the flasher page, such as water temperature, clock, or battery voltage.

Among other standard sonar features, we can count Fish Symbols, Bottom Lock, A-Scope, Sonar Recording, Sonar History Rewind, and more.

Transducer

The Garmin ECHOMAP Plus 73cv Ice Bundle includes only one transducer. This is the standard GT10HN-IF ice transducer. It features 8 ft (2.4 m) of cable, an 8-pin connector, and a stabilizing foam floater. It does not have a temperature sensor.

The GT10HN-IF is a High Narrow Beam CHIRP transducer. It uses a frequency range between 130-300 kHz and casts a single conical beam with a variable coverage between 16° and 8°. Its maximum depth capability is 800 ft. (244 m).

It’s important to mention here that the GT10HN-IF transducer is not ClearVü capable. With this transducer, you will only be able to use the 2D sonar graph view or the flasher. However, the fish finder unit is compatible with various CV transducers, such as the CV20-TM, GT22HW-TM, or GT23M-TM.

Navigation Features

As we’ve mentioned above, the ECHOMAP Plus 73cv is pre-loaded with the LakeVü HD charts (the older version of the current LakeVü g3). Although these still are pretty good charts, they’re not enhanced with Navionics data as the g3. They cover more than 13,000 lakes with 1′ depth contours and provide plenty of other information.

This fish finder unit is equipped with a 5 Hz internal GPS receiver. This means it can provide position updates 5 times per second. It supports WAAS, EGNOS and MSAS, and also has a GPS speed function. Waypoint creation, track plotting, and route creation functions are also available.

Another notable feature to mention here is Quickdraw Contours. This application allows you to create your own bathymetric custom charts and benefit from the most up-to-date depth contours. So, even if the LakeVü HD charts are a bit old, Quickdraw Contours still has you covered.

Control Unit Features

The included fish finder unit has a 7-inch LCD display with a pixel resolution of 800 x 480, and LED backlight. Its interface combines both touchscreen technology and a side keypad. The unit offers split-screen possibilities for up to four applications.

The unit is networkable. It supports NMEA 0183 but does not have Ethernet. However, it does have internal WiFi. Therefore, you can connect it to a WiFi hotspot in order to benefit from software updates or other downloads. You can also sync it with your smartphone via the ActiveCaptain app for trip planning and many other features.

The unit also has a microSD card slot. Thus, you can update its charts to LakeVü HD Ultra, or BlueChart g2 Vision.

Portable Kit

This Garmin ice fishing fish finder comes with a portable kit which includes a carrying bag with mount, battery, and charger. The carrying bag is made of synthetic mesh material featuring two side pockets. The mount is made of heavy-duty ABS material with a handle at the top for the easy handling of the unit. It also has a grommet for cable management.

The included battery is a 12Ah type that should be able to power your fish finder unit with no problem for at least 12 hours. A charger for the battery is included, along with the necessary power cables.

The portable kit includes a floater for the GT10HN-IF ice transducer.

Pros & Cons

Summary

The Garmin ECHOMAP Plus 73cv Ice Bundle is an ice fishing fish finder pack which includes the Plus 73cv unit, the GT10HN-IF High Narrow CHIRP ice transducer, the carrying case, a battery, and a battery charger. The unit itself is ClearVü and Panoptix capable, is preloaded with the US LakeVü HD charts, has internal GPS, and built-in Wi-Fi. Although it’s an older Garmin version, it still hasn’t been discontinued, and still continues to benefit from an excellent feedback from users.

Vexilar FL-18 GP1812 Ice Fishing Flasher

Although the Vexilar FL-18 fish finder has been around for at least a few years, it’s still available today, and still remains one of the highest-rated ice fish finders. It’s an ice fishing flasher, so it’s exclusively a fish finder; it does not have GPS or any other navigation functions. To be more specific, this is the Vexilar part number GP1812.

Sonar

The Vexilar FL-18 is a single frequency fish finder. It operates at 200 kHz. It features a 3-color LED-based circular flasher display. It should be read counterclockwise from the top, 0 position. The 0 signal is marked red, your jig should appear as a thin green line moving down from the top right quadrant when dropped, or vice-versa when recovered.

The bottom and/or other hard returns are represented by thick red lines, while fish should appear orange (larger) or green (smaller) depending on their size, if they’re caught by the transducer beam. The sonar detects and displays the activity in the transducer beam in real-time. In other words, if a fish attacks the lure, you will see a green or orange segment moving towards the thin green segment which represents the lure.

