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 2023. 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.
Contents
- 1 Top 10 Ice Fishing Fish Finders
- 1.1 Lowrance Hook Reveal 5 Ice Bundle
- 1.2 Vexilar GPX1212 FLX-12 Genz Pack
- 1.3 Humminbird ICE HELIX 5 CHIRP G3
- 1.4 Garmin Panoptix PS22 ECHOMAP UHD 73cv Ice Bundle
- 1.5 Garmin Striker 5 Plus Ice Bundle
- 1.6 Garmin Striker Cast GPS
- 1.7 Garmin ECHOMAP UHD 73cv Ice Fishing Bundle
- 1.8 Lowrance HOOK2 Ice Fishing All-Season Pack
- 1.9 Humminbird ICE HELIX 7 CHIRP GPS G4 All-Season
- 1.10 MarCum M5L
- 2 Short Buying Guide for Ice Fishing Fish Finders
Top 10 Ice Fishing Fish Finders
Fish Finder | Features | Price |
 | - CHIRP sonar | |
 | - Single Beam Sonar - 3-color LED - Genz Pack | |
 | - Dual Spectrum CHIRP - GPS: N/A | |
 | - CHIRP/ClearVü/LiveVü | |
 | - CHIRP Sonar | |
 | - Dual beam sonar | |
 | - CHIRP Sonar | |
 | - Single beam sonar | |
 | - Dual Spectrum CHIRP - XNT 9 HW T transducer - AutoChart Live | |
 | - Single-beam sonar |
Lowrance Hook Reveal 5 Ice Bundle
The Hook Reveal series includes several Lowrance fish finders released in 2020. The Hook Reveal 5
is available as an “ice machine”, including the portable ice fishing kit and the Lowrance ice transducer. For reference, this is the Lowrance part number 000-15541-001.
This Lowrance ice fishing bundle includes the Hook Reveal 5 SplitShot control head. This Lowrance fish finder offers two sonar technologies; these are DownScan sonar and standard CHIRP sonar. The unit supports the 50/83/200 kHz frequency channels for the 2D CHIRP sonar, and 455/800 kHz for DownScan. It does not support SideScan, ForwardScan, or LiveSight sonar.
Although the Hook Reveal 5 unit included with this Lowrance ice bundle is a SplitShot unit, the SplitShot transducer is not included. The package comes with the Lowrance ice transducer part number 000-14088-001. This is pretty much a standard, conical ice transducer featuring 8 ft. (2.4 m) of cable and a foam floater. In case you’re wondering, it does not have an internal temperature sensor. The included ice transducer casts a conical beam with a coverage of 20° @ 200 kHz. Its maximum depth capability is 500 ft. (152 m) which should be enough for most U.S. lakes. You can always opt for the SplitShot transducer, though, or a 50 kHz capable transducer.
The Hook Reveal 5 unit is also a chartplotter. It has internal GPS and is pre-loaded with the U.S. C-MAP basemap for the inland waters. It covers more than 4,000 U.S. lakes with 1-foot contours. However, it provides basic detail. But on the other hand, the unit supports premium charts from C-MAP and Navionics, including Navionics Gold, Navionics+, Navionics Platinum+, C-MAP Insight Pro, and C-MAP Lake Insight. It also has Genesis Live bathymetric mapping.
The unit has a color display with a pixel matrix of 800H x 480V. It is a SolarMax display with a powerful LED backlight for improved readability in direct sunlight. It is also IPX7 waterproof. It does not have networking features but does have a microSD card slot.
The portable kit included with this Lowrance ice fish finder consists of several elements. First of all, you get the portable bag which is made of durable nylon material. It has several extra pockets which can be very handy. The pack includes the standard mount bracket for the unit which allows you to also install it on a boat. However, it also includes a wider base for extra stability when used on ice. The two small tackleboxes are also included. The pack also includes a battery, a charger for it, and a foam floater for the ice transducer. The battery should last for at least 10 hours of fishing.
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Vexilar GPX1212 FLX-12 Genz Pack
The Vexilar GPX1212 ice fishing bundle includes the FLX-12 flasher, the Genz Pack, and the 12-degree ice ducer. 
The unit features a 3-color, 525-segment LED display. Naturally, just as for any other ice fishing flasher, the three colors are red, orange, and green. Red stands for strong signals (hard bottom, rocks, big fish, structure), orange for medium-strength signals (softer bottoms, medium-sized fish), while green stands for weak signals (lures, small fish, light vegetation).
