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I love to test new fishing gadgets and share my opinion.
When Lowrance introduced the Elite Fishing Systems it ranked as one of the best fish finders.
Part of the Elite fs series, the Lowrance Elite fs 7 has great mapping features suitable for everyone. Some of them include smart systems that allow newbies to navigate foreign waters without wandering around.
At the same time, advanced anglers can play with the C Map genesis feature of this fish finder and create routes on their own. Read this Lowrance Elite fs 7 review to learn all features of this fish finder, alongside its pros, cons, and testimonials.
Table of Contents
Lowrance Elite fs 7 Review: A 30-second Summary
| ⭐ Rating: | 4.7 ★★★★★ |
| 💵 Pricing: | Budget |
| 🖥️ Screen size: | 7 Inches |
Lowrance Elite fs 7 comes with a 7-inch HD color display with an 800×480 screen that offers a compatible angle for 3-4 fishers. The multicolor display allows better reading regardless of the fishing level.
To have all information on one display, the Elite fs 7 comes armed with an Active Imaging 3-in-1 Transducer with CHIRP technology. These features allow you to access side and down imaging to a maximum depth of 300 feet vertically. It also packs side visuals to up to 150 feet.
Not only you can find fish with the Elite fs 7 but you can also mark waypoints and customize your own map, all thanks to the best C map contour feature the Elite fs 7 offers.
As part of our Lowrance Elite fs 7 review, let’s get a closer look at its strengths and downsides.
What Comes in the Box?
When you unbox the Lowrance Elite fs 7 unit, the following features should be part of the package:
- A 7-inch display
- ActiveTarget Live Sonar
- Explorer Bag
- 24 Ah Lithium Battery with a dual USB charging port
- Ethernet cable
- Custom wiring harness
Reasons to Buy Lowrance Elite fs 7
- Great features for mapping
- Networking options and Ethernet connectivity
- Multicolor imaging
- CHIRP sonar
Reasons to Avoid Lowrance Elite fs 7
- No WiFi connectivty
- Some users struggled using the unit in salt waters
- A bit pricey
Lowrance Elite fs 7 Fish Finder: First Impressions
Essentially, Lowrance Elite fs 7 is user-friendly, and it only took us about an hour to set it up and give it a go. Initially, we tested its GPS when exploring the lake, and were happy with its functions and performance.
On one hand, it is super accurate in locating fish, and on the other, the sonar and transducer helped us create our own route and save it for future fishing sessions.
We also resorted to using pre-loaded maps which we found beyond useful in terms of providing accurate coordinates and charts. Finally, we also gave the Ethernet a try and found it to be a suitable alternative to the missing Wi-Fi function.
Mapping
Mapping is the most interesting part of the Lowrance Elite FS 7 because it comes with C Map Contour and Genesis Live sonar. For example, C Map contour allows you to access detailed maps for more than 15,000 US lakes and 9,400 Canadian lakes.
The maps are simple and easy to understand and anyone can put them to good use when out fishing. As for many anglers who are eager for fishing adventures, the Lowrance elite fs 7 allows the creation of custom maps using its GPS.
GPS
Speaking of, the Lowrance Elite fs 7 comes with a highly accurate internal GPS. It allows you to explore any lake from your boat by using the device’s internal GPS.
And thanks to the CHIRP sonar the Lowrance Elite fs 7 boasts, you can get accurate information on the underwater structure and fish arches.
Networking
Unlike other fish finders that utilize old-school sharing methods, the Lowrance Elite fs 7 has an Ethernet Port where you can share your maps with other anglers.
In the packing, you get an Ethernet cable to establish the connection. When you want to share something with other anglers, use the cable and connect it to the yellow port on the back of the unit.
Active Imaging
Lowrance FS 7 features Downside and SideScan imaging that offers you visuals of 300 feet down, and 150 peripherally.
You can use the split screen to see both the vertical and horizontal perspectives, including depth, of the surface below. The DownScan and SideScan allow you detailed active imagining of 800 kHz maximal sonar capacity.
Lowrance Elite fs 7: Wrap-Up
All key and other features of the Lowrance Elite fs 7 make it a suitable unit for most anglers. You can explore and create your customized routes with the C Map contour, or use pre-loaded maps of US or Canadian lakes whenever you head out to fish on your boat.
The sonar and transducer qualities are outstanding for the unit price (around $899) especially if you’re a beginner.
We hope this review answered your questions on how this fish finder works and why it might be a favorable pick for you.