The fish finder unit offers three notable functions. These are Power & Range Control, Mode Control, and Gain Control. To begin with, Gain Control regulates the amount of signal provided by the display. Mode Control offers two modes itself: Auto Zoom and Bottom Lock. And finally, the Power & Range Control function allows you to select the desired range; the available ranges are x1, x2, x3, x4, and x10.

Transducer

The Vexilar FL-18 ice fishing fish finder comes with a standard ice transducer. Its part number is TB0080. It is also known as the Vexilar 12-degree Ice-Ducer. As its name suggests, it uses a 12° beam angle. The beam has a conical shape and offers a maximum depth capability of 300 ft. (91 m).

The transducer has 7 ft (2.1 m) of cable. It comes with a foam stabilizer to keep it in the required vertical position when dropped in the ice hole. It is important to mention that this transducer does not integrate a temperature sensor and the unit cannot indicate the water temperature.

Portable Kit

Vexilar makes available several portable kits for their ice fishing fish finders. The FL-18 model comes with the Blue Box kit. This consists of a carrying case for the unit made of durable ABS plastic. It has a handle at the top, a special slot for the transducer, and several other small slots into which you can store fishing tackle if necessary.

The unit’s portable kit also includes a 12-volt 7 Amp battery and a charger for it. The battery should last between at least 16 hours or even more if you’re using the Low Power mode. Also, if charged properly every time, it should last for many years of use.

Finally, the mount for the fish finder unit is included as well. This is a basic U-type, swivel mount which attaches directly to the blue carrying case by two screws.

Pros & Cons

Summary

The Vexilar FL-18 GP1812 is a basic ice fishing flasher featuring a 3-color LED display with 525 segments. It includes the ice transducer, battery, charger, and the Blue Box carrying case. It’s an excellent unit for fishing at depths up to 300 ft.

Humminbird ICE-55 Flasher

The ICE-55 Flasher (407040-1) is one of the oldest Humminbird ice fish fishing finders. It still is available and still is one of the ice fish finders with an almost clean 5-star rating. As opposed to the HELIX units, the ICE-55 model features an optic fiber flasher with an LCD display at the center that shows depth and several other readings. It does not have any navigation features.

Sonar

The Humminbird ICE-55 unit is a DualBeam sonar fish finder capable of two frequencies. These are 240 kHz and 455 kHz. You can swap between these two frequencies as you like, depending on depth, or coverage that you need. However, even though it’s a DualBeam fish finder, it can only use only one beam at the time, so you have to select either 240 kHz or 455 kHz.

The unit features a 6-color fiber optic ring display, which offers three distinct color palettes. Most anglers use the standard 3-color palette, but this unit also gives you the possibility to use up to 6-colors for the flasher ring, in order to determine better the intensity of each sonar return.

Needless to say, the information displayed by the flasher ring should be read clockwise, beginning from the top. The 0 position is the surface, the segments on the right side show what’s in the water column, while the thicker segments in the left, top section indicate the bottom and the structure and fish close to it. With regards to color coding, the green segments are the weaker returns, the yellow/orange returns indicate fish or structure of medium intensity, while the red segment typically indicates the bottom.

Among the available ICE-55 available functions, we can count Gain, Auto Range, Zoom, Target Line, and more.

Transducer

The unit includes the classic XI 9 19 ice transducer which is equipped with a stabilizing floater and 8 ft. (2.4m) of cable. This transducer is compatible with both 240/455 kHz frequencies supported by the unit. It uses two conical sonar beams with a coverage of 9° @ 455 kHz, and respectively 19° @ 240 kHz.

The transducer’s maximum depth capability is 200 ft. (61 m). It is also powerful enough that it can track your jig at depths greater than 100 ft. (30.4 m).

Control Unit Features

Needless to say, the Humminbird ICE-55 fish finder is keypad operated; it does not have touchscreen technology.

As we’ve mentioned above, the flasher is fiber optic-based, while the center display is an LCD type. The LCD display also has a backlight function which you can turn on and off by pressing and holding the Gain button.

The unit is not networkable. It does not have Ethernet ports and does not support NMEA networks. It also does not have a microSD card reader. This being said, it is pretty much exclusively an ice fish finder. However, it can still be used on a boat for drop-down, stationary fishing as it is a portable unit.