The unit does not support 50 kHz and does not have CHIRP sonar technology. It also does not have a digital display for depth and other data like other flasher models.
The unit features a 0-20 ft. scale. This means that if the water isn’t deeper than 20 ft. (6 m), the display will indicate the bottom. If the water is deeper than that, you will have to select a deeper range from the Range knob on the bottom right corner of the unit. There are actually four ranges available above the 0-20 ft. range.
The unit offers 20 interference rejection settings. It has a Range Knob and a Gain Knob. The Range Knob offers several settings, including 20, x2, x3, x4, and x6, up to a depth of 120 ft. (36.5 m). The Gain Knob offers 9 levels and also covers the night mode (you can press it to dim the lights if fishing at night).
The included 12-degree ice transducer operates at 200 kHz. It casts a conical beam with a coverage of 12° and a maximum depth range of 120 ft. (36.5 m). Its cable measures 7 ft. (2.1 m). It has a pretty standard conical shape, comes with a foam floater, but does not have an internal temperature sensor.
The Genz Pack consists of the blue carrying case, a 12V – 9 AMP SLA battery, and a charger. The case has pre-drilled holes to attach the unit’s mount and various other accessories. The battery has its own slot at the back of the case. Also, there is an eye-bolt at the front of the case which can serve as a holder for the transducer cable.
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Humminbird ICE HELIX 5 CHIRP G3
If you’re looking for an ice fish finder without GPS, the Ice HELIX 5 CHIRP G3 is definitely one to put on your list. 
Although this is one of the models released in 2021, it’s still available in 2023, and still is one of the 5-star fish finders from Humminbird. To be more specific, it’s the Humminbird 411720-1 model.
This ice fish finder pack includes the HELIX 5 CHIRP G3 unit, featuring a 5-inch display with a pixel matrix of 800H x 480V. Since it’s one of the basic units, it does not have touchscreen technology. It’s button-operated, featuring 5 buttons, including the main cursor button, View, Menu, Exit, and Power.
The HELIX 5 CHIRP G3 has built-in Dual Spectrum CHIRP Sonar and supports three base frequencies (50/83/200 kHz). It comes with the Dual Spectrum CHIRP Ice Transducer XI 9 1521, which casts a conical beam with a coverage of 15° – 21° with a depth range of 400 ft. (122 m).
The unit offers quite a few useful sonar features. First of all, it has the Circular Flasher application, but can also show the standard 2D sonar view. Its sonar is capable of a 3/4″ target separation, which is great for distinguishing fish targets apart when they’re close together. Its CHIRP Interference Rejection has 6 settings to eliminate screen clutter that might be generated by competing sonar signals. It has 2X to 16X zoom functions, as well as a Jig Charge Mode.
The HELIX 5 CHIRP G3 unit does not have GPS and maps. However, it does support external GPS and trackplotting, if paired with an external GPS unit.
Last but not least, this ice fish finder comes with the basic portable shuttle and the soft-sided carrying case. The ice kit also includes a 9Ah battery and a charger for it.
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Garmin Panoptix PS22 ECHOMAP UHD 73cv Ice Bundle
The Garmin ECHOMAP UHD 73cv Panoptix Ice Bundle is one of the most inclusive and most 
performant ice fish finders that you can get in 2023. The pack includes the Garmin ECHOMAP UHD 73cv sonar unit and two transducers, the Panoptix PS22, and the standard Garmin ice transducer. For reference, this is the Garmin fish finder part number 010-02334-20.
The ECHOMAP UHD 73cv unit offers three types of sonar. These are standard CHIRP, ClearVü, and Panoptix LiveVü. The Panoptix sonar can be used as LiveVü Down, and LiveVü Forward, depending on how you set the transducer. The LiveVü Down scans directly under the ice hole while the LiveVü Forward allows you to scan the surroundings. Thus, you won’t have to cut multiple ice holes and move your fish finder from one to the other to scan for fish. One ice hole should be enough as the LiveVü Forward has a range of a few under feet. Of course, this unit can also be used for lake fishing from a boat during summer, or whenever the lake is not frozen. However, the unit may need to be mounted on the boat.
The ECHOMAP UHD 73cv supports multiple frequencies, including 55/77/200/260/455/800 kHz. It includes the Panoptix PS22 and the GT10HN-IF standard ice transducer. The Panoptix transducer uses an oval sonar beam with an impressive coverage of 120° x 20° and a range of 300 ft. (91 m). It comes with a special barrel mount that allows you to change its position in order to scan either vertically for LiveVü Down, or sideways for LiveVü Forward. A pole mount is also included for this transducer.
