Top 10 New Fishing Boats for Under $20,000
You want a brand new fishing boat but don’t have big bucks? These 10 make the grade.
Sure, we’d all love to be king of the sea with a brand new rockin' cool center console fishing boat that's 50 feet long and sports quadruple outboards. But few of us have millions of dollars to drop on a whim. Even a medium-sized fishing boat can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. And if you think going small is going to solve this problem, you have another thing coming — drop down under 20’ and you’ll still find that many fishing boats regularly break $50,000. Truth be told boat pricing has shot through the roof in many cases in recent years. In fact, check out this video we made just before Covid hit and you'll see some very interesting price tags of yesteryear.
Today, that Mako lists for $25,995. Bayliner no longer offers the F18 and the closest model in its lineup is the $31,995 T18. The Lowe has also been replaced with a newer model, the 1625 WT, and that one starts at $22,495. As you can clearly see, today none of these boats can get under that $20,000 cutoff. But fear not, dear budget-conscious anglers, you do still have some options. Here's a quick peek at some cool fishing boats you'll see listing for under $20,000.
- Alumacraft Escape 165
- Crestliner 1860 Retriever Jon
- Hobie Mirage Pro Angler
- Jon Boats
- Lowe Skorpion 17
- Mako Pro Skiff 13 CC
- Sea Doo FishPro Sport
- Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 16 XL Select
- Tracker Bass Tracker Classic XL
- Veer V13
Alumacraft Escape 165
The Alumacraft Escape 165 is available in both side console and tiller steer models, and if you opt for a tiller steer with a 25-hp Mercury Marine outboard, published MSRP with a standard painted V-bunk trailer is $17,882. That leaves more than enough room in the budget for a few upgrades, like Alumatrack rod holders and a fishfinder. Stock features include a 20-gallon livewell, a pair of pedestal-mount seats, and an eight-foot locking rodbox. What makes this boats a stand-out, however, is construction. Alumacraft double-plates the bow, as well as incorporating spray rails and a hardened keel on the hull bottom.
See Alumacraft Escape 165 boats for sale on boats.com.
Crestliner 1860 Retriever Jon
With a length of 18' and a beam of 7'1", the Crestliner 1860 Retriever Jon is the largest boat to make the grade for this roundup. And although the list of standard features is limited (a rodrack for three fishing rods, nav lights, seat bases, and a painted trailer) and it starts life as a simple Jon boat, the rigging options are endless; it can carry a bow-mount trolling motor, pedestal seats, and much, much more. The boat's also built rugged, with 0.1" thick aluminum. And it's easy to tow with a modest vehicle, since the dry boat/engine weight is under 1,000 pounds. The biggest surprise? At the $19,113 MSRP the base boat comes with a 50 hp Mercury FourStroke outboard. You can opt up to 60 horses without breaking the $20K barrier, or drop to a 40 and put $500 more towards a new set of fishing rods.
See Crestliner 1860 Retriever Jon boats for sale on boats.com.
Hobia Mirage Pro Angler 14
The Hobie Mirage Pro Angler 14 is limited to a single fisherman, but at a $5,899 MSRP you can buy three plus a trailer to haul them and then head out with a crew. Besides, for the lone wolf angler these kayaks are tough to beat. They can get into skinny waters a bigger boat can't dream of accessing, they're shockingly maneuverable, and you can rig them up with full electronics and even electric propulsion systems. The Mirage Pro Angler 14 comes with a pair of flush-mount rodholders plus a pair of rail racks, an onboard tackle management system, a comfortable seat with lumbar support, a rear cargo area, and fore and aft carry handles.
See Hobie Mirage Pro Angler 14 kayaks for sale on boats.com.
Jon Boats
Speaking of Jon boats - yes, we know Jon boats are a type and not a specific brand and model, but anglers looking for a fishing boat under the $20,000 mark will have a plethora of 14 to 18 foot choices that fall into this category – too many to list out the individual options here. Jon boats are so simple yet capable, easy to own and operate, and can provide so much fishing utility that we just simply can’t fail to include them as one of our top 10 picks. To learn all about this genre, see Jon Boats.
Or, see some jon boat listings.
