The 5 Best Crappie Fish Finders for Beginners

Target Separation

The target separation value is the distance at which your fish finder recognizes two underwater objects as separate items. Lower target separation means the transducer can locate individual fish in a crowded school, which can be helpful when fishing for crappies among bait fish. Fish finders with higher target separation might display a school of fish as one large mass on the screen. 

Transducer Beam Angle

Transducers typically emit cone-shaped sonar beams that can be narrow or wide depending on the beam angle. Wider angles (>45°) allow you to see a larger area under the boat, while tighter angles (<30°) show you narrow sections of the surrounding water. 

Transducer beam angle and frequency work hand in hand to help you hunt crappie – sharp angles are best for fishing among wrecks and reeds at high frequencies. Wide beam angles pair well with lower frequencies if you’re crappie fishing in open water.

Transducer Power

Transducer power is measured in watts – higher power transducers (1kW/ 1,000 watts) use multiple elements and are more sensitive than lower-power systems (600 watts). Using a 1kW transducer can help you get clearer returns and more detail at low frequencies when fishing in deep water. Most transducers have a power range that automatically adjusts to your frequency and depth, and a standard 600-watt fish finder should work well for catching crappie in shallow water.

Side Imaging Sonar

Fish finders with side imagining sonar send signals to the left and right of your boat, giving you an overview of the surrounding waters. Side imaging is good at spotting structures, weed beds, and boulders but isn’t ideal for identifying individual fish. While side imaging technology can help you locate nearby schools from afar, it’s more of a bonus feature and not essential for crappie fishing. 

Frequency

Low frequencies (50 – 80 kHz) penetrate the water better than high frequencies (200 – 250 kHz), helping you find fish lower down. Although low frequencies work better for fishing in deep water, they won’t provide as much detail as high frequencies, which are better at reading fish size and location.

Fish finders with dual-frequency sonar emit high and low-frequency pulses simultaneously, giving you the benefits of both. CHIRP sonar (compressed high-intensity radar pulse) can send a wide range of frequencies at once for more detailed information and better fish finding at all depths.

Down Imaging

Traditional 2D sonar (including CHIRP) sends cone-shaped sonar pulses into the water, allowing you to see a circular area under your boat. Down imaging, on the other hand, sends out a narrow sonar beam directly downwards, generating a detailed cross-section of the water below you. This technology is perfect for revealing crappies hiding among reeds and rocks.

Maximum Depth

Choose a fish finder with a maximum depth that matches your fishing habits. Crappies usually spawn in shallow waters around 2 – 3 feet deep and retreat deeper (20 – 40 feet) in winter. Most crappie anglers do well using a portable fish finder with a maximum depth of 100 feet, but investing in something that can scan deeper waters may be worthwhile for saltwater fishing.

Display Size and Resolution

Fish finders usually come with 5 – 12-inch digital displays that map out the water below you – larger screens are easier to read but can also be more expensive. Screen resolution is measured in pixels and refers to how much detail the fish finder can display and the quality of the picture on the screen. We recommend choosing a fish finder with a combination of high resolution and adequate screen size. Many models also have anti-glare or grease-resistant screens as an added benefit.

GPS and Maps

Getting a fish finder with GPS functionality means you can navigate with ease and save crappie honey holes on the map to revisit later. Look out for fish finders with an SD card slot, so you always have enough space to save your favorite routes and waypoints while exploring the water. If you want to save time and get straight to catching crappie, a model with preloaded maps will indicate nearby drop-offs, ledges, and cover where the fish could be hiding.

Cost

Fish finders can be game-changing for anglers, and it’s worth investing in a high-quality model that will last you a long time. The best fish finder for crappie fishing isn’t necessarily the most expensive on the market. Do your research before buying to know which features are worth the splurge and which ones you can skip. A mid-range fish finder with down-imaging, GPS, and CHIRP sonar is a great place to start.