The GT10HN-IF is the classic Garmin ice transducer. It uses the 130-300 kHz CHIRP frequency range and casts a High Narrow CHIRP conical sonar beam. Its coverage is variable, between 8° – 16°, and its maximum depth range is 800 ft. (244 m). This transducer comes with 8 ft. (2.4 m) of cable and an 8-pin connector. It does not have an internal temperature sensor.
The ECHOMAP UHD 73cv unit offers multiple navigation features. It is equipped with a 5 Hz GPS receiver which means it can provide position updates 5 times per second. It also has track recording, waypoint creation, and route creation functions.
The unit is pre-loaded with the LakeVü g3 chart platform. These charts cover more than 17,000 U.S. lakes, rivers, and reservoirs with up to 1-foot depth contours. They also make available features such as Depth Range Shading and Shallow Water shading. The unit is also compatible with BlueChart g3, BlueChart g3 Vision, and LakeVü g3 Ultra. The unit also has the Quickdraw Contours feature which allows you to create your own bathymetric maps.
The ECHOMAP UHD 73cv sonar unit features an LCD display with a pixel resolution of 800H x 480V. It is IPX7 waterproof. The unit has both keypad navigation and touchscreen technology. It is networkable. It has NMEA 0183 ports and is NMEA 2000 compatible. It also has wireless connectivity. Therefore, you can sync it with your smartphone via the ActiveCaptain app for software updates, fishing trip planning, map downloads, and accessing the Garmin Quickdraw Community. Plus, it has a microSD card slot.
Finally, 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.
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Garmin Striker 5 Plus Ice Bundle
Although Garmin has already released the newer Striker Vivid units, the Striker Plus models are still available
and still some of the highest-rated ice fish finders. The Garmin Striker Plus 5 Ice Bundle has been around since 2018 and still stands at a 5-star rating on most retailer websites. For reference, this is the Garmin part number 010-01872-20.
The unit included with this ice fishing bundle is the Striker Plus 5cv. Therefore, in terms of sonar, it is capable of standard CHIRP sonar, and ClearVü sonar. However, in order to use the ClearVü sonar, you will have to pair the unit with a ClearVü capable transducer such as the GT20, GT22, or GT23. The included transducer is the GT8HW-IF ice transducer which only supports High CHIRP.
The GT8HW-IF is a pretty standard ice transducer featuring a conical shape with an ABS construction, 8 ft. (2.4 m) of cable, and a 4-pin connector. It does not have an internal temperature sensor. It supports the 150-240 kHz CHIRP channel and casts a conical beam with a variable coverage of 24 – 16 degrees. Its maximum depth range is 800 ft. (244 m).
The unit offers a fairly decent array of standard sonar features. The list includes A-Scope, Bottom Lock, Fish Symbol ID, Fish Alarm, UltraScroll, Split-Screen Zoom, and more. Evidently, the most important one for ice fishing is the Circular Flasher. This puts the sonar data into a ring format with the depth in the middle, and the other sonar data such as the bottom, fish, structure, and your jig, visible as colorful segments on the outer ring.
The unit offers basic navigation features as well. It has an internal GPS receiver but only offers a basic GPS plotter. It does not support maps like LakeVü or BlueChart. It offers the possibility to save up to 5,000 waypoints in its memory and record tracks if using your fish finder on a boat.
Although it does not support charts, the unit does have the Quickdraw Contours feature. This is an application for bathymetric mapping. It uses the GPS and sonar data to reveal and record the depth contours of your lake.
The control unit features a 5″ diagonal display, WVGA color, with a pixel resolution of 800 x 480, and LED backlight. It does not have touchscreen technology, just the keypad on the right. It does not have NMEA or Ethernet ports. It also does not have wireless connectivity. Since it’s an ice pack, it includes a carrying bag, a rechargeable battery, and a charger for it. The transducer comes with a foam float for extra stability. Plus, a standard tilt-swivel mount for the unit is included, which also allows its installation on a boat.
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Garmin Striker Cast GPS
The Striker Cast GPS is one of the Garmin fish finders released in 2020. It’s also one of the best fish finders under $300 that you can find at the moment. It’s not your standard fish finder like 
most of the other units that we’ve covered here, however, it does have a built-in flasher application which makes it a great unit for ice fishing. It’s a castable fish finder similar to the Deeper PRO+. For reference, this is the Garmin part number 010-02246-02.
