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Written by
Larry Stark, Founder / Main Editor
Professional fisherman, who loves to review new fishing gadgets.
Every angler requires the right fishing gear, like fish finders, to enhance their fishing experience. Fortunately, not all great fish finders are necessarily expensive, as I came to find out. After spending hundreds of dollars on substandard fish finders, I decided to try those on an affordable level. I spent hours testing each fish finder to determine the best budget-friendly fish finders. Based on my review, I came up with a list of some of the best fish finders and why I like them, which you will learn if you read on.
Best Overall Fish Finder Under $400
Garmin Striker Vivid 7cv
- Down imaging capabilities
- Waypoint functionality
- Dual frequency sonar
Best Castable Fish Finder Under $400
Deeper Chirp 2
- Compact and lightweight
- Real-time mapping
- User-friendly interface
Deeper Chirp 2 Runner-Up
Deeper Sonar PRO+ 2
- Long battery life
- Dual Beam sonar
- Integrated GPS
How We Choose The Best $400 Fish Finder
We spent countless hours on water testing each fish finder. We have based our list on the information we got from all the experiments, including advanced features like traditional sonar technology. We’ve also factored in user reviews to determine the fish finders’ credibility, ensuring we’re not biased in our review. We relied on our fishing experience to know which features to consider for a device to be the best fish finder in its category.
- Garmin Striker Vivid 7cv – Best Overall Fish Finder Under $400
- Deeper Chirp 2 – Best Castable Fish Finder Under $400
- Deeper Sonar PRO+ 2 – Deeper Chirp 2 Runner-Up
- Garmin Striker Vivid 5cv – Garmin Runner-Up Under $400
- Lowrance Hook Reveal 5 – Best Lowrance Fish Finder Under $400
Best Fish Finders Under $400: Reviews & Recommendations
#1
Best Overall Fish Finder Under $400
Garmin Striker Vivid 7cv
WHY WE LIKE IT: We like the fish finder because it has ClearVu scanning sonar technology, providing us with detailed and clear images for underwater activities. The Gamin Striker Vivid 7cv has the fish finder GPS combo and a user-friendly interface, allowing us to interact easily with the quality fish finder. It’s a high-performing fish finder with advanced features and reliability while fishing impressing us the most. The high-performance and technology combination makes this one of the best fish finders under $400.
- Screen Size: 7 Inches
- Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 5.5 x 2.3 inches
- Display resolution: -800×480 pixels
- Weight: 1.7 pounds
- Mounting Options: Flush, tilt/swivel
- Touchscreen: No
- Display Type: WVGA
- GPS: Yes
- Wi-Fi: Yes
- Waterproof: Yes (IPX7)
Pros
- Versatile mounting options
- Dual frequency sonar
- Waypoint functionality
- Down imaging capabilities
Cons
- Occasional updates needed
- Initial learning required
- Possible screen lag
- Limited transducer options
My Experience: I’d recommend the Garman Striker Vivid 7 cv fish finder for its reliable performance and exceptional imaging capabilities. When choosing, we considered features like traditional sonar type, display resolution, and maximum depth capability. The Striker Vivid 7 cv scores exceptionally in these areas, with a high-resolution display, ClearVu sonar, and adequate fresh and saltwater depths. The precise GPS functionality helped us navigate, with the quality fish finder performing exceptionally in a list of the best 7-inch fish finder. The fair price point also makes it one of the most affordable fish finders. It’s also an excellent fish finder for ice fishing.
Features: We found the quality fish finder with amazing features, like the ClearVu scanning sonar and down imaging capabilities, providing us with detailed underwater activities and helping to locate structures and fish movement. The GPS functionality allows for accurate navigation, ensuring I found my way around new territories. The battery life is more than enough for hours of operation, eliminating the need for recharging more often and making it one of the best fish finders in its category.