Portable Kit

In terms of accessories, this fish finder unit comes with the swivel plastic mount featuring a top handle which allows you to easily carry it. A 12V 9AMP battery and a charger for it are included. The battery should last at least 8 hours, even if you keep the backlight on at all times.

The box also includes the Humminbird CC ICE Soft Sided Carrying Case is included. This case is quite a useful accessory. It can stock the battery and has two velcro bands to secure the battery in place, at the back of the unit. Evidently, it can store the transducer, the battery charger, and the unit as well. It also has two side pockets that can store other fishing tackle supplies.

Pros & Cons

Summary

The Humminbird ICE-55 is an ice fishing fish finder bundle that includes the unit, the ice transducer, and the portable kit with battery and charger. The unit features an optic fiber and LCD display flasher combo offering several functions, including gain, noise rejection, depth display, zoom, and more. Although it’s an older model, it still remains one of the best ice fish finders for 2020.

Lowrance HOOK2 Ice Fishing All-Season Pack

As its name suggests, the Lowrance HOOK2 Ice Fishing All-Seasons Pack (000-14178-001) is a portable ice fishing fish finder that can be used year-round, either on ice or on a boat. Along with the fish finder unit, the portable pack comes with quite a bunch of accessories, including two transducers, battery, charger, tackleboxes, and more.

Sonar

First of all, the kit includes the HOOK2-4x fish finder unit, the version that does not have a GPS plotter; it is only a fish finder. It is capable of only one frequency, this being 200 kHz. That’s why it does not have a split-screen mode. But on the other hand, it has a multi-segment flasher function that can be used for ice fishing.

The unit offers Automated Sonar Settings. This feature allows you to spend more time fishing and less time tuning the unit. It actively adjusts the sonar settings as the fishing conditions change. In all, it’s a plug-and-fish depth finder.

The unit offers several useful sonar functions, such as Fish ID, Circular Flasher, Shallow Alarm, Bottom Range, etc.

Transducers

The Lowrance HOOK2 Ice Fishing All-Season Pack includes two transducers, one is for ice fishing, the other is a skimmer-type for use on a boat.

The ice transducer is the part number 000-14088-001. It features 8 ft. (2.4 m) of cable, and a foam floater. This transducer casts a conical beam with a coverage of 20°. Also, its maximum specified depth capability is 500 ft. (152 m).

The boat transducer is pretty much the Lowrance Bullet skimmer. It’s also a single-beam transducer, operating at 200 kHz. Its beam is conical, with a coverage of 40°, and a similar 500 ft. (152 m) depth capability. This transducer has 20 ft. (6 m) of cable.

The pack includes two mounts for the skimmer transducer. One is a transom mount to be fixed on a boat’s hull via screws. The other is a suction cup mount, for improved portability.

Control Unit Features

The Lowrance HOOK2-4x unit has a 4.3-inch display with a pixel resolution of 480H x 272V. It’s a SolarMAX type display designed for a super-bright imaging and great visibility in direct sunlight.

The fish finder unit does not have touchscreen technology; it’s keypad operated, the navigation through the menus and the usage of its functions is done exclusively via the keypad on the right side. It also does not offer NMEA integration, nor does it have an SD/microSD card reader.

As we’ve mentioned above, the unit does not have a split-screen mode. Therefore, you can either use the flasher sonar, or the regular 2D sonar.

Portable Kit

Lowrance HOOK2 Ice Fishing All-Season Pack includes a generous set of accessories. First of all, it includes a portable bag made of durable synthetic material. The bag has multiple pockets that can come in very handy.

In terms of mounts, the pack includes a larger one for ice fishing, and the standard tilt-and-swivel one that allows you to mount the unit on a boat. As opposed to other ice fishing packs that we’ve covered here, the Lowrance one includes two small tackleboxes.

Finally, the pack includes 12V – 7 Ah type a battery and the charger for it. If fully charged, the battery should last for at least 10-12 hours of fishing.

Pros & Cons

Summary

The Lowrance HOOK2 Ice Fishing All-Season Pack includes the HOOK2-4x (no GPS) units, an ice transducer and a skimmer transducer, the carrying case, mounts, battery, and charger, plus two extra tackleboxes. It’s a pretty complete year-round fishing pack, that offers standard (basic) sonar capabilities. It’s also one of the most affordable portable ice fish finder kits available at the moment.

