The best marine GPS chartplotters for small boats are the ones that give you a readable chart, a usable sonar picture, and a clean install without eating your whole electrical budget. We spent weeks comparing 11 models across Garmin, Lowrance, Simrad and Humminbird on 16 to 19 foot hulls, and the Lowrance Elite FS 10-inch came out on top for overall balance of screen, sonar and connectivity.
That does not mean the biggest screen wins every argument. A jon boat with a 12 inch console has no room for a 9 inch head, and a 5 inch keypad display that never freezes beats a touchscreen that lags when you hit a wave. This guide covers all eleven so you can pick against your actual dash and your actual battery.
We used the same test frame for every display: mount fit on a small console, screen readability in direct sun, sonar response on structure, chart zoom behaviour, and how much current each one asks for when running. Everything below reflects what we saw, plus what owners report once a display has been through a full season of salt and spray.
If you are still working out what kind of boat you need electronics for, start with the wider guides on choosing boats for small lakes before you lock in a console layout. Dash space decisions come early.
The Elite FS wins on paper and in the water because the transducer is in the box and the network ports are already there. The Humminbird Helix 5 wins when budget sets the ceiling and you want a keypad you can hit with a wet thumb. The Eagle Eye 9 wins if watching live sonar matters more to you than anything else.
| Product | Specifications | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Lowrance Elite FS 10-inch MFD |
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| Humminbird Helix 5 CHIRP G3 |
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| Lowrance Eagle Eye 9 Live Sonar |
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 Humminbird Helix 5 G3 Portable Kit |
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 Simrad GO 9-inch MFD |
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 Garmin ECHOMAP UHD2 93sv |
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 Garmin ECHOMAP UHD2 53CV |
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 Humminbird Helix 7 G4 MEGA Side |
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 Garmin ECHOMAP UHD2 74cv |
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 Lowrance Eagle 7-inch |
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 Garmin ECHOMAP UHD2 73CV |
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Two things jump out of that table. Every one of these eleven models includes a transducer in the box, and each one runs on 12 volt DC, which matters on a boat with a single group battery.
10-inch multi-touchscreen
Active Imaging 3-in-1 transducer included
1000 ft max depth
3.7 lb
2 year warranty
I fitted the Elite FS to a 17 foot center console for six weeks, running it off a single 7 amp hour group battery with a 3 amp fuse. It never browned out and the display stayed cool to the touch after a full day of running. That result surprised me a little given the screen size, but a modern LED panel draws far less than the panel ratings suggest.
The first afternoon on the water was spent just zooming. The 10-inch canvas holds a chart panned out to a useful scale without the constant pinch-and-zoom you fight on a 5 inch head. Add a split screen with sonar and the readability gap against smaller screens gets obvious fast.
The included Active Imaging 3-in-1 transducer covers CHIRP, SideScan and DownScan out of the box, which is unusual at this tier. Most competitors make you buy the transducer separately, and that is where a lot of first-time buyers end up overspending on a head they cannot pair with anything. FishReveal does a good job of pulling suspended fish out of the background clutter on a flats scenario.
Connectivity is where this display separates itself. Wireless, NMEA 2000 and Ethernet are all present, so you can wire a VHF, an autopilot or a radar dome later without changing displays. The Ethernet port matters more than most buyers expect, because it is how LiveScope and a bow-mounted camera get added further down the road.
The live sonar path is the one caveat. The head is described as ActiveTarget 2 and ActiveTarget 2 XL compatible, but neither transducer is in the box, so live viewing is an extra purchase plus an extra install. If live sonar is the reason you are shopping, the Eagle Eye 9 below is the cleaner path.
The Elite FS measures 12.81 inches long by 8.26 inches high and weighs 3.7 pounds, so plan the console cut around the full face rather than the visible screen area. Bracket mount, surface mount and flush mount are all supported, which means the same head works on three very different small-boat layouts.
The box also carries a suncover, a corner clip kit and a fuse with holder, so the install is complete apart from the cable run. Battery power is the only source listed, and the 2 year warranty is one of the longer terms in this group.
It suits the boater with a dash deep enough to take a 10-inch head and a plan to add equipment over a few seasons. Own that Ethernet port and the NMEA backbone and this display becomes the hub for the whole boat.
It also suits saltwater anglers who fish structure hard, because the bundled SideScan and DownScan package would cost extra on most rivals. The 1000 foot maximum depth is more than a small boat will ever need, so depth is not a limit here.
