10 Top Family Fishing Boats

Fishing together is a great way to bring the family closer together, but many of the best center console boats are designed strictly for fishing—and fishing, period. That may mean making sacrifices when it comes to comfort, and the boat’s use will be more or less limited to angling alone. What if the kids want to try some water skiing when the bite is slow? Or some members of the clan don’t want to rough it while aboard? Then you need a fishing boat which makes some accommodation to family fun. 

If you’re unsure of exactly what sort of boat will fit the bill for you and yours, check out Best Family Fishing Boats: A Complete Guide. In it, we lay out the different factors to consider, types of boats that usually work well for families, and some top picks that are appropriate for different venues. And once you feel like you have a firm handle on what would serve your family best, take a peek at this variety of choices recently reviewed on video by our partners at BoatTest.com and see if one might prove to be ideal.

Aquila 47 Molokai

With a rather massive 49’4” by 14’7” footprint, the Aquila 47 Molokai is the largest boat in our roundup, and it has gobs of elbow room. It also has a power catamaran hull that smooths out the ride in rough seas, and with quadruple 450-hp Mercury Verado outboards, reaches an eye-watering 69.5 mph. If your kids enjoy thrill-rides, they’ll love blasting across the ocean at highway speeds. Credit goes not only to all the power on the transom but also to a double-stepped hull with resin infusion and carbon fiber included in the boat’s construction. And although the 47 Molokai is designed with plenty of open deck space for angling, it also has a rather extensive cabin inside of the console. There’s a large stateroom with a pedestal berth plus an enclosed head compartment. Leisure-lovers will be drawn towards the bow, which has a triple-wide lounger integrated into the console cabin top. Aquila boats for sale

Aquila 47 Molokai. Aquila photo

Axopar 29 CCX

With a wide range of offerings already on the water, Axopar decided to up its angling game when it introduced the new 29 CCX. Adding rodholders, rocket launchers, and a livewell into the mix, the 29 CCX comes in several different layouts that can be more or less fishy. The angler’s top choice is likely to be an open cockpit, but you can also have a settee, wet bar, or even an aft cabin back there. Families with small children who consider a cabin a must but also want the open cockpit will like the forward-entry console cabin, which has a relatively large berth and a spot for an MSD and sink. Added bonus: the large three-sided enclosure provides more protection at the helm than most center console boats can deliver. Axopar boats for sale

Axopar 29 CCX. Axopar photo

Boston Whaler 210 Vantage

Dual consoles are an excellent choice for family anglers, since the full-sized wraparound windshield and closing bow door provide more shelter than a center console. The 210 is the smallest dual console in Boston Whaler’s lineup, and it comes rigged to fish with standard features like a pair of gunwale rodholders, three transom rodholders, and elevated casting platforms atop flip-down aft jump seats. The optional Fishing Package adds an 18-gallon lighted livewell, a raw water washdown, two more gunwale rodholders, and locking rod stowage. Critically, like all Boston Whalers, this boat’s fiberglass-foam-fiberglass sandwich construction makes it unsinkable. Also critical from the family boating perspective, the port-side passenger’s console swings open to access an enclosed head compartment. If the kids enjoy watersports, be sure to opt for the ski-tow pylon, too. Boston Whaler boats for sale

Boston Whaler 210 Vantage. Boston Whaler photo

Boston Whaler 350 Realm

If you love the idea of taking the family out on an unsinkable boat and you’re in the market for a significantly larger vessel than the 210 Vantage, the 350 Realm should be of interest. This boat is a combination between express cruiser, center console, and bowrider, with fore and aft cockpits and a centered helm station that connects to the starboard side of the boat to create space inside for a larger-than-expected cabin. Inside its air-conditioned confines, you’ll find a spacious seating area that converts into a double berth, plenty of stowage in the cabinetry, and a fully enclosed head compartment. Stock angling accouterments include a 15-gallon livewell, four flush-mount gunwale rodholders, three transom rodholders, and coaming bolsters all around. Boston Whaler boats for sale

Boston Whaler 350 Realm. Boston Whaler photo

Formula 457 CCF

If you and your family want utter luxury as opposed to mere comfort, the Formula 457 is going to be a top pick. There’s air conditioning piped in not only to the helm, but also to the double-row helm seating. And whichever row of seats you kick back in, you’ll find cell phone chargers, USB charging ports, and cupholders close at hand. Comfort levels in rough seas go through the roof thanks to a Seakeeper 6 gyroscopic stabilization system living in the equipment room. The cabin has a large dinette forward that converts into a berth, an enclosed head, and a full galley to complement the outdoor grill found abovedeck. And triple V-12 600-hp Mercury Verados provide top-end speeds in excess of 60 mph. The boat is fully armed for fishing for oceanic pelagics, too, including everything from a big rigging station with onboard tackle stowage to a pair of 58-gallon livewells large enough to bathe in. The washdowns have a touch of luxury as they’re mounted on self-retracting hose reels, and even the fishboxes are show-stoppers as they can be rigged with integrated chiller plates controlled via a digital thermostat. Formula boats for sale

