Best Lake Fishing Boats: What’s Your Waterway?

There’s a tremendous range of different types of fishing boats on the water, and finding the best fishing boats for lakes will be very different from making top choices for rivers, bays, and oceans. Even among dedicated freshwater fishing boats there’s plenty of variation between the best lake boats, the best fishing machines for rivers, the best for ponds, and so on. So, which will be the best for you, personally?

The answer to that question depends on a number of variables. What sort of waterway do you fish in the most often? Are you a casual angler, or is fishing your passion? Do you regularly fish with the whole family aboard? Do you tend to hit the water alone, or with a full crew? All of these factors come into play. 

The bottom line is that finding the best lake fishing boat for your own specific needs is not a simple task. You’ll want to come to your decision carefully and think things through, because this is a critical choice—it will determine how happy you ultimately are after making a major purchase, influence how successful you are as an angler, and even impact your safety on the water. 

Choose one of the freshwater fishing boats that best suits your needs, and everyone in the family will be smiling. Tracker boats photo

Key Features to Look for in a Lake Fishing Boat

First, however, there are a few key features to pay attention to when choosing the best fishing boats for lakes, regardless as to how or where you do your fishing or what your budget may be. Always carefully consider the following factors.

Size

Obviously, size is a critical consideration when choosing any boat, including a freshwater fishing boat. Budget often comes into play here since bigger boats usually cost more than smaller ones. But while bigger often seems better, this isn’t always the case. Some key points to think about include:

• How large a boat storage area you have, especially if you hope to keep your boat in a garage or driveway.
• How many people you tend to go fishing with.
• Your tow vehicle capacity and the weight of different size boats you’re considering.
• The size and nature of the launch facilities you commonly use,—and if your boat will be kept on a lift, its size and capacity.
• The size of the waterways you commonly fish, with bigger boats generally more appropriate for bigger waters.
• Your tolerance for fishing in adverse weather conditions, since that will determine how often you’re out on the water in the wind and (potentially large) waves.

Hull design and stability

Stability is a characteristic of a boat that works in concert with several other factors. If all other things are equal, the more of a V-shape a boat’s hull has the better it will chop through the waves, but the less stability it will have. Most freshwater fishing boats are designed to find a happy medium, with some sharpness in the bow tapering back to a flatter section in the stern. The amount of V at the stern is referred to as the boat’s “transom deadrise.” While the best ocean boats commonly feature deep-V hulls with 21 or more degrees of transom deadrise, most freshwater fishing boats have semi-V hulls with 15 to 20 degrees of deadrise being considered aggressive and eight to 14 degrees being more common. A flat-bottom boat with no transom deadrise at all will be the most stable platform of all, but naturally, it tends to bang even in the smallest waves.

Of course, all other things are never equal. Hull design, center of gravity, and many other factors come into play regarding stability. When all is said and done, the very best way to judge it on any individual boat is to take that boat for a sea trial and make sure it’s not flat-calm conditions when you do.

Models with some V in the hull are usually best if you plan on fishing in large, open waters. Lund photo

Motor type

The best fishing boats for lakes are usually powered by gasoline outboard engines, but there are a few out there with inboards and stern drives (see Outboard vs Inboard: Which Engine is Best for You? if you aren’t sure about the differences). There are also some electric boat brands and clamp-on electric outboards appropriate for fishing some waterways. Many people favor these since they’re silent and emission-free, however, they usually offer far less speed and range. If you’re not in a hurry and/or rarely fish more than a few miles from the dock, they’re worth consideration.

Construction

Since the vast majority of the boats on the market today are built to National Marine Manufacturer Association standards and all must meet U.S. Coast Guard standards, today’s freshwater fishing boats are constructed to be safe. However, the better a boat is built the longer it will last and the fewer problems you’ll have with it. Naturally it’s better to have a boat with metal pieces and parts—as opposed to lots of plastic— plus corrosion-resistant tinned-copper wiring and marine-grade vinyls and soft goods. 

As for choosing an aluminum model versus a fiberglass lake boat, each construction material has its own pluses and minuses. If you’re not familiar with the advantages and disadvantages of each, read Aluminum vs Fiberglass Boats: Which is Best and Why?

Most of the best lake fishing boats are constructed from aluminum, but you’ll find some high-end fiberglass models as well. Starcraft photo

Storage and Seating

Just how much gear will you have to stow, and how many people will need a spot to sit? The size of the boat you choose will have a big impact on storage and seating, but that’s not the only factor. Different boats have different seating arrangements and integrated storage. Even some of the best lake boats of 20 or more feet will only have seating for three—consider bass boats, for example—while others the same size might have seating for up to six. And when it comes to stowage, some will have integrated tackleboxes and rod boxes, while others will be completely bare from gunwale to gunwale.

Consider factors like lift capacity and storage when choosing what size boat would be best for your needs.