Deeper PRO+ Smart Sonar

The Deeper PRO+ is one of the most compact ice fishing fish finders available at the moment. It’s a wireless fish finder that uses your iOS or Android smartphone as a receiver unit to deliver the sonar data. It’s castable from the shore and can be used as a year-round fish finder. Also, the PRO+ model has built-in GPS.

Sonar

As we’ve mentioned above, the Deeper PRO+ Smart Sonar system does not include a head unit like a standard ice fishing fish finder. It connects to your smartphone (iOS or Android) via WiFi. Actually, the Deeper sonar creates its own WiFi hotspot to which you connect your smartphone.

Of course, in order to use this fish finder, you will have to download the Fish Deeper app from the App Store or Google Play. The app is free. This is a multi-purpose app. Not only that it works as a sonar app, it also offers most features of a standard fish finder and also allows you to create bathymetric maps.

In terms of sonar, the Deeper app offers a standard 2D sonar view, but also a Circular Flasher view. Therefore, you can use your Deeper PRO+ like any other ice fishing fish finder. The flasher view shows depth, water temperature, and the side segments that represent the bottom, fish, vegetation, and other suspended targets. Evidently, if your lure is caught in the beam of the 2D flasher, it will show on the outer ring. Also, the Circular Flasher view can be used in split-screen with the 2D sonar view.

Among other sonar features and functions, we can mention Display Sensitivity, Fish Icons, Color Palette, Sonar Feed Storage (or Sonar Recording), and more.

Transducer

Needless to say, the Deeper PRO+ gadget has a built-in transducer. It is a dual-beam transducer that can use a wide beam for more coverage and a narrow beam for more focus and target clarity. The wide beam has a coverage of 55°, while the narrow beam is 15°. Both beams have a conical shape.

It’s also important to mention here that the Deeper PRO+ sonar has a WiFi range of 330 ft. (100 m), so that’s plenty of coverage whether you cast it from your boat or drop it down from a bridge. Also, the depth capability of the built-in transducer is 260 ft. (80 m).

Navigation Features

The Deeper PRO+ Smart fish finder also has a built-in GPS receiver. So, first of all, this allows your GPS-enabled mobile device to show your current location and other GPS-specific data.

Second of all, it enables the device to map your favorite fishing spots by creating bathymetric, depth contour maps even while fishing onshore. Actually, it’s the only fish finder and GPS combo that allows you to create your own custom bathymetric maps from the shore, without the usage of a boat.

All bathymetric maps can be archived and accessed at any time to improve fishing location efficiency. This allows users to examine the bottom conditions of the entire fishing location to determine the best opportunity for an optimum fish bite. Onshore GPS Mode is operating in the same manner as the Boat Mode, but instead of using your smartphones’ GPS (as it is done when operating Boat Mode) the Onshore GPS Mode uses the internal GPS receiver installed into the Deeper Smart Sonar PRO+ device.

Deeper PRO+ Construction and Accessories

The whole device is encased in a spherical shell made of durable ABS plastic. The sonar sensors are on the outside, so the beams won’t be impaired in any way. The case has three connection points on the outside into which you can screw the attachment bolts, depending on how you will deploy the gadget (from boat, drop-down from a bridge, or cast from shore with a fishing rod).

Two attachment bolts are included with the device. You’ll only need one for each use, but the second can come in very handy as a spare.

The top cover of the spherical case can be removed to allow access to the internal connector. This is a micro USB port. A micro USB / USB cable is included with the device. Therefore, you can charge it via cable from a PC or connect it to your smartphone adapter.

Among other accessories included with the Deeper PRO+ fish finder, we can mention a portable bag. This bag is well-padded to protect the device from scratches, especially it outer metallic sonar sensors. It has two tightening strings to keep the device well sealed inside, and an attachment hook to connect it to your belt or tackle bag.

Pros & Cons

Summary

The Deeper PRO+ is one of the most compact fish finder systems. It connects to your smart device by creating a WiFi hotspot and offers 2D sonar, circular flasher ice fishing sonar, GPS, bathymetric map creation, and many other features. It’s a highly portable and versatile device, can be used year-round, from a boat, from the shore, from a bridge, and on ice.

MarCum LX-7 Ice Fishing Fish Finder

The MarCum LX-7 is a dedicated ice fishing fish finder. It is a bit expensive, though, considering that it doesn’t have any navigation features, and only offers 2D / Flasher sonar possibilities, without structure scanning sonar like the Garmin ECHOMAP 7cv unit. But nonetheless, it still is one of the best ice fish finders available at the moment.