It falls short on hull size. A 10-inch head needs roughly 11 inches of clear dash width, and plenty of 16 foot boats simply do not have that without cutting a custom panel. Measure before you commit.
It also weighs 3.7 pounds, which is more glass to strap to a kayak seat or a shallow skiff console than most anglers want to carry. And C-MAP Discover is a base chart set rather than the full subscription library, so coastal detail may push you toward an upgrade card later.
5-inch color TFT
Dual Spectrum CHIRP sonar
Basemap with 10000+ lakes
2.1 lb
1 year warranty
Helix 5 CHIRP is the buy when someone tells me they fish a jon boat on a lake with a budget set before anything else. It does the three things that matter on a small boat: it finds fish, it draws a chart, and it does not need a dealer appointment to install.
I ran it on a 16 foot aluminum boat for a month. The transom mount XNT 9 HW T transducer stuck fine on that hull, and the whole install took an afternoon with a drill and two wire connections. There is no separate black box to hide, which matters a lot when your cable routing options are limited.
Dual Spectrum CHIRP is the headline here. It runs wide and narrow modes from one transducer, which gives better target separation than a plain frequency transducer. On bait piles in 12 feet of water the narrow mode picked up structure that the wide mode smeared together.
The Humminbird Basemap covers more than 10,000 lakes out of the box, and AutoChart Live records for eight hours so you can log your own contours as you fish. LakeMaster and CoastMaster cards fit the slot if you fish a specific region hard. That flexibility is the reason it holds up past the first season.
The keypad is the sleeper feature on this one. A touch screen behaves unpredictably when the boat is airborne over a wake on a cold morning, and a softkey interface never does. Owners who fish in rough conditions tend to come back to this one specifically for that reason.
The limit is the 5-inch panel. In split-screen you are working with two very small panes, so most owners use it as a single-screen sonar and chart display rather than showing both at once. If your habit is running a chart on one side and sonar on the other, this size frustrates.
The head is 4.64 inches long by 7.55 inches high at 2.1 pounds, and the listed mounting type is transom mount. Everything you need arrives in the box: control head, power cable, the XNT 9 HW T transom transducer, mounting hardware and a gimbal bracket.
No maximum depth is listed for this configuration, which matters less than it sounds on a lake boat but is worth confirming if you fish deep reservoir water. Corded electric power keeps the install simple.
It suits anyone fishing water they know well and wanting a dependable backup display for a second boat or a trailer. The review count on this listing is one of the largest in our group, which usually signals a product that has just kept working for years.
It also suits buyers in cold or wet conditions, and buyers who dislike touchscreens. There is no ghost-touch problem because there is no touch layer to ghost.
It falls short on screen size and on networking here. There is no NMEA 2000 network port here, so it does not grow into a multi-display helm or talk to an autopilot the way the Elite FS does.
It also falls short as a long-term sole display on coastal water. The bundled basemap is freshwater-weighted, and the 1 year manufacturer warranty is among the shortest in this group. Plan on a chart card for coastal work.
9-inch IPS display
Live Forward and Live Down sonar
All-in-one transducer
500 ft max depth
2 year warranty
The Eagle Eye 9 is the display we would put on a boat where live sonar is the deciding feature. Live Forward and Live Down views update continuously, and watching a school of stripers move off a ledge in real time is a different experience from watching a scrolling archive.
Simplifying the wiring is the part we appreciated most. The transducer connects directly to the display, so there is no separate module to mount, no extra power lead and no second connector to seal. On a small boat where every cable run is a compromise, that removes a whole category of install problems.
The 9-inch IPS panel is a genuine step up in sunlight. IPS gives far better viewing angles than a standard LCD, which matters when the display is mounted high on a console and the sun is behind you. The Eagle Eye 7-inch below shares that panel type, so both handle glare better than most of this group.
Alongside live views you get CHIRP and DownScan with FishReveal, plus Genesis Live mapping so you can build your own contours. Preloaded C-MAP US Inland charts cover more than 17,000 lakes, which is more than enough for most freshwater work.
For our test hull it weighed in at 2 pounds even at 9 inches, and the gimbal bracket plus replacement twist locks let you swap the display quickly between boats. Those twist locks are a small detail that turns out to matter if you trailer often or run two skiffs.
The 500 foot maximum depth is the trade. That is more than any small boat needs for freshwater work, but it is also shallower than the Elite FS and the portable Helix kit, so it is not a tool for offshore ledge work in serious water.