#2
Best Castable Fish Finder Under $400
Deeper Chirp 2
WHY WE LIKE IT: We love the quality fish finder due to its advanced CHIRP sonar technology, versatile design, and portability. The Deeper CHIRP 2 provided us with detailed underwater information with accuracy, making it one of the best in its class. It comes in handy during target separation, ensuring we find the right fish. The user-friendly interface comes in handy when using the fish finder, even for new users.
- Screen Size: N/A
- Product Dimensions: 2.55 diameter inches
- Display resolution: N/A
- Weight: 0.2 pound
- Mounting Options: smartphone mount
- Touchscreen: N/A
- Display Type: N/A
- GPS: Yes
- Wi-Fi: Yes
- Waterproof: Yes
Pros
- Compact and lightweight
- Real-time mapping
- Bathymetric mapping
- User-friendly interface
Cons
- Limited depth range
- Reduced battery life
- Dependency on mobile devices
My Experience: The Deeper Chirp 2 is among the top castable fish finder that we used on our kayaks thanks to performance and technology. Its advanced sonar capabilities and precise GPS functionality make it a contender of the best fish finder in its class. The user-friendly interface made it easy for us to learn to use the compact fish finder. When buying this fish finder, we considered the budget, performance, and convenience. The Deeper Chirp 2 utilizes Wi-Fi connectivity to transmit data immediately. The real-time mapping provided accurate information on time without any delays. Deeper Chirp 2 has a compact design making it the best portable fish finder. It’s an excellent fish finder for ice fishing.
Features: The Chrip 2 has amazing features, like ClearVu, which provided us with clear and detailed underwater imaging to help identify fish movement and structures. The target separation helped us to identify fish targets, with the mapping capabilities easing navigation and marking waypoints. The small design makes it a portable fish finder convenient to store, with the user-friendly interface allowing easy fish finder operation. All these features provided us with a well-rounded fishing experience.
#3
Deeper Chirp 2 Runner-Up
Deeper Sonar PRO+ 2
WHY WE LIKE IT: We like the portable design, allowing us to easily carry the fish finder around. The Deeper Sonar PRO+ 2 has excellent features like real-time scanning that provides clear and detailed underwater images. The user-friendly interface came in handy, making it a simple fish finder that doesn’t require much learning. The real-time mapping ensures we receive real data immediately as it comes from the sonar features.
- Screen Size: N/A
- Product Dimensions: 2.55 diameter inches
- Display resolution: N/A
- Weight: 0.2 pound
- Mounting Options: smartphone mount
- Touchscreen: N/A
- Display Type: N/A
- GPS: Yes
- Wi-Fi: Yes
- Waterproof: Yes
Pros
- Long battery life
- Dual Beam sonar
- Integrated GPS
Cons
- Limited depth range
- Mobile device dependency
- Connectivity requirements
My Experience: The Deeper Sonar PRO+ 2 offers excellent versatility, convenience, and advanced mapping capabilities, making it an excellent high-performance fish finder. The fish finder uses dual-beam sonar that has been proven to provide clear and detailed underwater images. Its impressive battery life allowed us to stay on the water for long without worries about recharging. When purchasing this fish finder, we considered performance, advanced features, durability, and budget.
Features: The Deeper Sonar PRO+ 2 has amazing features like real-time scanning and advanced mapping capabilities that came in handy when locating the best fishing spots. The dual beam sonar provides clear underwater information helping us with target separation. The integrated GPS functionality improves navigation, helping us find our way even in new fishing territories. A long battery life ensures prolonged use without worrying about power draining. Combining these features improves the fishing experience, helping us easily locate fish.
#4
Garmin Runner-Up Under $400
Garmin Striker Vivid 5cv
WHY WE LIKE IT: We like Vivid 5cv 5 inches fish finder as it provides a blend of advanced features and performance, suiting our fishing skill levels. Thanks to the Garmin fish finder using ClearVu scanning sonar, we got detailed underwater information. We used this information to determine the best fishing spots and to identify the desired fish species. The incredible depth allowed us to easily fish in deep waters and identify underwater structures.