Types of Freshwater Fishing Boats

Best overall: Ranger 622FS Pro

If you want to fish for bass one day, walleye the next, and muski the day after that, with little restriction on the size and type of waterways you hit, it’s going to be very tough to beat the Ranger 622FS Pro. Most lake fishing boats are aluminum and this is a fiberglass rig, and it can take a whopping 400 horsepower on the transom. That delivers eye-watering speeds pushing close to 70 mph. The boat is rigged to the teeth with just about every fishing accouterment known to mankind, and it has unique touches like a powered ventilation system for the rodboxes, a remote-controlled drain plug, and Ranger’s RIDE integrated network control on a 9” touchscreen.

The boat has an elevated bowdeck, protective windshield, and a deep cockpit with seating for four. And it’s packaged with a Ranger Trail tandem-axle trailer with torsion axles and hydraulic surge brakes. Everything about this rig is absolutely topnotch from the lithium-ion batteries to the pultruded fiberglass transom. The downside, as one might expect, is that buying the very best boat is not an inexpensive endeavor—plan on dropping six figures and then some.

Ranger 622FS Pro. Ranger Boats photo

Best budget-friendly: Bass Tracker Classic XL

If you want a versatile fishing rig that comes in well under the $20K mark, you’ll find the Bass Tracker Classic XL of interest. This 16’8” long, 6’5” wide boat comes with a 50-horsepower outboard and a trailer, and it also gets Tracker’s five-year bow-to-stern warranty plus a limited lifetime structural warranty. The boat’s large enough to handle just about any body of water on a nice day, but a svelte 1,705-pound package weight means you can tow it with a modest pick-up or midsize SUV. For someone who wants to fish and fish hard but do it on a budget, this one’s a winner.

With a price tag this low you can’t expect a ton of high-end goodies, but the Classic XL comes fairly well equipped with basic accessories. A 12-volt 45-pound thrust Minn Kota Edge trolling motor is on the bow, there’s a Garmin Striker 4 fishfinder at the helm, and there’s a nine-gallon livewell molded into the front of the console. Fancy? Nope. Effective for a penny-pinching angler? You bet.

Bass Tracker Classic XL. Tracker Boats photo

Best for solo anglers: Veer V13

Solo anglers often gravitate towards fishing kayaks, and while they are excellent angling platforms, they have very limited range. Not so with the Veer V13, a 13’ long, 4’ wide boat that’s built of the same material as most modern kayaks: polyethylene. This material is tough as nails, so you won’t have to worry about bumping the dock or hitting the trailer when launching and unloading single-handed. It’s also low maintenance so cleaning up at the end of the day is a breeze even when you’re all by yourself.

The Veer’s max capacity is two people, so you can still take a friend along from time to time, and it’s available with either gasoline or electric power. The boat is quite small and simple, however, so it doesn’t come with a ton of extras: nav lights and Marine Mat decking is standard, and available options include a cover, a shallow-water pole anchor, SportTrak accessories, a stand bar, an electric trolling motor, and a trailer. 

Veer V13. Veer photo

Best for families or groups: Lund 1875 Impact XS

The Lund Impact 1875 XS checks a lot of boxes: it’s a fully featured fishing machine with two livewells, fore-and-aft casting decks, electric trolling motor rigging, and locking rod lockers. It’s large enough to take on big lakes but features a boat-motor-trailer length of 21’5” so it’s easily stored, and a towing weight of 2,706 pounds so it can be hauled with a relatively modest tow vehicle. And it boasts top speeds over the 40-mph mark, double-plated bow construction, and a composite transom.

What sets the Lund 1875 Impact XS apart from the crowd when it comes to pleasing the family, however, are a few additional goodies that will keep those kids grinning from ear to ear. A ski tow base is included so you can give them thrill rides when the bite is slow, and they’re sure to enjoy the booming four-speaker Kicker stereo system. Everyone in the family will appreciate the dual USB ports, plentiful drink holders, and comfy ProRide seats. Plus this boat has a tall, protective windshield to keep everyone dry and out of the wind-blast.

Lund 1875 Impact XS. Lund photo

Best bass fishing boat: Skeeter FXR21 Apex

Bass boats are highly specialized fishing machines, and while they won’t necessarily be the best lake fishing boats if you want to troll for walleye or take a big crew perch fishing, they are the hands-down best for chasing bass. Skeeter’s FXR21 Apex takes the pole position, with performance exceeding the 70-mph mark, a full suite of fishing features, and a limited lifetime structural warranty.

Be prepared to be wowed by how this boat is outfitted, with goodies like an electronics suite including a pair of Humminbird Helix MFDs; an Atlas jackplate; Dakota Lithium batteries; and a Minn Kota Quest 115 MSI trolling motor. And while looks are certainly subjective, we’ve got to say this boat wows us in that regard, too.

Skeeter FXR21 Apex. Skeeter photo

Freshwater fishing boats come in many shapes and sizes, and we admit that we’ve barely scratched the surface here. For some people a fishing pontoon will be ideal, while some others might go for a Jon boat. But if you’re on the hunt for the best lake boats around and fishing is your thing, at this point in the article you should have a good idea what to look for. Now, get out there and find that perfect boat!