Formula 457 CCF. Formula photo

Regal 43 SAV

Regal has long been known for building express cruisers, a fact that earned the brand a spot in our roundup of the Best Mini Yacht Brands for Cruising and Luxury. And they bring that experience to the table with the 43 SAV—then add a dash of dayboat and a pinch of fishing. SAV stands for “Sports Activity Vessel,” and the 43 SAV certainly offers a wide range of options for the numerous activities you’ll enjoy during your time afloat. When you’re on the hook and you want more space, press a button and the cockpit hullsides swing down to become a superyacht-style “beach club.” When weekending aboard you’ll find that this is the only boat in our roundup with a cabin so extensive it has both a forward dinette/berth and a mid-cabin full-beam stateroom, so parents and kids can enjoy a bit of privacy when it’s time to sleep. And when it’s time to fish, you’ll discover plenty of rodholders and a pair of pressurized livewells in the transom. Regal boats for sale

Regal 43 SAV. Regal photo

Seawell 290CC

The Seawell 290 center console is a bit more fishing-inclined than most of the other contenders in this roundup, with a straightforward, open deck design and a nice list of standard features for fish-heads: Four flush-mount rodholders plus six rocket launchers, a raw water washdown, a livewell, and a pair of fishboxes in the deck. It also offers a unique option we haven’t seen before, rocket launchers lining the sides of the T-top as opposed to the back. On the family front, take note of unusually high gunwales that will corral the kids, at 2’3” tall in the stern and 3’3” tall in the bow. Additional family features include a standard freshwater system, a molded-in bench seat on the transom, a bow dinette which converts into a sunpad, and naturally there’s a head inside the console as well. Seawell boats for sale

Seawell 290. Seawell Boats photo

Seawell 345XL

A big jump up from the Seawell 290 is their 345, which also features deep gunwales and a molded-in transom seat. The cockpit has a ton of fishing room, there’s a livewell under that aft seat, and again Seawell offers rocket launchers that line the sides of the top rather than running along the back. Offshore anglers will also want to take note of the rigging station behind the helm, which includes a sink, bait cooler, and three tackle stowage compartments. The 345XL’s cabin is more extensive than one might guess for a boat of this size, too, with a forward berth as well as the fully enclosed head compartment and a small galley area. The real surprise is that Seawell manages to also carve out room for a mini mid-cabin with a 6’2” long berth running athwartships under the helm station.

Seawell 345 XL. Seawell Boats photo

World Cat 235TE

For those who want a small boat that can handle big seas and fish hard while doing it, the World Cat 235TE will be an attractive option. Being a powercat, it has significantly more deck space than a monohull of the same size, especially in the bow, and offers a shockingly smooth ride for its size. The 235TE has a full complement of fishing accessories and, in addition, an outrageously low nine-inch draft that will let shallow-water anglers creep deep into the backcountry. This model is far more serious about its fishing than most in this roundup and as a result has fewer family features, but it does offer a head compartment in the console, a four-speaker JL Audio Bluetooth stereo system, a freshwater transom shower, and an oversized, easy-to-climb reboarding ladder on the swim platform. If the kids love fishing as much as you do and you’re a fan of a smooth cat ride, this boat is a serious winner. World Cat boats for sale

World Cat 235TE. World Cat photo

Yamaha 255 FSH Sport H

The 255 FSH Sport H is the queen of Yamaha’s center console fleet, and it comes with a boatload of features for both fishing and family fun. First and foremost, remember that this is a jet boat, so the kids will love getting from point A to point B. You’ll love docking it, because this is the first jet boat to incorporate Yamaha’s Helm Master EX joystick controls. One thing that pleases both anglers and kids is the unusual “aquarium style” livewell, which has a clear front so you can watch the baitfish swimming around inside. The boat’s riddled with rodholders, too, with flush-mounts in the gunwales, vertical racks along the sides of the console, rocket launchers on the T-top, and under-gunwale rodracks. Naturally there’s a tow hook for pulling around water-toys, and the boat comes with a tandem-axle trailer so it’s a completely turnkey package. Yamaha boats for sale

Yamaha 255 FSH Sport H. Yamaha photo

Hopefully one or more of these fun family fishing boats strikes your fancy, but if not, don’t despair. There’s a perfect boat out there for everyone and the reason why there are so many different boats on the market is that there are so many different boaters with different tastes and desires. Peruse all our different listings for fishing boats and sooner or later, you’re sure to spot one that the entire family will fall in love with.