Sonar

The MarCum LX-7 ice fishing fish finder offers dual beam sonar possibilities, but the only specified operating frequency for it is 200 kHz. Therefore, it is not certain whether both beams use the 200 kHz channel, or only 8° one.

In terms of standard sonar features, this fish finder unit pretty much the complete range. First of all, it offers the 2D traditional sonar graph view and the circular sonar mode for ice fishing. They can both be used in split-screen format, along with the vertical zoom display or vertical water column display.

The unit’s circular flasher mode and vertical readings have a pretty neat interface compared to other ice fishing fish finders. The unit makes available a 12-step patented interference rejection for keeping competing sonar signals from cluttering the display of your unit and for delivering a clear view of what’s under the ice.

Among other sonar functions, we can mention Automatic Bottom Lock, Selectable Zoom for 5 ft. (1.5 m), 10 ft. (3 m), 20 ft. (6 m), and 40 ft. (12 m), Dynamic Depth / Range, Sonar Footprint Display, Adjustable Scroll, and Adjust Image Magnifier.

Transducer

The MarCum LX-7 ice fishing fish finder includes a standard ice transducer with an outer urethane shell and a conical shape, with 8 ft. (2.4 m) of cable.

The transducer is dual-beam capable. It can cast two conical beams with a coverage of 20°, and respectively 8°. Of course, the system cannot use both beams simultaneously, only one at the time. Its maximum depth can reach 300 ft. (91.4 m).

Control Unit Features

The MarCum LX-7 ice fishing fish finder features an 8-inch LCD display with 4 color palette options and a pixel matrix of 800H x 600V. It also has adjustable LED backlight with a night-vision mode.

The unit does not have networking possibilities. It does not support NMEA networks and does not have Ethernet ports. It also doesn’t support external GPS, AIS units, or other boating instruments. However, it does have a micro USB port on the back so you can connect it to a PC via micro USB / USB cable, in order to upgrade its internal software.

Portable Kit

First of all, the MarCum LX-7 ice fishing fish finder includes a large portable bag, made of durable nylon material. Needless to say, the bag features a carrying handle and side pockets.

The kit includes a portable mount for the unit featuring an extension arm for the transducer. The mount also has a special slot for storing the transducer, while its rear part can accommodate the unit’s battery.

A 12V / 9 Amp battery is included with the unit, along with the charger for it. Plus, the kit also includes a snow shield faceplate.

Pros & Cons

Summary

The MarCum LX-7 is a sonar-only ice fishing fish finder. It includes a portable case, the LX-7 unit, the ice transducer, a battery and a charger for it. The unit makes available an advanced digital ice fishing flasher and the standard 2D CHIRP sonar view, along with a multitude of other features, such as Adjustable Zoom, Interference Rejection, Depth Range, Adjustable Scroll, etc. It’s not exactly one of the most affordable ice fish finders, but definitely offers excellent value for the price.

Short Buying Guide for Ice Fishing Fish Finders

Ice fish finders come in different shapes and sizes, each one offering a specific set of features and accessories. Evidently, not all of them may fit your needs and your budget. So, especially if you’re buying your first ice fish finder, it’s very important to know what you’re paying for.

Therefore, in the next section of this page, we’re going to point out some of the most important aspects with regards to ice fishing fish finders, in order to help you make the right choice.

Brand

When it comes to fish finders, the three major brand names that you should look for first are Humminbird, Garmin, and Lowrance. They’re currently the top fish finder brands, and they offer fish finders and chartplotters of all kinds, for all budgets and needs.

However, in terms of ice fish finders, two other notable brands are Vexilar and MarCum. Our selection of best ice fish finders for 2020 already covers at least one model from each. But just in case you want to dig more, these are pretty much the best brands to look for.

Types of Sonar

All ice fishing fish finders typically have the standard sonar type which relies on at least one frequency. However, the more expensive models also have built-in structure scanning sonar which provides photo-like imaging which you can use in parallel with the 2D sonar. This way, you can interpret better the underwater environment and the placement of the fish in relation to structure.

Structure scanning sonar is typically available in two forms: down scanning and side-scanning. For the down scanning sonar, the transducer casts one sonar beam directly down. For side-scanning sonar, the transducer typically casts two beams, one on each side.

