There is no denying the positive impact fishing kayaks have had on the fishing community by providing affordable means to experience and fish not only a lot more water but also water off the beaten path that other boats can’t access. And because there are so many kayaks on the market now, anglers get a lot of options to choose from to find the kayak that fits their personal fishing needs the best. Today’s best fishing kayaks are sturdy, rugged, balanced and comfortable and offer nearly as many options as your regular fishing boats do.
And now we have hybrid options, inflatable options and lots of options to add motors, electronics and more to make it the total fishing package. Yet other options can give you a simple easy way to be on the water in minutes and expanding your fishing range for way less money than a boat purchase. So kayak fishing offers anglers great ways to increase their fishing range and cover more water at a fraction of the price.
We have made a concerted effort to get on the water with as many kayaks as possible the last several years to stay current on what options are out there for anglers. The new kayaks released for 2024 and 2025 give a bunch of new options that we think kayak anglers are going to love. So lets share a few of what we consider to the be the best options for 2025.
So we have aimed to give you a lot of usable information to choose a good kayak that fits your specific brand of kayak fishing.
OUR PICKS FOR BEST FISHING KAYAKS FOR 2025
- BONAFIDE XTR130 (Buy at Eco Fishing Shop)
- ISLE FLYWATER MICRO SKIFF (Buy from ISLE)
- JACKSON KAYAKS BIG RIG FD (Buy from Eco Fishing Shop)
- NUCANOE U10 (Buy from Eco Fishing Shop)
- HOBIE MIRAGE PRO ANGLER (Buy From Bass Pro)
- MAGELLAN OUTDOORS PRO ANGLER / PRO PEDAL (Buy from Academy)
- ASCEND 133X KAYAK PACKAGE (Buy from Bass Pro)
- OLD TOWN SPORTSMAN BIG WATER EPDL+ 132 (Buy from Bass Pro)
- VIBE MAKANA 100 (Buy at Amazon)
BONAFIDE XTR130 KAYAK
The new muddy waters in the fishing kayak community has to do with where the line is drawn between a kayak and a boat. That’s mostly because these kayaks are getting so dang good they can compete with a lot of the features of a full boat.
The Bonafide XTR 130 kayak is one of those. Let’s just start with the fact that it can support a whopping 750 pounds. I will also say I watched two guys fish out of it and one walked around the gunwale edge and the boat never tipped or even acted like it would flip. You can add stern and bow motors. The Pivot Pro Swivel Seating allows you to turn completely around and access the whole boat. It’s crazy how well you can get it up and move around in the boat without worry because of how stable it is.
The only downside I saw was it weighs 170 pounds rigged out. But two guys can fish out of it and get it to the water pretty easy together. It’s 12 feet 7 inches long but fishes more like a 15-foot flat bottom with maximum stability. It’s billed as the greatest kayak ever built and it’s hard to argue with the features it offers.
This is a kayak that is designed to be fished as a boat. No pedal drive. You can paddle it and two people can paddle together as a tandem setup. But a motor makes this the ultimate fishing kayak. And it’s a lot more affordable than comparable options of this size. Excited to fish out of this boat more.
[Length: 12 feet 7 inches | Weight: 155 pounds | Capacity 750 pounds | $2,899]
ISLE FLYWATER MICRO SKIFF
This was another one of the new offerings at ICAST 2024 that I was most excited about. I got on the water with it at ICAST and really loved everything about it. It airs up quickly and easily, especially with an electric pump. But the features of the Flywater are astounding. It’s 12 feet 6 inches and features a patented composite inflatable construction that makes it the most rigid inflatable on the market.
Airtech Pro construction features InfinityFiber, a patented material used by the US Navy that allows ISLE to create the most rigid inflatable board on the planet. When inflated and under tension, this material become incredible rigid, more than 3 times the rigidity of typical inflatables. So it’s a tandem kayak, elevated skiff, mini boat, and more. It’s light, highly maneuverable, incredibly stable. I stood up in it at ICAST and was very happy with how it fished. I observed several others testing it as well and was impressed with how well the boat got around.
Between the transportability, stability, price and options it provides that other root-molded offerings can’t it really is in a class all by itself.
[Length: 150 inches | Width: 42 inches | Weight: 49 lbs | Capacity: 600 lbs | $1,695]
JACKSON KAYAKS BIG RIG FD
The latest introduction the the Jackson Kayak lineup, the Big Rig FD brings one of their fan favorite kayaks back with modern improvements. This new big kayak features their Flex Drive Mark IV, and EZ Hi-lo Seat, plus track mounting systems, storage wells, rod holders, transducer ports, and the ability to easily mount electric motors all on one of the most stable platforms we’ve tested. The first time I stepped into this boat, it felt like I was in a flat bottom boat. It seemed wide and hardly shifted when I stepped into.