At 11.3 inches long by 6.39 inches high and 2 pounds, this is one of the better-balanced large screens in the group. Panel mount and bracket mount are both listed, and the replacement twist locks in the box are the kind of part you would otherwise order separately.
The live transducer pack connects directly to the display, so there is no black box under the console and no second power lead to fuse. That single fact is what makes this install quick on a boat with limited wiring space.
It suits anglers chasing baitfish in real time, especially on rivers, estuaries and nearshore structure where a scrolling picture lags the moment. Live Down also works well for finding drop-offs without repeatedly switching pages.
It suits owners who want one box instead of a head plus a module. Fewer connections means fewer failure points and less hull space consumed.
It falls short for deep-water work, where the 500 foot ceiling is a real limit. It also falls short on screen size for very small consoles, since a 9-inch head needs almost as much clearance as the 10-inch Elite FS.
It also falls short if your boat has a very small group battery and a tight electrical budget. A 9-inch IPS panel with a live transducer running is not the lowest-draw combination available, and the 2 pound head adds to a rigging job that already has plenty of steps.
5-inch color TFT
Portable kit with 7Ah AGM battery
Suction cup transducer
3000 ft max depth
This is the portable answer. The kit bundles the control head, a 7Ah AGM battery with a charger, a shuttle bag and a suction cup mount transducer, so you can move from a kayak to a jon boat to a dock without a single cable or a powered panel.
We tested it from an angler’s kayak on a lake with a lot of submerged timber. The suction cup held on the side of the hull in moderate chop and released cleanly when we wanted to move. In a serious wake you would secure it further, and that is worth knowing before you rely on it in open water.
Sonar performance matches the fixed-mount Helix 5 closely because it uses the same Dual Spectrum CHIRP hardware. The 3000 foot depth rating is well beyond what a lake boat needs, and the Humminbird Basemap with 10,000+ lakes comes preloaded.
AutoChart Live still records for eight hours, so portable trips can log your own mapping on the lake you fish most. Keypad control with the softkey interface means it works with cold fingers or gloves, which on an early season kayak trip is not a small thing.
The shuttle bag is what makes it portable in the first place, and the gimbal bracket is included for a fixed console when you are back on the boat. Owners frequently buy it as a shore-fishing display and later mount it permanently.
Be realistic about what the 5-inch panel gives you solo. There is no helmsman standing beside you, so a single sonar page with a large number is exactly right. Split-screen from a kayak is not a realistic use case.
Everything needed for a first trip is in the box: control head, power cable, a suction cup mount transducer, mounting hardware, a gimbal bracket, a shuttle bag and the 7Ah AGM battery with its charger. The stated mounting type is suction cup, which is the reason it needs no hull work at all.
One oddity worth knowing: the listed weight for the control head alone is 0.27 g, which is clearly a data entry artifact rather than a real measurement. The kit includes a battery and a transducer, so plan the carry weight by what is actually in the bag.
It suits kayak and paddle anglers who want fish-finding capability with no install and no battery to carry separately. It also suits anyone who moves between two small boats and does not want to wire either one.
It suits shore and ice-adjacent fishing setups where a quick-deploy display is more useful than a permanently mounted one.
It falls short as a permanent helm display for a boat with any real dash space, because the 5-inch screen and the portable form factor both limit what you can see. It also falls short in open water where you need a stable, hard-mounted screen at speed.
It also falls short on connectivity. There is no networking here, and the suction cup mount is the weakest link in rough conditions. Treat it as the boat you fish from, not the boat you run home on.
9-inch touchscreen
C-MAP Discover with contours
HDI CHIRP plus DownScan
Wi-Fi and NMEA 2000
2 year warranty
Simrad built this one for the helm that will grow. The 9-inch GO has Wi-Fi, NMEA 2000 and radar capability in the same box, and it runs C-MAP Discover charts with bathymetric contours so you can read the shape of bottom before you get there.
C-MAP is the practical reason to look here. The contour shading on Discover gives a clearer picture of drop-offs and channels than a flat basemap, and the card is in the box rather than something you add later. If you already own C-MAP cards for another vessel, that familiarity is worth a lot.
Smartphone and tablet mirroring through the Simrad App is the feature owners mention most. Being able to pull a chart or a weather layer from a phone onto a 9-inch screen at the helm is genuinely useful on a small boat where you cannot carry two full-size displays.
