Best Center Console Boats: The Best Brands Across the Spectrum

Center console boats are a wildly popular type of fishing boat, and they’ve also become quite widespread for use as day cruisers, family boats, and for general recreation on the water. Stated simply, a center console boat has its helm in the center of the boat. It provides a comfortable position for sitting or standing, typically with the protection of a windshield, offers ample 360-degree deck space and fishability, and often provides shade from a T-top. Most center consoles for sale on the market today have outboard power and are wonderfully versatile, available from trailerable 17-foot models up to 50 feet and over with cabins and heads. In past articles, we’ve looked at the best center console boats under 25 feet and the best luxury center console boats over 40 feet. Here we shine a spotlight on the top-selling center console boat brands for fishing and recreation in categories across the spectrum including:

Best Center Console Fishing Boats

We’ll dispense with this category quicky, because with very few exceptions all of the brands we’ll be talking about could also be categorized as fishing boats. Center consoles have long been a favored choice for fishing enthusiasts, and they line the marinas up and down the coast with their impressive set-ups, meaty outboard engines (two, three, or four are not uncommon), and range of integrated fishing gear like rigging stations, tackle boxes, and livewells. Take your pick from any of the following center console boat brands, as they’re all primed and ready for the anglers in your family.

Best Center Console Bay Boats

Bay boats are designed for inshore and backcountry anglers, and hybrid bay boats are intended to also be offshore capable for jaunts away from the coast when the weather is nice. They have modified-V hulls to minimize draft, low-slung gunwales for easily landing fish, and elevated casting platforms for maximizing casting distance. Finding the best bay boat for you can be tough simply because there are so many different models out there to choose from, but here are some of our top picks.

Caymas

Caymas is a relative newcomer having launched in 2018. They also have a relatively limited lineup, including 26’ and 28’ hybrid bay boats. They’re standouts, however, thanks to an impeccable fit and finish and the fact that they ride on the unique Stepped Vee Ventilated Tunnel (SVVT) hull, which has twin steps feeding an aft tunnel. This boosts speed and efficiency by around 15-percent over standard-issue hullforms, and some of their boats are capable of 70-plus-mph speeds.

Caymas 26 HB. Cayams Boats photo.

Pathfinder

Pathfinder boats were born and bred for the bay, with their entire lineup consisting of bay boats with the exception of one hybrid model. In all cases, these are high-performance fishing machines that often turn in top-end speeds in excess of 60 mph. They offer all the expected fishing features like livewells, casting decks, and integrated fishboxes, and several of their models also have family-friendly comfort features like additional seating and freshwater systems.

Pathfinder 2400 TRS. Pathfinder photo.

Ranger Boats

Ranger earns a spot in this roundup (and also in our article Best Aluminum Center Console Brands) not only because they have a well-deserved reputation for building great boats, but also because they offer both fiberglass and aluminum bay boat models. This gives anglers the choice of which type of construction material will serve them best, whereas most competing brands offer only one or the other. Also note that Ranger delivers complete turnkey boat-motor-trailer packages at clearly advertised pricing.

Ranger RB190. Ranger Boats photo.

Best Offshore Fishing Center Console Boats

Offshore center consoles are built with two purposes in mind: making long runs through the ocean and catching fish. Period. And while any center console of competent size might be able to reach the offshore grounds, boats that are dedicated to the task will make the run more pleasant and faster. If hunting for big game pelagics is your speed, these are some top sport fishing boat brands to check out.

Contender

Contender boats are known for riding on an uber-aggressive deep-V hullform to slice through rough seas at high speeds in comfort. Their offshore fleet ranges from a 24-footer all the way up to a 43’10”, 1,800-hp, twin-stepped oceanic beast that can run at speeds in excess of 60 mph. Note also that Contenders are highly customizable and can be outfitted and rigged to match specific types of fishing.

Contender 39 FA. Contender photo.

Everglades

If you’re looking for the top of the market, consider the Everglades range of sportfishing center console boats, tournament-ready for offshore fishing with exclusive and luxurious finishings. Versatile and powerful, their offshore boats have Yamaha outboard engines, large integrated fishboxes, and helms kitted out with the latest technology.

Everglades 395CC. Everglades photo.

Regulator

Regulator Marine builds a lineup of deep-V offshore center consoles up to the 41’3” quad-engine Regulator 41, but it also builds some of the smallest offshore-capable boats around. Their 23 is every bit as able to handle the ocean as many boats with far more LOA, has a range of hundreds of miles, and is designed to ply the same waters as big sportfishing machines for the likes of tuna, billfish, and wahoo.

Regulator 23. Regulator photo.

Best Catamaran Center Consoles

This category could be combined with offshore center consoles to some degree, because catamarans offer the smooth ride and long range that offshore anglers demand. Yet they have a number of other unusual traits, like carrying the full beam forward (creating more space aboard) and maintaining excellent stability.