The Garmin Striker Cast GPS fish finder does not come with a display unit so you have to use your smartphone or tablet as a display unit for it. In order to sync your Striker Cast with your phone, first, you will have to create a Garmin account (if you don’t already have one), then download the Garmin Striker App from Google Play or the Apple App Store.
The Striker Cast unit has a broadcasting range of 200 ft. (61 m). Therefore, as long as your phone is within this range, you should be able to see the sonar imaging and the GPS data.
Similar to the ActiveCaptain App, the Striker Cast App links to the Garmin Quickdraw Community. Thus, you can share the bathymetric maps that you have created with Quickdraw Contours with other users, as well as download and use maps created by other users. It’s important to mention, though, that the app does not have a split-view feature. Therefore, you can only view and use one function at a time, either the sonar or the Quickdraw Contours. However, the app is upgradable, so this feature may be added in future patches.
The Garmin Striker Cast GPS is equipped with a dual-beam internal standard sonar. It does not have ClearVü or SideVü. It supports two frequencies, these being 260/455 kHz. It does not support 50 kHz, or other frequencies. Evidently, the Striker Cast GPS unit has its transducer built-in as well. It’s a dual-beam transducer and supports both aforementioned frequencies. It casts two oval beams with a coverage of 22° x 63° @ 260 kHz, and 9° x 14° @ 455 kHz. Its maximum depth capability is 150 ft. (45.7 m).
The Striker Cast app makes available several sonar features. The list includes Circular Flasher, A-Scope, Fish Symbol ID, Autogain, and more. Evidently, the Circular Flasher feature is the main reason we’ve selected this Garmin model for our list of best ice fish finders, as it offers the perfect setting for ice fishing.
The Striker Cast GPS has a built-in GPS receiver and the Striker Cast App uses its data with the Quickdraw Contours mapping feature. Therefore, you can create your own bathymetric maps with 1-foot contours. A Depth Range Shading feature is available.
This portable fish finder features a rugged construction with a casing made of durable thermoplastic material. For the GPS version, the top cover is light blue, while for the sonar-only version, the top cover is white. It comes with a 16.4 ft. (5 m) tether which you can attach to the unit in order to cast it. However, you can also tie it to a 20+ lb test fishing line with a barrel swivel with a snap.
The unit’s internal battery offers an autonomy of approx. 10 hours. The box does not include a charger but does include a USB cable which you can attach to the unit and to a laptop or a charger. A carrying bag is also included.
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Garmin ECHOMAP UHD 73cv Ice Fishing Bundle
One of the 
best Garmin Ice Fishing Bundles in 2023 is the one that comes with the ECHOMAP UHD 73cv unit. For reference, this is the Garmin fish finder part number 010-02334-15.
The unit itself features a 7″ WVGA color display with a pixel resolution of 800H x 400V. It has both keypad and touchscreen navigation. It offers superior networking features, including NMEA 2000, NMEA 0183, and wireless connectivity. It’s ActiveCaptain compatible and also has a microSD card slot.
In terms of sonar, this Garmin unit offers two sonar technologies – standard CHIRP and ClearVü. It supports 70/83/200 kHz for standard CHIRP, and 260/455/800/1000/1200 kHz for ClearVü. However, this ice fish finder pack only includes the ice transducer GT10HN-IF, which can only work with the unit’s standard CHIRP sonar; it does not support ClearVü. But nonetheless, you can still pair this unit with the GT24UHD-TM or GT20-TM transducer if you want to use the ClearVü feature. Also, the unit supports Panoptix sonar and transducers.
The included transducer offers a depth capability of 800 ft. (244 m). It operates in the CHIRP High-Narrow frequency range (130-300 kHz). Its beamwidth is 16°-7°. It does not have a temperature sensor; its cable is 8 ft. (2.4 m) long, and has an 8-pin connector.
The unit offers a fairly decent range of navigation features, as well. It has a 5 Hz internal GPS system and is pre-loaded with the LakeVü g3 charts for the United States. It has the Quickdraw Contours feature for bathymetric mapping. Plus, it offers engine connectivity features, and force trolling motor compatibility. It does not support radars but does support AIS and DSC.
Finally, this Garmin fish finder comes with the standard portable kit. This includes the bag, battery, and charger.
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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.
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. It also offers several useful sonar functions, such as Fish ID, Circular Flasher, Shallow Alarm, Bottom Range, etc.
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.