This is a very stable fishing kayak at 40 inches wide. Couple with that, it pedals very well for its size and you can carry a warehouse of gear on it. So if you are looking for ultra stability in a bigger footprint, this Jackson Big Rig FD is worth checking out. See more about the Big Rig FD here.
[ Length: 13 feet 3 inches | Weight: 136 pounds | Capacity: 550 pounds | $3,999 ]
NUCANOE U10
I tested the NUCANOE U10 at ICAST 2024 at the on the water day and really enjoyed how this boat fished. It was easy to stand up in and sit back down in. Even for a big guy like me. I like the stability of NUCANOE kayaks that feel like hybrid skiff/kayak/canoes to me. Because they are very wide open the feel more like a canoe to me but they are packed with features.
I really liked the rod tubes/caves, built in measuring board shelves and the ability to add motor mounting plates in the front and back. The handles that double as paddle holders are slick. The in hull storage compartment is easy to access and the elevated 360 Fusion seat gives you full access to the whole U10 platform. It was very stable and maneuvered quickly and easily. A lot of great thoughts went into this fishing platform.
[Length: 10 feet 10 inches | Weight: 72 pounds | Capacity: 500 pounds | $1,649]
HOBIE MIRAGE PRO ANGLER
Hobie makes some of the best high-end fishing kayaks out there and the Hobie Mirage Pro Angler series is probably their most popular amongst avid anglers. The Pro Angler 12 360 offers top-of-the-line feature sets that are attractive to a lot of tournament kayak anglers. We’ve fished out of the Pro Angler 12 a few times and the boat is stable, fast, easy to pedal with their proprietary pedal system, with tons of room to carry gear and sit or stand and fish in any type of water.
The Mirage Drive 360 and Kick Up fins enable you to move through the water and over obstacles without worry. It stock with 6 rod holders, an elevated Vantage ST seat with BOA lumbar support, a Guardian transducer shield, H-Rail for adding accessories quick and easy, rear and forward hatches for storage, with stain resistant grip pads throughout. It’s a high-end package for avid, serious anglers who want a lot of features in a wide stable platform.
[ Length: 12 feet | Weight: 132 pounds | Capacity: 500 pounds | $5,599 ]
MAGELLAN OUTDOORS PRO ANGLER / PRO PEDAL
I tested the original Pro Pedal kayak in early 2024, with the pedal drive and without, and in small waters and on big reservoirs alike. I love the detailing, padded floors, easily removable pedal drive, scupper hole plugs, covered storage in the back and front, mesh cargo hold, adjustable seat, under seat storage system, rails for mounting gadgets, fish finders and more.
It’s a 10-foot, 6-inch kayak that offers great stability and will support 400 pounds. But this kayak was stable, fast, nimble and a pleasure to fish. It has a flatter hull design that will make it a nice creek kayak or a throw in the back of the truck and go kayak to drop in those hard to reach places. At $1,199 I found this kayak to be a steal with all of these features.
Now they also offer a PRO ANGLER Version that is a paddle-only kayak, although I think you could probably add a motor to it without too much trouble. It’s a real value at $599 if you just want an easy to load and go kayak at 10 feet, 3 inches and 63 pounds.
[Length: 10 feet, 3-6 inches | Weight: 63-88 pounds | Capacity: 325-400 Pounds | $599-$1,199]
ASCEND 133X FRESHWATER KIT
I tested a lot of kayaks the last two years and it’s always interesting just how different folks can make a kayak from the others out there. The Ascend 133x kayak at Bass Pro acts more like a hybrid canoe or narrow Jon boat in the first few days of fishing in it. The boat is unique in how it balances. It’s long at 13 feet and wide at 36 1/2 inches. But it seems narrow because it’s 13 feet long.
This is a $1,000 kayak and the material is a little thinner than you might be used to, so you feel some flex which makes your balance a bit deceptive. But I found the boat to actually be very solid and not tippy at all. In the kit, you get a Motorguide Xi3 trolling motor that is awesome with a remote and GPS anchor locking availability which is nice on a kayak. It came with a quick release bracket and that makes transporting quick and easy. That makes this a great budget fishing kayak in our opinion when the kit gives you a motor, paddle, electronics and more for less than what most kayaks cost these days.
This kayak is heavy at 125 pounds. I wheels help loading and moving it to the water. I swapped out the unit with a 9-inch Garmin unit and Livescope for my fishing and had a ball catching fish all spring and summer. The seat is comfortable. The included Ascend Paddle is awesome for just paddling around. This is a great all-inclusive kit from Bass Pro. And it is a great tandem kit for you and small children.
Read our full review on the Ascend 133X Tournament Kayak here.
