Top 5 Editorial Picks

Five current fishfinders chosen for distinct buyer needs—from compact value to a premium expandable system. These are editorial selections, not Amazon or reader ratings.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

  1. 1
    Garmin STRIKER Vivid 4cv, Easy-to-Use 4-inch Color Fishfinder and Sonar Transducer, Vivid Scanning Sonar Color Palettes 4 Inch STRIKER Vivid 4cv Transducer

    Best Compact Value

    Garmin STRIKER Vivid 4cv

    A straightforward sonar and GPS unit for kayaks, jon boats, and small boats.

    • CHIRP and ClearVü scanning sonar in a compact package
    • A sensible pick when you do not need a chartplotter or SideVü
    • Best fit for budget-conscious small-boat anglers
    Check Price
  2. 2
    Garmin STRIKER Vivid 4cv, Easy-to-Use 4-inch Color Fishfinder and Sonar Transducer, Vivid Scanning Sonar Color Palettes 7 Inch STRIKER Vivid 7sv Transducer

    Best All-Around 7-Inch Fishfinder

    Garmin STRIKER Vivid 7sv

    A capable sonar-first choice for anglers who want a useful 7-inch display without moving into a full chartplotter system.

    • CHIRP, ClearVü, and SideVü sonar for fish and structure
    • Simple setup with a practical 7-inch screen
    • Strong value for most general boat anglers
    Check Price
  3. 3
    Garmin ECHOMAP UHD2 73sv with GT54 Transducer, 7” Touchscreen Chartplotter, Garmin Navionics+ U.S. Inland 7' Garmin Navionics+ U.S. Inland with GT54 Transducer

    Best GPS & Chartplotter Upgrade

    Garmin ECHOMAP UHD2 73sv

    The mapping step-up for buyers who need confident navigation as well as high-quality scanning sonar.

    • Garmin Navionics+ U.S. Inland mapping and touchscreen control
    • Ultra High-Definition ClearVü and SideVü sonar
    • A better fit than STRIKER when charts matter
    Check Price
  4. 4
    Humminbird XPLORE Series GPS Fish Finder MEGA Side Imaging+ & HD Touchscreen Display Transducer Included) 9-Inch Display

    Best Side-Imaging Upgrade

    Humminbird XPLORE 9

    A current 9-inch imaging platform for anglers ready to build around serious side imaging and boat integration.

    • MEGA Side Imaging+ and MEGA Down Imaging+
    • 9-inch display with touchscreen and keypad control
    • Recommended configuration: 9-inch, transducer included
    Check Price
  5. 5
    Lowrance HDS PRO Fish Finder/Chartplotter with C-MAP, 9 to 16-inch Options 10 Inch ActiveImaging HD 3-in-1

    Best Premium Expandable System

    Lowrance HDS PRO 10

    A larger-boat platform for buyers who want premium sonar, mapping, networking, and a serious expansion path.

    • Active Imaging HD and C-MAP charting
    • Wide networking support for integrated electronics
    • Ready to expand with ActiveTarget 2 and the Lowrance ecosystem
    Check Price

Garmin eTrex 20 Review

The Garmin eTrex 20 is one of several recent additions to the Garmin portable GPS lineup with a design aimed for multiple uses including the marine environment. This unit features a compact design, the ability to use a Garmin marine chart card, and is one of the smallest and lightest weight Garmin handheld GPS units available today.

The 20-series is a mid-level unit in the current eTrex line with features like removable memory card slot, high-sensitivity GPS receiver, and the ability to use BlueChart g2 marine chart cards as well as other land based Garmin cartography.

Unit Basics

The eTrex 20 measures only 4-inches high, 2.1-inches wide, and 1.2-inches thick. On my scale, it weighed in at a paltry 5-ounces with a pair of AA batteries installed. The eTrex package includes the unit itself, a USB cable, and an owner’s manual in English as well as 6 other languages.

garmin etrex 20 handheld gps

Garmin eTrex 20

I tested the eTrex 20 with a BlueChart g2 marine chart covering the US and western Canada installed. With this chip in place this multi-purpose handheld becomes a full blown marine navigator capable of serving as your prime navigation tool on a small boat or a top notch backup on a larger vessel with hardwired navigation gear installed.

Controls

Several side-mounted pushbuttons and a joystick control this advanced eTrex. An up and down arrow button and menu key are located on the left side with the power and back button on the right, and the joystick on the front panel and serves as an enter button too.

The unit fits nicely in one hand and after some practice can be operated single-handed. If you use it in your right hand you can operate the joystick with your thumb and not block the screen.

Button labels for the pushbuttons are printed on the unit face. Black letters printed against a contrasting background color make the labels easy to read. One down side to the printed labels is the inability to read them under low light conditions as they are not backlit in any way.

Operation

The first time I turned on the unit it took about a minute to locate my position. On subsequent uses it locked on in seconds.

garmin etrex 20 trip computer

Lots of useful information is shown on the Trip Computer page. Data boxes can be changes as desired by the user.

The Garmin eTrex 20 is loaded with the latest version of Garmin’s intuitive and easy-to-use handheld software. This package gives the user access to function through a 24 menu listed main pages.

By default important pages, like Map, Where To?, Compass, Mark Waypoint, Trip Computer, and Setup are displayed on the top of the list on a single screen. The user can change the order of displayed pages if desired. Joystick control lets you highlight and select pages with ease.

Other pages of prime interest to mariners will be the Waypoint Manager, Route Planner, and Track Manager. With the BlueChart g2 installed you will find tide, current, and obstruction information located in individual submenus under the Where To? Page.

Screen