Freeman

Freeman’s line is unquestionably among the best catamaran fishing boats around, and their boats are all designed for long runs through the ocean at high speeds. All of their models are capable of cruising through rough seas smoother than monohulls of the same size, too, and all are rigged to the teeth with livewells, fishboxes, tackle stations, and angling accouterments that serious offshore fishermen demand.

Freeman 37VH. Freeman Boatworks photo.

Invincible

One of the rare builders that offers a full lineup of both monohull and catamaran boats, the Invincible line of 33- to 46-footers are all oriented to offshore angling. Each and every one also offers customizable rigging, so you can choose how many livewells to get and where they’re located, what sort of outriggers you want, and so on. Also note that Invincible boats have topnotch fit and finish, and are just as well known for their great looks as they are for their offshore fishing prowess.

Invincible 33 Catamaran. Invincible photo.

World Cat

The World Cat brand is one of the oldest production-built catamaran brands around, building only powercats since its founding. Today they offer one of the widest ranges on the market, starting with a 22’7” bay boat style cat and ranging up to the potent 400 CC-X—which can be rigged with quadruple outboards up to 1,200 horsepower. World Cat also lays claim to being the largest builder of outboard-powered catamarans in the world.

World Cat 260CC-X. World Cat photo.

Best Center Console Deck Boats

The best deck boat brands offer models with more interior room and more versatility than most other types of boats, and while there aren’t a huge number of deck boats designed with a center console, many builders offer a model or two. If you want a deck boat and you also want a center console these top picks should be on your must-see list.

Starcraft

The SVX OB CC series from Starcraft offers up three center console deck boats from 18’11” to 22’8”. They’re a relatively new fiberglass offering from the brand (which builds both aluminum and fiberglass boats) and are designed with an eye on sporty performance as well as mixing fishing and family time. The 231 CC, for example, hits speeds in excess of 55 mph with a 250-hp outboard and can carry another 50 horses if you so choose.

Starcraft SVX 231 OB CC. Starcraft Marine photo.

Stingray

One of the largest lines of center console deck boats comes from Stingray, with six models from 17’3” to 27’11”. All are designed with fishing and family comfort in mind and feature a complete complement of fishing options. What really separates Stingrays from the pack, however, is the bow design, which incorporates forward seating but trims it a bit from the deckboat norm to boost the available deck space in the bow. If a center console deck boat is appealing and you want it to lean a little more towards fishability as opposed to seating, a Stingray fits the bill.

Stingray 206CC. Stingray Boats photo.

Tahoe

The Tahoe line of deckboats includes the 2150 CC, which is all about mixing fishing in with family fun. It has the aft layout of a center console with the forward design of a deck boat, and boasts a livewell and tackle stowage—but also a ski tow pylon and a bow swim platform.

Tahoe 2150 CC. Tahoe photo.

Best Small Center Console Boats

Small center console boats are an excellent choice for those who have modest tow vehicles, a limited budget, or an empty garage just waiting to have a boat parked inside. 

Carolina Skiff

This builder is famous for crafting boats that are small, simple, easy to maintain, and nearly indestructible, and it should come as no surprise they also made an appearance in our roundup of the best center console boats under 25 feet. They offer four different lines with dozens of models in all, from 15’11” to 26’. Many are very customizable, and Carolina Skiffs is also one of the few builders around that will sell a boat in kit form allowing you to customize it as much or as little as you’d like.

Carolina Skiff 21 LS. Carolina Skiff photo.

Parker Boats

Parker Boats has a reputation for building hardcore fishing machines, but has undergone a renaissance of sorts in the past few years and their models are now built with more consideration given to comfort, fit, and finish. Still, they remain eminently fishable and currently have seven boats under the 26’ mark down to the 185SE, an all-new model for 2024.

Parker 18SE. Parker Offshore photo.

Scout Boats

Although Scout Boats is best known today for its huge luxury models, this brand’s roots are in building small center consoles, and they continue to produce multiple models under 26’ today, all the way down to a diminutive 17’5”. Even the smallest, however, is built with the same dedication to quality and fit and finish as their million-dollar yachts. So, if you want a 17-footer that looks like a million bucks, this one is the ticket.

Scout 175 Sportfish. Scout photo.

Most Affordable Center Console Brands

Boats can be tough to afford, so for many people pricing counts in a big way. Just about anyone can find an affordable boat, however, either by searching used boats for sale or by doing their homework. This batch of boats may not be “cheap,” but they do undersell the competition.

Axopar

Launched in 2014, the Finnish brand Axopar created huge waves in the industry upon its introduction. Their boats have distinctive styling that many love, and they are built for all-around adventuring at sea. Many are not equipped for fishing but instead have cruising accessories. And they land a spot here because the company’s ethos is to keep their boats moderately priced to provide excellent value for the money. Their under-30-foot models have cabins and heads, enclosed helms, and a whole suite of features, all at enticing prices when stacked up against the competition.