[Length: 13 feet | Weight: 125 pounds | Capacity: 550 Pounds | $2,399]
OLD TOWN SPORTSMAN BIG WATER ePDL+ 132
The Old Town Sportsman BigWater ePDL+ 132 is the first seamlessly-integrated battery-powered pedal kayak. It combines pedal propulsion, power-assisted pedal, and motorized cruise control and allows you to seamlessly switch between modes with the intuitive keys and screen located on the drive. Powered by an included lithium battery, the ePDL+ drive, this is a total package kayak. Paddle, pedal, ePDL and auto drive with fully custom displays that tell you how fast and how far or long you can go without pedaling.
We were fortunate to test this kayak down in Florida prior to its release and were very impressed with the performance of this high-end fishing kayak. We like to exercise and enjoy paddling and pedaling, but having the ability to switch between 4 modes of travel is very fascinating as an angler enthusiast. This kayak puts all the options at your feet or fingers.
See our full video review of the Old Town ePDL kayaks here.
[ Length: 13 feet 2 inches | Weight: 143 Pounds fully rigged | Capacity: 375 pounds | $5,999 ]
VIBE MAKANA 100
I am super impressed with the newest offering from VIBE, the Makana 100. This $1,599 kayak is easily one of the best values in fishing kayaks. It offers a very stable and decently wide platform at 33 inches, can support a ton of weight, comes with a pedal drive, several rod holders, a great two-position Hero Seat 2.0, room for storage, Vibe Rudder with easy hand steering, ability to add a motor, and it weighs just 55 pounds (77 pounds with drive, seat, etc).
The Makana 100 fits easily in the bed of a truck. So this might also be one of the best throw and go kayaks with all these options at just $1,599.
[ Length: 10 feet | Weight: 77 pounds fully loaded | Capacity 400 pounds | $1599 ]
OTHER FISHING KAYAKS WE’VE TESTED AND LIKED
JACKSON KAYAKS BITE FD
Another Jackson Kayak that I am fond of is the Jackson Bite FD. It’s just an 11-foot, 6-inch kayak, but it fits in the bed of the truck well or on a trailer easily. It weighs 95 pounds loaded out and lighter without the seat and pedal drive and can support a whopping 400 pounds. But it features the same great Flex Drive as the bigger kayaks while being more of a throw-and-go kayak at a good price. It’s wide at 35 inches so it feels very stable. It pedals fast. I could flat fly in it while pedalling and paddling.
It’s very maneuverable as well. It has great rod stagers on the deck to swap rods fast and efficiently and keep them low to go under things. The Comfort Seat is nice on long days of fishing. The recessed areas inside the gunwale keeps tackle trays handy on the fly. There is plenty of room to stand and fish. It checks all the boxes for those anglers who want an affordable pedal kayak with a lot of angler amenities at a good price.
If you’re like me and have a boat but also want a kayak for some simpler fishing in smaller waters, this is one of the best options. See more at JacksonKayak.com.
[ Length: 11 feet, 6 inches | Weight: 95 pounds | Capacity: 400 pounds | $2,699 ]
BOTE RACKHAM AERO
This reimagined BOTE Rackham Aero (full review) offers a paddle board / kayak hybrid capable of having a pedal drive which makes it another attractive option for anglers wanting to fish off paddle boards with a little more access to water. The APEX Pedal Drive is sold separately but it’s what makes this paddle board hybrid so inviting. Now you can have the best of both worlds with this offering. This is one of the best inflatable fishing kayaks out there for anglers who want the ultra portable route (like with a car and no truck).
A simple paddle board, or an evolved almost pedal skiff for getting after fishing a little more seriously. Everything you want out of a paddle board with everything you need out of a kayak. It’s sturdy, stable and functional with a relatively easy setup and lots of options to add on. A very fun way to fish in the warmer months for sure.
[ Length: 12 feet 4 inches | Weight: 45 pounds (79 pounds in bag) | Capacity: 400 pounds| $1,400 (Apex: $899) ]
Feelfree Lure 10
The Feelfree Lure 10 kayak features a variety of unique features including the removable multi-height adjustable Gravity Seat, Wheel in the Keel, the new Electronics and Sonar Pod and is Beaver Tail Rudder ready. The Lure 10 comes with everything you need to go fish including Uni-Track rails for rigging options, flush mounted rod holders and a large tankwell to store your fishing gear or a cooler.
The Lure is very stable for its size with a 34-inch width, and it includes a padded standing platform so you can paddle or cast in either the sitting or standing position. It’s a good option at $999 for a paddle-only kayak.
