Page 1
Page 1
Started By
Message

depth-finder for ski boat on shallow lake

Posted on 5/5/25 at 10:54 am
Posted by Chilton4Bama
Birmingham
Member since Feb 2007
641 posts
Posted on 5/5/25 at 10:54 am
Bought my first boat late last summer and dry storing it on Lake Guntersville. Guntersville can be very shallow in spots, and I do not know the lake very well.

Looking for an entry model depth finder with lake mapping capabilities that will show me the sections I need to stay away from. Not interested in fish finding or anything.

Hoping to keep it around $500.
Posted by Shexter
Prairieville
Member since Feb 2014
16956 posts
Posted on 5/5/25 at 11:17 am to
Posted by BigBinBR
Baton Rouge
Member since Mar 2023
7511 posts
Posted on 5/5/25 at 12:45 pm to
You can pick up a cheap depth finder - like a Hawkeye - for around $100. Just know that these cheaper depth finder only find the depth pretty much directly under the transducer.

And have realistic expectation of what they can an cannot do. If the lake goes from 6' to 1' within 60 feet and you are traveling 35MPH you are covering that distance in only about 1 second. That can get you in trouble fast.
Posted by Itismemc
LA
Member since Nov 2008
4768 posts
Posted on 5/5/25 at 12:49 pm to
Lowrance Eagle series, 7 inches should be fine, and about 100 for the mapcard. The map will help you a lot more than the transducer at speed.
Posted by bird35
Georgia
Member since Sep 2012
13123 posts
Posted on 5/5/25 at 4:40 pm to
Check out the Navionics app.

You can use your phone to see your location over a map of the lake which is marked for depth.

This app can help you find the deep water and stay in it at speed.

I fish a River with a narrow channel surrounded by shallow water. This app keeps me floating.
Posted by captdalton
Member since Feb 2021
15413 posts
Posted on 5/5/25 at 6:27 pm to
I am a Garmin and Furuno guy. If you want to keep it under $500 this would be a good option.

Garmin 5” Combo

But don’t buy it. Get the bigger display. Like hunting optics, knives, and fishing reels, buy once and cry once. If you are getting an all in one fish finder/chart plotter get at least a 7”. And 9” is even better.

Garmin 7” Combo

And Basspro is not the place to go. Go to a few local dealers and talk to them.
Posted by TFLEX
TX
Member since Jun 2023
183 posts
Posted on 5/5/25 at 7:34 pm to
On my ski boat- Direct Drive- I just have a depth finder with a 2" gauge. But that boat spends 99% of its life on 2 stretches of river where I know the depth.

If I was exploring lakes I'd buy a fish finder with maps.

I like lowrance. Plenty of them used for cheap if that's a way you'll go. If not just buy a 5" or 7" graph that has maps installed or accepts a map card and install it. They're so cheap now that everybody is going to live view.
first pageprev pagePage 1 of 1Next pagelast page
refresh

Back to top
logoFollow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News
Follow us on X, Facebook and Instagram to get the latest updates on LSU Football and Recruiting.

FacebookXInstagram