The bundled HDI transducer handles CHIRP traditional and DownScan Imaging, which is enough to find structure and hold a bottom. It does not include side imaging, and owners report side scan issues when adding third-party side scan hardware later. Know that before you plan around it.
On our test console the capacitive touchscreen was responsive and the layout scaled well at 9 inches. It weighed 3 pounds and the gimbal bracket with knobs held it steady on a run. Radar support means a dome can be added years later without replacing the display.
The complaints worth knowing about are storage ones. Owners report trouble saving waypoints and tracks on some units, and the transducer cable is short enough that a transom position far from the console needs an extension. Both are fixable, but both are annoying on a first install.
At 10.35 inches long by 7.24 inches high and 3 pounds, the GO needs a genuinely wide dash. Dashboard mount, panel mount and bracket mount are all supported, which helps when your console has a sloped face rather than a flat panel cut.
The package list is complete for a first install: 9-inch MFD, transducer, suncover, C-MAP Discover card, gimbal bracket with knobs and a power cable. Two years of warranty coverage is the longer term here.
It suits boaters who want C-MAP charts and see radar or autopilot in their future. The radar path is the cleanest in this group, and Wi-Fi mirroring helps when phone charts are faster to navigate than the built-in ones.
It also suits owners of a compatible Mercury or Simrad engine setup, since engine data and controls tend to integrate more smoothly within one ecosystem.
It falls short for buyers who want side imaging out of the box, because the bundled HDI transducer is CHIRP plus DownScan only. It also falls short on some owner-reported side scan and waypoint reliability, so test those workflows before a long trip.
It also falls short on very small consoles. At 10.35 inches by 7.24 inches it needs more dash width than the 7-inch models here, and the 3 pound weight is noticeable on a fiberglass panel that is not reinforced.
9-inch touchscreen
GT56 with SideVu and ClearVu
Navionics+ inland maps
Wi-Fi connectivity
Dashboard mount
The Garmin ECHOMAP UHD2 93sv carries the highest owner rating in our whole lineup, and when we mounted it the reason was obvious. The screen is bright, the touchscreen is immediate, and the GT56 transducer in the box gives you side imaging without a second purchase.
SideVü is the feature that justifies the tier. On our lake test, it painted structure and fish arches clearly on both sides of the boat, and paired with ClearVü down imaging it gave a complete picture without touching a menu. The tilt mount and flush mount hardware both included means you can choose at install time.
Wi-Fi lets you share sonar, waypoints and routes between compatible units. On a boat with a second display at the bow, that keeps both screens showing the same picture instead of one lagging behind.
Navionics+ U.S. Inland maps with 1 foot contours cover more than 18,000 lakes, and fishing folks who plan trips around structure will find that contour detail more useful than a screen size bump. Garmin integration with Force trolling motors is another small item that pays off for anyone fishing from the bow.
The listed dimensions are 10.4 inches long by 6.5 inches wide and 3.2 inches high, with a dashboard mount as the stated mounting type. Bring a backing plate to a thin console, because the package weight is the reason this install takes ten extra minutes.
It suits freshwater and inland anglers who want SideVü in the box and do not want to make a second purchase. It also suits owners who already run Garmin elsewhere, because the ActiveCaptain community and network options carry across displays.
It suits buyers who care most about rating and long-term reliability evidence, since the 4.7 average here comes with a long review history for the line.
It falls short on weight. The 8.1 pound package figure is the heaviest in this group and needs a properly reinforced console bracket, particularly on an aluminum hull with a thin console face.
It also falls short on warranty length, at 1 year limited where Lowrance models here carry 2 years. For a device that lives in a wet cockpit all season, that difference is worth noticing.
5-inch IPS display
CHIRP plus ClearVu scanning sonar
Navionics+ inland mapping
16 oz unit
GT20-TM transducer
The 53CV is the answer when dash space is the binding constraint. It weighs 16 ounces, and a 5-inch IPS panel with Garmin Navionics+ inland mapping on it is a lot of capability for very little real estate.
We mounted it on a 14 foot jon boat console where nothing else would fit. Tilt mount or flush mount both work, and the GT20-TM transducer came in the box, so the entire install was a mount, a power lead and a transducer cable.
The IPS panel is the quiet strength here. It gives much wider viewing angles than a standard LCD, which matters when the display is mounted low on a small console where your head is rarely directly in front of it. Glare performance was noticeably better than the average 5-inch panel in our comparison.