Each fish finder brand has specific terms for their structure scanning sonar. For example, Garmin calls it “ClearVü” and “SideVü”, Humminbird calls it “Down Imaging” and “Side Imaging”, while Lowrance calls it “DownScan” and SideScan”.

In the past few years, newer and more performant technologies have been developed. For example, Garmin has the LiveVü sonar, and already offers ice fishing fish finders with Panoptix LiveVü transducers. These are considerably more expensive, but do offer a live sonar feed. You can actually see the fish attacking your lures.

CHIRP sonar technology is also an important aspect to look for. Usually, the fish finders that have CHIRP sonar offer a better target separation and fish detection. That’s because the sonar echo covers an entire range of frequencies, not only one frequency.

So, as a small conclusion here, the more types of sonar a unit has, the more expensive it will be. However, in most cases, you can rely with no problem only on the classic 2D single-beam sonar, so other sonar technologies may simply be overkill.

Supported frequencies

For ice fishing, it’s not that important that your fish finder supports multiple sonar frequencies. However, if it does, it’s a plus. That’s because it will allow you to alternate different sonar beamwidths for more coverage, or more focus, and greater depth scanning. Of course, the more frequencies supported, the higher the price of that particular unit.

Most ice fishing fish finders use the 200 kHz channel which should be enough for ice fishing on a lake. Most transducers that use this frequency channel, should be able to provide a depth capability of at least 200 ft. (61 m) which is more than enough for lake fishing. But in case you’ll ever want to mount your unit on a boat and use it off-shore in blue waters, 50 kHz capabilities or at least 83 kHz capabilities can be a plus.

Another pretty important aspect to mention here regards the dual-frequency capability. Some units allow you to use two frequencies simultaneously and observe the returns in split-screen. Therefore, you can use both a narrow beam and a wide beam at the same time which can be quite a plus.

Display Type

In terms of display, there are two types of ice fishing fish finders, the ones with an optic fiber or LED flasher-type display, and the ones with an LCD display. The flasher-type units are typically fish finders only. They are dedicated ice fish finder systems and don’t offer many other features.

Conversely, the units that have an LCD display, not only that make available a virtual circular flasher, they also allow you to use this flasher view in split-screen with the standard 2D view. Also, many of them offer many other 2D sonar features and functions, as well as navigation features.

Included Transducer and Transducer Compatibility

First of all, whenever you purchase a fish finder, it’s pretty important to opt for one that comes with its own transducer. This way, you can be sure that you have a usable fish finder out of the box. Also, you won’t experience any incompatibility issues. The transducer provided with a certain head unit is always compatible with that particular unit.

Most ice fish finder bundles include at least one basic ice transducer. But just in case, before purchasing one, always double-check if the transducer is included.

Transducer compatibility should be the second on the list here. It’s quite a plus that a certain unit included with an ice fishing fish finder pack is compatible with multiple transducers. For example, the Garmin ECHOMAP units that we’ve pointed out above, support several transducer models. Therefore, not only that you can use them on ice, with a different transducer, you can also use them on a kayak or boat, for summer lake fishing, or off-shore fishing.

Navigation Features

Navigation features are not exactly a necessity for ice fishing fish finders and ice fishing in general. That’s because in most cases you’ll know exactly where you are, and won’t cover more than a mile, even if you move a lot on the ice. Also, a unit that has GPS and a pre-loaded chart base typically costs at least $100 more than a similar one without. However, if you plan to use your fish finder year-round and on your boat, navigation features can come in handy.

Networking Features

Similar to navigation features, these aren’t necessary for ice fishing fish finders. But once more, if you will ever want to use your unit on a boat, Ethernet, NMEA support and wireless connectivity are a plus. Of course, these increase the overall price of the unit.

Included Accessories

As we’ve mentioned above, each ice fishing bundle includes a certain amount of accessories. Needless to say, the most important ones are the battery for the fish finder unit, the charger for the battery, the portable case or bag, and the ice fishing mount for the unit which should have a flat bottom. Always make sure that your ice fish finder includes these. Any other accessories like tackleboxes, extra transducers, and transducer mounts, unit covers, adapter cables etc, are also welcome, but not entirely necessary.

Final Word

The ice fishing fish finders that we’ve covered here are some of the best available in 2020, at least for the moment. Our top 10 covers models for all budgets and needs. They’re all portable, they include all the necessary accessories and features for ice fishing. Each one comes with at least one transducer, portable case, and battery. They all offer excellent value for the price, and so far, they’ve gathered the best user feedback.