- Screen Size: 5 Inches
- Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 4.5 x 2.1 inches
- Display resolution: 800×480 pixels
- Weight: 1.0 pounds
- Mounting Options: Flush, tilt/swivel
- Touchscreen: No
- Display Type: WVGA
- GPS: Yes
- Wi-Fi: No
- Waterproof: Yes (IPX7)
Pros
- Versatile sonar frequencies
- Durable and waterproof
- Waypoint mapping
Cons
- Limited maximum depth
- Limited transducer options
- Installation complexity
My Experience: We enjoyed the Garmin Striker 5cv’s high-resolution imaging and advanced settings. It performed exceptionally in different fishing environments, with the ClearVu sonar providing detailed underwater images. The feature also improved target separation, ensuring we maximized our chances of catching preferred fish species. The color display allowing us a clear view of the sonar information even during daylight. When purchasing this fish finder, we considered performance, advanced technology, and navigation. It also has an affordable price point, ensuring we didn’t spend too much on this budget fish finder. The versatile mounting options allowed flexibility, optimal performance, convenience, and accessibility.
Features: The Garmin Striker 5cv is a quality fish finder with features like ClearVu scanning that helped us differentiate between underwater structures and target fish. The clear and colored display came in handy when interpreting the sonar information, helping improve our fishing experience. The built-in GPS and custom maps provide precise navigation and waypoint marking, helping us find our way around new environments and mark any favorable fishing spots. Its user-friendly interface doesn’t require much time before getting used to it.
#5
Best Lowarance Fish Finder Under $400
Lowrance Hook Reveal 5
WHY WE LIKE IT: We like the fish finder because of advanced features like FishReveal and SideScan imaging that add to its performance. The Lowrance Hook Reveal 5 has precise navigation capabilities and a user-friendly interface, making it easy to operate. The clear and colored display allowed us to see sonar details clearly, even during daylight. Its waterproof capabilities ensured we could use the fish finder even during a rainy season without worrying about device damage.
- Screen Size: 5 Inches
- Product Dimensions: 7.31 x 4.32 x 4.53 inches
- Display resolution: 800 x 480 pixels
- Weight: 0.9 poundsac
- Mounting Options: Gimbal BracketFront Dash Flush Mount
- Touchscreen: No
- Display Type: Pure White LED
- GPS: Yes
- Wi-Fi: No
- Waterproof: Yes (IPX7)
Pros
- FishReveal technology
- Broadband CHIRP sonar
- Splitshot transducer
- Custom waypoints
Cons
- Limited depth capacity
- Additional map expenses
My Experience: Based on my experience, I’d recommend the Lowrance produced fish finders Hook Reveal 5 due to its advanced technology, like FishReveal and sonar capabilities. The fish finder provided us with fish-finding identification and detailed imaging. We considered user-friendly operation, precise navigation, and advanced sonar capabilities when buying this fish finder. The custom mapping capabilities also came in handy when exploring new territories.
Features: The Lowrance Hook Reveal 2 features include sonar capabilities of SideScan, DownScan, and Broadband sonar providing us with detailed underwater information. The FishReveal improves target separation, ensuring we identify target fish. The built-in varying mapping options improve navigation and waypoint marking. The user-friendly interface made it easy for us to operate and use the fish finder. The Splitshot transducer combines 2D sonar and DownScan imaging to comprehensively view underwater activities.
My Verdict
We have covered the best fish finders under $400, all performing exceptionally. There’s always a fish finder for anyone, from feature-rich fish finders like Garmin (Striker Vivid 7cv) to budget-friendly fish finders like Deeper Sonar PRO+ 2. We have mostly focused on performance and spent countless hours testing each fish finder. We also factored in advanced features, like sonar capabilities, that provide clear and detailed underwater images. Our review classified many fish finders based on their navigation capabilities, mostly the GPS and mapping options, as they helped us find our way around any water bodies. They’re also portable and compact for easy transportation. Try out one of the fish finders and see if it meets your expectations!