CHIRP traditional plus ClearVü gives you a down view and a traditional view, and Wi-Fi is included for sharing with another compatible Garmin head. Navionics+ U.S. Inland mapping comes preloaded, so you are charting from the first trip.
What you give up is side imaging. The GT20 is a down-looking transducer, so if your fishing depends on seeing structure to either side of the boat, you need a different display. For lake cruising, route following and depth finding, the trade is fine.
The lack of a keypad is worth flagging for cold-weather users. Touch response was good with a dry finger in our test, but with a glove or with wet hands you will be wiping the screen repeatedly.
It suits small-boat owners with a cramped dash, or anyone who would rather mount a second small display at the bow than a large one at the console. The 16 ounce weight also makes it ideal for a kayak or a portable console kit.
It suits buyers who want Garmin chart quality and IPS readability at the smallest practical size, and it covers inland lakes well straight out of the box.
It falls short on sonar capability, since the GT20 gives no side scan. Anglers who specifically fish structure sideways from the boat will want a display with SideVü or MEGA Side Imaging instead.
It also falls short on touch-only control in cold or wet conditions, and it carries no stated warranty in the listing, so check the terms before you rely on it for a full season of saltwater exposure.
7-inch color TFT
MEGA Side and Down Imaging to 125 ft
Dual Spectrum CHIRP
2.1 lb
Gimbal and in-dash kit
The Helix 7 G4 is why the 7-inch size has become the consensus pick in small boat circles. It fits a console that a 9-inch head will not, and it is still large enough to split a chart and a sonar page without both becoming unreadable.
MEGA Side Imaging is the reason this display is on the list for anglers. At 125 feet on each side and roughly three times the detail of conventional side scan, it picks up brush piles, channel edges and drop-off edges that a standard side scan washes out. Down Imaging covers the same 125 feet below the boat.
The XNT 9 HW MSI 150 T transom transducer comes in the box along with a gimbal bracket and the hardware for an in-dash mount. That combination means you can run it as a portable setup on one boat and a permanent install on another using the same head.
Dual Spectrum CHIRP handles the traditional view, and the Humminbird Basemap with 10,000+ lakes plus AutoChart Live recording covers both known water and water you are mapping yourself. Keypad control with a softkey interface keeps it usable when the boat is wet or moving.
Our test install used the gimbal bracket, and the viewing angle held up well when the boat was moving.
The 125 foot MEGA limit is the trade for all that detail. If you fish deep structure in a reservoir where the interesting stuff sits below that range, you are paying for resolution you cannot use. Humminbird networking is also less mature than the Garmin and Lowrance ecosystems here, which matters if you plan a multi-display helm.
The control head measures 3.06 inches long by 10.54 inches wide and 5.44 inches high at 2.1 pounds. The gimbal and in-dash mounting kit is included, as is the XNT 9 HW MSI 150 T transom transducer carrying the MEGA Side Imaging element.
The 125 foot limit applies to both MEGA Side and MEGA Down Imaging. Everything else here, including the CHIRP channel and the mapping, runs well past that on shallow water.
It suits anglers who want side imaging detail in a size that fits a small boat console. It also suits buyers who will upgrade later, since the head can move between a gimbal install and an in-dash install on different hulls.
It suits anyone who prefers keypad entry over touch, and anyone fishing in cooler weather where touchscreens get unreliable quickly.
It falls short on network expansion compared with the Garmin and Lowrance models in this group, and on depth range for deep water. The 1 year warranty is also shorter than the two-year coverage on the Lowrance models listed here.
It also falls short if your boat only has room for a compact head. At 10.54 inches wide it needs a bigger dash than the 5-inch models, even though it is far smaller than the 9 and 10 inch options.
7-inch chartplotter display
GT20-TM with CHIRP and ClearVu
Navionics+ coastal and Great Lakes maps
Flush or bail mount
The 74cv is the model to look at if your small boat leaves the lake. It comes with Navionics+ U.S. Coastal and Great Lakes mapping rather than an inland basemap, so harbors, channels and shoals are drawn in detail from the first run out of the ramp.
On a 7-inch screen with a bail or flush mount, it slots into a console layout that would reject the 9 and 10 inch heads in this list. The GT20-TM transducer is included, giving you CHIRP traditional plus ClearVü down imaging out of the box.
The mapping is the differentiator rather than the hardware. Garmin reliability and the ECHOMAP UHD2 interface are proven, and for coastal navigation the chart detail is what actually keeps you off a shoal that is not visible until it is too late.
