We have all heard the saying that you get what you pay for, and to a certain extent that is true. However, that does not mean that you always have to opt for the most expensive product. When it comes to fishfinders, there are plenty of very effective options that are also very affordable. In fact, there are many devices that cost less than $500* that are going to be perfectly adequate for your needs as a hobby fisherman.
* prices checked at the time of publishing.
Top 5 Fish Finder Under 500$
If you are on a tight budget then that certainly does not mean that you have to opt for a substandard fishfinder, or even worse just make do without one! There are plenty of really great affordable options that you can choose from. In fact, we have put together a list of the best fish finder to help you make your decision.
Deeper Smart Portable Fish Finder
The Deeper Smart Fishfinder 3.0 is a portable wireless device that can be cast to any spot on the water. It will float on the surface and transmit detailed information about depth, bottom structure, fish location, vegetation and temperature straight to the screen of your smartphone or tablet device by way of the associated app.
It is one of the best fish finder under 200 dollars. The great thing about the device is that you do not even need WiFi or mobile data to use it. The Deeper Smart Fishfinder has an internal Bluetooth access point which allows it to connect with your device.
Lowrance Elite 3X Fishfinder
The Lowrance Elite 3X Fishfinder is a compact and affordable package that is packed with all of the advanced features of a higher end model. In fact, we would go as far as to say that it is a contender for the best fish finder under 300 dollars. In the past, if you wanted to opt for a budget fish finder then you had to sacrifice quality and detail in the display.
However, that is not the case with this particular model which features a bright, full color display with a 240 x 360 resolution. Menu navigation is simple and intuitive making this a great fish finder even for beginners. It also has a quick release mount with a tilt and swivel bracket for easy installation.
Garmin Echo 150 Dual Beam
Garmin is a brand that has become renowned for all manner of GPS and mapping devices. It has come to stand for quality and reliability and those are certainly words that can be applied to the Garmin Echo 150.
This dual beam fish finder is potentially one of the best fish finder under 200 dollars. It is particularly popular among sport fishermen and it can accurately scan to depths of around 1300 feet in fresh water.
FishHunter Pro
The FishHunter Pro is the self proclaimed fastest wireless portable fish finder in the world, and it is also one of the best fish finder under 200 dollars. This compact device is good for depths of up to 150 ft. (or 100 ft. when ice fishing) and uses tri-frequency wireless to provide super high resolution data for fast and accurate details about near by fish and bottom structure.
The rechargeable Lithium Polymer battery can last for up to 10 hours which is more than enough for the average fishing trip.
Garmin Echo 551DV
If you are looking for the best fish finder under 500 dollars then the Garmin Echo 551DV is an excellent choice. It features a full color VGA display, quick release mount and DownVu transducer. It is considered to be a premium fish finder which offers the clearest possible fish arc returns and near photorealistic bottom/structure details beneath the boat.
The 5 inches high resolution display has smooth scaling to allow smooth transitions from shallow to deep water and can be used to a maximum of 2300 feet. The Garmin Echo 551DV is supplied with a quick release tilting/swiveling mount which makes installation incredibly easy. This is without a doubt one of the best fish finders in this particular price range.
Conclusion
It is entirely possible to pick up a great fish finder for under $500 or even for under $200! You can still pick up an entirely effective fish finder device without having to spend a huge amount of cash. The models that we have highlighted above are some of the best fish finders under $500 to help you to make your choice a little bit easier. Happy fishing!