Axopar 28 T-top. Axopar photo.

Bayliner

With a range of models and styles at attractive prices, Bayliner boats are well worth a look if you’re just starting out your boating journeys or working hard to manage limited funds. The features you get as standard are akin to those you would get from high-end brands, including livewells, rod storage, and an enclosed head even on many of their smaller models. Bayliner specializes in smaller center console boats, and pricing is often a fraction of what some brands charge for similarly sized models.

Bayliner T20CC. Bayliner photo.

Sportsman

If you’re looking for an affordable center console that ticks a lot of boxes, consider the Sportsman range. They bring a lot to the table, whether it’s cruising the bay, tackling offshore seas on calmer days, fishing, or spending time with the family cruising and swimming. Sportsman thoroughly equips all their models for fishing and is open and upfront about their pricing, with simple packages and no hidden extras, so what you see is what you get.

Sportsman Heritage 261. Sportsman photo.

Best Luxury Center Console Boats

Once upon a time center consoles were rugged fishing machines with few frills. These days, however, the right center console can land you in the lap of luxury. 

Chris-Craft

The name Chris-Craft is synonymous with luxury, and after 150 years of boatbuilding they certainly know how to build a head-turning boat that will last. It probably doesn’t need to be said, but Chris-Craft boats don’t come cheap. Still, you’re getting some of the finest craftsmanship in the industry. With teak trim, booming stereo systems, and sun lounger style seating, all their models are things of beauty.

Chris-Craft Catalina 30. Chris-Craft photo.

Pursuit

Pursuit’s Sport Center Console lineup includes seven models and from the S248 to the S428, each and every one designed to land the entire crew in the lap of luxury. Their over-stuffed seating with fast-dry foam, mesh backing, and lumbar support is so unusual the company has it patented, and many convertible items are electrically actuated so you can presto-change-o a seat into a lounger at the flip of a switch. These boats also feature an amazing attention to detail that results in an utterly flawless finish.

Pursuit S 358. Pursuit photo.

Valhalla

Valhalla Boatworks was established in 2019, and one might be forgiven for thinking this is a new boatbuilder. In fact, the brand was started by the famed Viking Yachts to enter the center console market. And they’ve made quite a splash since jumping in with a lineup of seven models from 28’1” to 55’7”. In fact, the V-55, queen of the fleet, is known as one of the most luxurious center consoles on the water today, period. Perks include a saloon/two-stateroom air-conditioned console cabin, two rows of helm-deck seating, and handcrafted interior woodwork worthy of an art gallery.

Valhalla V-55. Valhalla Boatworks photo.

Best Family Center Console Boats

Center consoles are nothing if not versatile, and these days what is classed as a fishing boat can easily function as a very comfortable and roomy family boat, too. Having said that, there are brands out there whose focus is less on tournament-level fishing and more on recreation. These family center console boats will have more places to relax, plush and adjustable seating, and larger consoles with extra space dedicated to a head compartment. They are geared for family days on the water whether it’s inshore or offshore, and often have perks like stereo systems and ski tow bits as well.

Boston Whaler

One of the top names in the industry—they’re known as ‘The Unsinkable Legend’—Boston Whaler has an impressive range of center consoles designed both for fishing and recreation. The Outrage and Dauntless models offer huge open bows with generous seating, and their reputation for creating ultra-strong, dependable, high-quality boats has only grown stronger ever since they launched their first boat in 1958.

Boston Whaler 360 Outrage. Boston Whaler photo.

Grady-White

With 10 center consoles from the diminutive Fisherman 180 to the grandiose Canyon 456, plus three center console Coastal Explorer hybrid bay boats, the Grady-White lineup of fishing boats keeps a steady eye on serving the entire family. Their boats have touches like freshwater systems with transom showers, comfortable seating, wireless phone chargers, and integrated swim platforms and ladders to keep everyone aboard happy and smiling.

Grady-White Fisherman 236. Grady-White photo.

Robalo

From their 18-footer to the 29’2” R302, the Robalo lineup of center consoles is designed with family fishing in mind and these boats have gobs of comfy seating, heads in the console, and all the amenities you need for a day on the water with the kids. They also have an edge in how they’re packaged and priced, because Robalo has a well-deserved reputation for offering complete and well-equipped boat-motor-trailer packages at reasonable pricing that won’t bust the family budget.

Robalo R230. Robalo photo.

The universe of center console boats is a huge one, and finding the ideal model for you and your family is no small task. Hopefully by now, however, you have an idea of some top choices that fit the bill for your needs. Ready, get set, start boat shopping!

This article was most recently updated in June 2024 by Lenny Rudow.