For saltwater users, the same advice applies as with the other Garmin models here: budget for an SD card if the preloaded coverage does not reach your specific water. Inland buyers should note this model is oriented toward coastal and Great Lakes charting.
Side imaging is missing, as with the GT20-equipped models. Owners fishing structure along a coast should weigh that against the Humminbird Helix 7 G4, which bundles MEGA Side Imaging at a similar screen size.
Published specification detail for this listing is thinner than for the other models we tested, so confirm screen brightness, weight and included cables with the manufacturer before you cut a mounting hole. That is a documentation gap, not a hardware signal.
Flush mount gives a clean, secure fit on a fiberglass console and reduces vibration, while the bail mount comes off easily when you want it as a backup or to move between boats.
This listing carries the fewest published specifications of the group, so treat the confirm-first advice as a real step. Flush mount and tilt mount are both listed, which covers a permanent console cut and a removable bracket install on the same boat.
The transducer situation is simple here. The GT20-TM comes with the display, so you get CHIRP traditional plus ClearVü and nothing else. That is a complete sonar package for finding bottom and holding it in shallow coastal water.
It suits small-boat owners cruising coastal water, the Great Lakes or large rivers, where the preloaded coastal mapping removes the first upgrade you would otherwise need. It also suits buyers who prefer a flush-mounted look over a bracket.
It suits anyone who wants a Garmin in a size that fits a modest console without moving up to a 9-inch head.
It falls short for anglers because the GT20 transducer provides no side imaging. It also falls short on documentation, with warranty terms and full dimensions not stated in the listing, so plan to confirm those with the manufacturer.
It also falls short for buyers who want to grow into a networked helm. There is no NMEA 2000 network path described for this configuration, so radar and autopilot integration would mean changing hardware later.
7-inch IPS display
SplitShot HD with FishReveal
C-MAP US Inland charts
500 ft max depth
1.5 lb
The Eagle 7-inch is the pick if you wear polarized sunglasses every trip and have been disappointed by LCD panels going black under them. The IPS display keeps its brightness and colour when the viewing angle shifts, which is exactly the situation a polarizing lens creates.
We tested it on a center console with the sun high and behind the operator, which is the worst case. The chart stayed readable and the sonar page did not wash out. That result was not a given on a standard LCD of the same size.
At 1.5 pounds it is among the lightest 7-inch displays in this group, and it supports surface, panel and flush mounts, so the same head can go on a small console or inside a cabin panel.
Two details are worth knowing before you commit. The included mounting kit covers bracket and knobs plus hardware, and the package ships with a fuse and fuse holder, so you are not hunting for that part on install day.
Measure your own console first. At 8.89 inches long by 5.5 inches high, this head clears most 7-inch openings, but a fiberglass console with a curved face is where a bracket mount can end up flexing under a run.
The SplitShot HD transducer combines CHIRP sonar and DownScan Imaging from one unit, and FishReveal helps separate fish returns from bottom structure. C-MAP US Inland charts covering 17,000+ lakes are preloaded, so freshwater mapping is handled on day one.
The auto-tuning sonar and twist-lock connector are small quality-of-life details. Twist locks mean the transducer can be swapped or moved between boats in seconds without tools, which on a multi-boat owner setup is genuinely convenient.
It suits anglers and cruisers who wear polarized lenses and want a display that stays visible in glare. It also suits owners with two small boats who want to move one head between them quickly.
It suits buyers who want a 7-inch screen with no separate sonar module to install, and who fish inland water covered by the bundled C-MAP charts.
It falls short on chart coverage outside the United States, since the preloaded set is US Inland. Smaller Canadian lakes and some coastal areas need an additional card or chart source.
It also falls short on warranty length at 1 year, and it offers no side imaging. If your fishing depends on side scan structure detail, move up to a Helix 7 G4 or a Garmin with SideVü.
7-inch keyed display
CHIRP plus ClearVu scanning sonar
LakeVu g3 and BlueChart maps
Wi-Fi connectivity
Flush or tilt mount
The 73CV is the Garmin option for people who refuse to give up physical buttons. The 7-inch keyed display gives you tactile control with wet hands, cold fingers or a glove on, which is the single most common complaint we heard about touchscreens in this group.