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. It is keypad-operated; it does not have multi-touch technology. It’s also not a networkable unit. It does not have Ethernet or NMEA ports and does not have wireless connectivity. It also does not have a microSD or SD card slot like the HOOK Reveal models. 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.
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 a 12V – 7 Ah type battery and a charger for it. If fully charged, the battery should last for at least 10-12 hours of fishing.
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Humminbird ICE HELIX 7 CHIRP GPS G4 All-Season
The ICE HELIX 7 CHIRP GPS G4 All-Season is one of the Humminbird units released in 2021. It’s also one of the
units that come with the newer Premium Suttle which offers multiple extra features over the older model.
As the unit’s name suggests, it does not have Side Imaging or Down Imaging sonar. It only has Dual Spectrum CHIRP sonar. It supports three main frequencies, these being 50/83/200 kHz. It does not support MEGA Live Imaging or 360 Imaging.
The set includes two transducers, the classic ice transducer Xi 9 1521 and the standard High CHIRP transducer XNT 9 HW T. The ice transducer casts a conical beam with a coverage of 15° – 21° with a depth range of 400 ft. (122 m). The standard transducer comes with a transom mount. It can only use the High CHIRP range between 150-240 kHz. Its narrow beam has a coverage of 25°, while its wide beam offers a coverage of 42°. Its maximum depth range is 1,200 ft. (365 m).
The unit has a 10 Hz internal GPS receiver. It offers the possibility to plot tracks, save waypoints, and create routes. It comes with the Humminbird Basemap as a navigation platform, but it also supports Navionics, LakeMaster, CoastMaster, and SmartStrike charts. Plus, it has the AutoChart Live ICE feature which offers the possibility to create your own bathymetric maps both on the ice and on a boat.
The control head does not have touchscreen technology. It has a richer pixel matrix than the G3 unit (1024H x 600V). It does not have networking features but does have a microSD card slot.
The included Premium Shuttle not only that is bigger than the previous model, but it also has a larger handle, multiple 1/4″ holes for mounting accessories, an internal master power switch, and comes with quick-connect SAE power cables. It offers superior cable and transducer management possibilities and includes two rod holders.
The pack also includes a 15Ah lithium battery which can last more than 15 hours. The battery has two USB ports so you can plug other devices into it, if needed. A charger for the battery, a silicone screen cover, and a gimbal mount are also included. Plus, the box includes a suction cup mount and a transom mount for the standard transducer.
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MarCum M5L
The MarCum M5L is an ice fishing flasher similar to the Vexilar GPX1212. However, this ice pack also includes a
carrying bag, not just a plastic mount. It also offers a slightly better depth range.
The pack comes with a carrying case made from a tough ABS material. It has an extensible arm for the transducer cable support. A LiFePO4 12V/10 Amp battery with an average runtime of 36 hours is included. The battery is already installed and the pack also includes a charger for it.
The MarCum M5L offers a single beam type sonar. It operates a 200 kHz. It does not have CHIRP technology and does not support other frequencies. It comes with the LX dual-beam ice transducer which has a standard conical construction with 8 ft. (2.4 m) of cable. This transducer does not have an internal temperature sensor. It casts two conical beams, a wide one, with a coverage of 20°, and a narrow one, with coverage of 8°. The maximum depth capability of this ice fish finder, with the included transducer, is 160 ft. (48 m).
The unit has four pre-set depth ranges. These are 20, 40, 80, and 160 ft. (6, 12, 24, 48 m). An Adjustable Zoom feature is also available. Needless to say, this feature allows you to focus on a certain portion of the water column by splitting the circular display in half. The left half points out zoom depth, the right half shows the entire water column under the transducer.
Like most other ice flashers, the MarCum M5L has the Gain and Interference Rejection functions. By adjusting Gain, you can get the desired sensitivity of the sonar and better returns, for a better view of what’s under the transducer. The Interference Rejection function cancels the signals of other nearby sonar sources, a function that can be useful if other anglers are nearby or if you’re using two fish finders.
The unit also has the SuperFine Line feature. This uses shorter sonar pulses for a finer line detail reducing the target separation from 2.5″ to 3/4″. Evidently, this makes it easier to tell fish apart from structure or from the bottom.
The unit features a patented MBC display with a circular 20-foot depth scale with the LED light ring all around it. Along with the Gain and the Range knob, it also has 6 buttons that cover the Zoom, Up/Down, Interference Rejection, Transducer Beam selection, and the SuperFine Line functions.
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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 regard 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 2023 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 upon 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 beam widths 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 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 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, 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 2023, 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.