[ Length: 10 feet | Weight: 77 pounds (no seat) | Capacity: 375 pounds | $899 ]
Native Ultimate FX Tandem 15
The solid Native Ultimate FX Tandem 15, hybrid canoe/kayak platform makes fishing accessible in a multiple of ways. The Ultimate FX Tandem fishing kayak features two high/low seats for improved fish-ability and all day comfort and can be easily converted to a solo paddling boat for single angler missions. In addition, the Ultimate FX 15 Tandem offers ample storage with it’s open footprint to meet all of your kayak fishing needs. A sturdy enough option to stand up or sit and fish regardless if you want to paddle alone and fish or fish with a friend or family member. For more information, visit: nativewatercraft.com
Length: 15 feet 3 inches | Weight: 90 pounds | Capacity: 600 pounds | Propulsion: paddle | $1,699
Oru Beach LT Sport
I will admit, I was skeptical about a foldable kayak, but one of the fastest growing segments of the fishing kayak space is in the more portable options like inflatables and now foldables. The super unique design of the Oru Beach Sport LT gives you a quickly assembled folding kayak that I honestly came away very impressed by its performance. Even on my first try, I put it together in 15 minutes and when I got in I was really impressed with how I sat in the water, how maneuverable the kayak was and I actually really liked how I set really level to the water. I could skip baits effortlessly under docks and overhangs.
And at just 28 pounds, the Beach LT Sport has a weight capacity of 300 pounds, making it the easiest by far kayak to get in and out of the water and into your vehicle. It breaks down faster than it went together, and I was on my way in minutes. A very ingenious option for kayak anglers looking for maximum portability and efficiency. And it says that it can be folded and unfolded more than 10,000 times before it will wear. See more at orukayak.com.
[ Length: 12 feet 1 inch | Weight: 28 pounds | Capacity: 300 pounds | $1,379 ]
BEST FISHING KAYAK BRANDS
There are a plethora of kayak makers now which we think is great because anglers will definitely be able to find the boat that fits their fishing perfectly if there are a lot of good options to choose from. From rotomolded, inflatable to hybrid options, the kayak market has expanded tremendously in the last 5 years and the result is a lot of great stable offerings from a lot of great companies.
Here’s a quick list of the kayak brands we have reviewed and trust.
- Jackson Kayaks
- Old Town
- Hobie
- Vibe Kayaks
- Native
- NuCanoe
- Bonafide
- Crescent
- Academy
- Wilderness Systems
- Perception
- Feelfree
- Ascend
BEST RIVER KAYAKS
River fishing adds another dimension to kayak fishing. While a kayak is a great way to fish rivers in general, having the right kayak makes the endeavor way easier and way more enjoyable. Maneuverability is one of the key components and being able to knife through and ride current runs but also just staying on track in current can be a big thing in a kayak. And then the ability to get your kayak over shallow shoals means you need specific kayaks made for rivers.
Some of the best ones according to our readers and our own experiences would include the following:
- Jackson Coosa FD
- Crescent Shoalie
- Bonafide RVR 119
- NuCanoe Flint
WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING A FISHING KAYAK
Buying a fishing kayak is no small task. You can spend a few hundred dollars or a few thousand dollars depending on what you plan to do with one. Honestly, this is what we love about this relatively new niche in fishing. You can get into it for a few hundred bucks, but then, you can expand as you get better and upgrade to a boat capable of handling big water and rough conditions with less worry. You can make kayak fishing a lot more convenient with tons of add-on options depending on how you setup your portable fishing kayak. The main things to consider when buying a kayak would be the following:
- Price
- Stability
- Weight
- Propulsion
- Transportability
- Durability
- Add-ons
BEST BUDGET FISHING KAYAKS
To us a good budget fishing kayak is not the cheapest kayak made. It’s a kayak that offers just enough of the options you want without breaking your budget. So a lot of those kayaks between $500-$1,500 offer a lot of great features without being so loaded down they are priced out of a lot of angler’s budgets.
Some of the best budget options would include the following kayaks from our reviews:
Q AND A
What kayak is best for fishing?
The kayak that fits the way you like to fish is the best one for fishing. If you want to tackle big waters, get a kayak made to handle big waters. If you want to fish in the current of rivers a lot, get a kayak made to fish rivers. If you want to throw it in the bed of your truck and hit a lot of small waters, get a kayak made to throw and go.
Are fishing kayaks worth it?
Of course this is a loaded question. In our minds the better question is what does a kayak offer me? It offers you the ability to cover water at a fraction of a cost of what a boat, motor, trolling motor, trailer would cost. It lets you get to fish you often can’t reach from the bank. It lets you cover a lot of water and explore areas of fisheries you can’t get to in a big boat or on foot. It opens up a world of fishing possibilities for you. And it can do that for under $1,000.
Are fishing kayaks more stable than other kayaks?
Generally speaking to fish well, you need to do it from a stable platform. The better manufacturers understand more stability gives the angler more flexibility and makes their kayak more attractive. Anglers can stand up and venture further in more stable kayaks. So generally speaking the best fishing kayaks are much more stable than the run-of-the-mill paddle for fun weekend kayaks.