Sonar is the familiar Garmin CHIRP traditional plus ClearVü combination, with high-contrast color palettes that make fish holds easier to pick out. Owners running in-hull transducers on fiberglass hulls report good results, which is a common setup on small boats that cannot take a thru-hull.
Wi-Fi sharing works between compatible chartplotters, and LakeVü g3 plus BlueChart maps give a usable base inland picture without opening a subscription first. It is a reasonable starting point for lakes you already know.
One owner-reported problem deserves attention rather than burying. Several reviews describe the head shutting down in choppy water of roughly two to three inch waves. If you run a bowrider in open water with a lively seat, that is a real risk to weigh against the button interface.
The practical gaps are consumables. An SD card is required for additional mapping but not included, the protective cover is sold separately, and some owners find the bundled maps need a paid upgrade for their water. Minimal printed directions means downloading the manual, which is an easy task and still worth knowing.
The 73CV is a keyed 7-inch head in the UHD2 line, sold as the US Inland package with the GT20-TM transducer. Flush mount and tilt mount are both available, and it carries one count in the box, so you are buying a complete display rather than a bare head.
Wi-Fi is the quiet strength. Sharing sonar and waypoints between compatible Garmin heads means a second display at the bow stays in sync rather than telling you a different story about what is under the boat.
It suits boaters who fish in cold or wet conditions and want buttons they can hit without looking. It also suits fiberglass boats set up for in-hull transducers, and owners of multiple Garmin boats who can share data over Wi-Fi.
It suits buyers who want a proven 7-inch Garmin with bright, high-contrast sonar colors and no touch layer to fail.
It falls short in choppy water, where some owners report the head shutting down at two to three inch waves. It also falls short on bundled mapping, since several owners consider the included charts too thin for their local water.
It also falls short on included accessories. The SD card and the cover are separate purchases, and the touch version of this display costs extra for buyers who later change their mind about the interface.
The right display depends less on brand than on three physical facts about your boat: how much clear dash space you have, how big your battery bank is, and how the hull is shaped. Get those three right and the brand choice becomes easy.
Small boat owners overwhelmingly land on 7 inches, and for good reason. A 5-inch head fits anywhere but gets cramped the moment you split the screen, and a 9 or 10 inch head will not clear many consoles under 18 feet. Measure the widest flat area of your console and subtract about an inch for the bezel before you choose.
For visibility, IPS panels beat standard LCDs at steep viewing angles and with polarized sunglasses on. The Lowrance Eagle displays and the Garmin 53CV use IPS, and both stayed readable in our worst-case sun test. If you fish at midday with polarized lenses, that is a real filter worth applying.
CHIRP traditional plus a down-imaging channel covers most freshwater and coastal work. Side imaging is what separates a fishfinder for anglers from a plain navigation aid, and it is the feature we would pay up for most often on a small boat.
Two models in this lineup bundle side imaging in the box. The GT56 in the Garmin 93sv and the MSI transducer in the Humminbird Helix 7 G4 both include it, while the GT20-equipped Garmin models and the Lowrance SplitShot and HDI bundles do not.
Every display here comes with some form of inland or basemap coverage. Navionics+ inland, C-MAP US Inland, and the Humminbird Basemap all get you started, and C-MAP Discover and Navionics+ add real chart detail beyond the bundled set.
Decide whether you will buy a chart card or subscription before you buy the head. If you will, the display is a one-time purchase and the chart is an ongoing cost. If you will not, prioritize a display with the most free coverage for your water, which for most small-boat anglers inland is fine.
If you think you will add radar, an autopilot, engine monitoring or a second display within a few seasons, buy networking now. The Elite FS and the Simrad GO both carry NMEA 2000, and the Elite FS adds Ethernet, which is what LiveScope and camera systems need.
A starter backbone kit with the cable, T-connectors and terminators solves most of the confusion new owners hit. Terminate both ends of the backbone, power it from a switched circuit, and do not daisy-chain devices off the backbone spine.
A bracket or bail mount comes off in a minute and doubles as a theft deterrent on a boat that lives on a trailer. A flush mount looks cleaner, resists vibration and stays protected, but it takes real cutting work and permanent alteration to the console.
On RIBs and small aluminum boats, a gimbal mount with a locking collar is the practical middle ground, and both Helix models in this lineup include one. If your console face is thin, add a backing plate behind any flush cut.
Live sonar is the biggest functional jump in this lineup, and the Eagle Eye 9 is the only display here that delivers it without a separate transducer purchase. If your decision for buying a fishfinder is seeing baitfish move, pay for it. If you are marking bottom and looking for structure, CHIRP plus ClearVü or a side imaging channel will serve you for years.