Lowe Skorpion 17
The Lowe Skorpion 17, which starts at $16,995 with a 20-hp outboard, is a rare find in that it's outfitted with many of the goodies and gadgets that are generally cost-adding options on other boats. Naturally it has a livewell, locking rod locker, seating, and integrated stowage. But it also comes factory-rigged with a Motorguide bow-mount electric trolling motor with foot pedal. Two pedestal seats are included along with the driver's and passenger's seats. The deck is covered with 16-ounce marine grade carpet. And yes, the trailer with a swing-away tongue is included, too.
See Lowe Skorpion 17 boats for sale on boats.com.
Mako Pro Skiff 13 CC
Most low-cost boats are aluminum, but Mako puts you into a fiberglass rig with the Pro Skiff 13 CC. The boat rides atop Mako's "Inverted V" hull, comes with the company's strong "5+Life" warranty, and arrives fully rigged with a 25 hp outboard and a trailer at the just-made-it price of $19,595. Getting a fiberglass rig not only means it looks great, but also gets you those molded-in components like an integrated trolling motor platform, molded-in stowage compartments in the foredeck, and a console with an integrated eight-gallon livewell and seat plus vertical rodracks.
See Mako Pro Skiff 13 CC boats for sale on boats.com.
Sea-Doo FishPro Sport
Can a PWC really count as a fishing boat? One like the Sea-Doo FishPro Sport certainly does. Hitting the water at $17,599, these one-man angling machines are rigged to the teeth for fishing. The FishPro Sport comes with a 170 hp Rotax ACE engine (you can save a couple grand and opt for the FishPro Scout with 130 horses) that can be set to nine different trolling mode speeds, it has a Garmin EchoMap Plus 62cv fishfinder, and there's a 13.5 LinQ cooler on the aft platform which includes three rod holders and tackle stowage. While this is among the most compact boats in this roundup it's also the fastest - by a country mile. The Sport can push 60 mph, so you'll be at the next hotspot in no time.
See Sea-Doo FishPro Sport boats for sale on boats.com.
Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 16 XL Select
Here's one for you pontoon boat anglers: the Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 16 XL Select lists at $19,870 with a 20 horsepower outboard, fully rigged and delivered. We note that the outboard is on the small side but on the small ponds and lakes where this boat is likely to shine, more power probably isn’t necessary. Plus, as far as pontoons go, this one’s rigged right for the sport you love – it has a nine-gallon aerated livewell, two bow fishing seats, and vertical rodholders. It also has a number of goodies that make for fun family time on the water, like a Bimini top, Wet Sounds stereo system, drink holders, and a 12-V outlet at the helm.
For more information read our review of the Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 16.
See Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 16 XL Select listings.
Tracker Bass Tracker Classic XL
At the price of $16,995 you'll get this boat, motor, trailer package and have plenty of cash left over for a new set of rods and a tacklebox full of lures. With 50 horses on the transom it's as powerful as they come in this class, and the boat is ready to fish from day one with goodies like a Minn Kota Edge bow mount electric trolling motor, a nine-gallon livewell, and two folding fishing seats. This is also the only boat in this batch to come with a standard fishfinder, a Garmin Striker with a CHIRP transducer. Added bonus: the included trailer is a sweet one, with chrome wheels, a swing-away tongue, tie-down straps, and submersible LED lights.
See Tracker Bass Tracker Classic XL boats for sale on boats.com.
Veer V13
A very interesting option that's fairly new to the marketplace is the Veer V13. Veer stopped publishing MSRP pricing but these boats were running for between $10,000 and $14,000 depending on rigging, which generally included a 9.9 hp Mercury outboard with the option to upgrade to a Mercury Avator electric outboard. Search the listings and you'll find that they still fall mostly within this range. The V13 is a two-person boat, stretches the tape to 13' LOA and a 4'0" beam, and it comes lined in Marine Mat. This is a rotomolded hull and deck, so you can expect the Veer to be nearly indestructible, too.
See Veer V13 boats for sale on boats.com.
Editor's Note: To learn more about fishing boats in general, read the comprehensive Fishing Boats article in our Resources section. To study up on sweetwater fishing machines, check out Freshwater Fishing Boats 101. And you salty folks can sharpen your wits, too, by reading all about Saltwater Fishing Boats. This article was originally published in January 2016 and was most recently updated in March of 2025.
*Pricing information included in this article is current as of 3/2025.
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