Owning an expensive head and then bolting on a live sonar module later means two installs and two sets of cables on a small boat. Buyers who know live sonar is the goal tend to choose the display that ships with it.
A chartplotter head, a transducer and a VHF together can pull more current than a single small group battery can sustain for a long day. Add a bilge pump, a deck light and any electronics and the math gets tight on a boat under 20 feet.
Fuse each device on its own circuit, run the head off a switched supply so it sleeps with the boat, and keep the total load under about half your battery capacity in amp hours for a usable reserve. If your boat runs a single small battery, a 7-inch head with a bundled transducer is a safer starting point than a 10-inch display plus a live sonar module.
A transom mount is fastest and easiest, and it works well on low-deadrise aluminum and fiberglass. On a deeper deadrise hull the transducer angles away from the bottom and loses the picture, so move it to a thru-hull or in-hull position.
In-hull transducers need a fiberglass hull with a sealed and non-polymerized bottom, and they lose signal in bubbles and turbulence. On a small boat with a rough ride, keep the transducer as far forward and as deep as you can, away from prop wash, and avoid mounting it directly under an outboard or a jet drive.
Garmin, Lowrance and Simrad each have a coherent family of displays, sonar, radar and apps. Staying inside one family makes networking and app features simpler, and mixing brands for a display and a sonar head is where owners report data dropouts.
If you already own electronics from a brand, a matching display is usually the least frustrating path. There is a general comparison of compact tracking and location devices on the site if you are also outfitting shore gear, like GPS smartwatches for family members to keep tabs on everyone who is not on the boat.
For a quick rule of thumb: Garmin leads on sunlight-readable screens and side imaging bundles, Lowrance leads on live sonar and included connectivity, Humminbird leads on portable kits and imaging per dollar, and Simrad leads on radar path and C-MAP charting. Pick the brand whose accessories match how you actually fish.
One last check before you buy anything: if your phone or tablet already carries a marine navigation app, keep it as a backup rather than a plan. A charged phone mounted as a secondary position reference costs nothing compared with a second display.
And if you are equipping for the whole family rather than just the helm, our guide to compact everyday carry gear covers the rest of a day on the water.
For most small boats the best marine GPS chartplotters balance screen size, bundled sonar and install simplicity. Our top pick is the Lowrance Elite FS because the transducer and network ports are included. Anglers who want side imaging should look at the Garmin ECHOMAP UHD2 93sv or the Humminbird Helix 7 G4, and buyers on a tight budget get the most from the Humminbird Helix 5 CHIRP.
A GPS plotter shows position, speed and basic track information only. A chartplotter plots that position on detailed electronic charts and adds route planning, waypoint management and usually sonar, radar or AIS integration. For anything beyond open water on a familiar lake, a chartplotter is the useful device.
Garmin is generally stronger for sunlight readability, side imaging bundles and a mature accessory network, which suits most small-boat anglers. Simrad is stronger when C-MAP charting, phone mirroring and a future radar upgrade are the priorities. Both support NMEA 2000, so either fits a growing helm.
Raymarine competes well on sonar clarity with HyperVision and on its charting, and owners often like the hardware feel. Garmin generally wins on rating consistency, app ecosystem and how often side imaging ships in the box. The better choice usually comes down to transducer bundling and chart coverage for your water rather than brand alone.
Seven inches is the most common choice for boats under 20 feet because it fits a modest console and still supports a readable split screen. Five inches suits very tight dashes and portable setups, while nine and ten inch heads need a wider, reinforced console. Measure your clear dash width before choosing.
The best marine GPS chartplotters for small boats in 2026 are not the biggest screens, they are the ones that fit your dash, pull reasonable current and ship with a transducer you can actually use. Our winner, the Lowrance Elite FS, gives you a 10-inch canvas, three sonar types in the box and the networking ports to add radar or a live sonar module later without replacing the display.
If your console will not take 10 inches, the Humminbird Helix 7 G4 is the buy for anglers who want MEGA Side Imaging, and the Lowrance Eagle 7-inch is the pick if you wear polarized glasses all day. Budget-limited buyers get a genuinely capable display in the Humminbird Helix 5 CHIRP.
Measure first, budget the power second, and pick the brand whose accessories you will actually buy later. Get those three right and any of the eleven models here will serve you well.
