Bundling up and heading to your nearest lake, fishing gear in tow must rank near the top of anyone’s list of things to indulge in during long, wintry days.
Unless you’re a master fisherman, however, that trip can turn out to be very frustrating if you start drilling holes in the wrong spot.
What you need is an ice fishing camera.
Here’s the thing: Unlike regular digital cameras, ice fishing cameras are a niche unto themselves, and unless you know exactly what you’re looking for, you’re going to end up lost and wondering what you’ve just spent your money on.
Trust me, I’ve been there.
To help you make an informed decision, I’ve spent quite a bit of time researching various underwater ice fishing cameras, talking to passionate fishermen, and understanding their needs and favorite tools.
That knowledge has been distilled into these six recommendations, which should help you speed up the process of choosing an ideal ice fishing camera.
6 Best Ice Fishing Cameras of (2023) [Underwater Fish Viewing]
Fishing cameras are available by the dozen, and they’re dirt cheap to boot.
But how do you pick a winner?
This list will help you identify not just the ideal fishing camera but also the specs you need to keep an eye on and understand so as to inform your decision-making process.
1. Best with Full HD Recording: GoFish Cam Wireless
- Field of View: N/A
- Video Resolution: 1080P
- Battery Life: Up to 1.5 hours
- Weight: 0.2 lb
This one’s best used as a lure or trolling camera.
The GoFish Cam mounts to your fishing line and gives you HD footage of what’s going on underwater.
It’s small and most certainly fun, mainly as you can even stream video directly to a smartphone if the need arises.
Design and Build
The GoFish wireless underwater fishing camera is a cigar-shaped device that attaches along the length of your fishing line.
You attach the line to the camera and then an additional line to the camera and your lure.
There’s also a small green LED at the bottom that helps light up your lure in the dark, thus attracting more fish and giving you a clear feed at the same time.
The camera also comes with a bobber accessory that keeps the rear end out of the water, and the camera pointed straight down.
If you intend to stream wirelessly to your phone, the rear must stick out of the water for the sake of signal integrity.
Capabilities
This camera can record 1080p 60 FPS video for 1.5 hrs directly to a microSD card.
Clips can be split into smaller segments for ease of streaming and transfer, or you could record the entire session in one contiguous chunk.
The camera is rated to a depth of at least 500 ft.
Connectivity and Battery
The camera can stream wireless to your smartphone, but only when the rear is out of the water.
Recorded files can also be transferred to your smartphone if you wish it.
Additionally, you get a micro-USB port for charging and data transfer, and of course, you could just read the data directly off the microSD card with the right adapter.
Final Thoughts!
The GoFish Cam is more recorder than monitoring camera, and it’s designed for trolling rather than bobbing, which is what you’d do at an ice fishing hole.
Still, it’s a wonderful little tool for capturing clips of your fishing trips, and the wireless streaming option is nice to have.
- Wirelessly stream to smartphone
- Green LED attracts fish
- Excellent trolling camera
- Tested to 2000 ft depth
- Less suited for ice fishing than trolling
- Battery life
2. Best Runner Up: Aqua Vu Micro Stealth
- Field of View: 135 degrees
- Video Resolution: 648 x 488
- Battery Life: Up to 6 hours
- Weight: N/A
The Aqua Vu Micro Stealth 4.3 is a compact, handy tool that slips into your pocket about as easily as a smartphone.
To use, you simply hang on to the display, or mount it somewhere, and drop the camera into the fishing hole, it’s that simple!
Design and Build
It may not look like much, but this Aqua Vu camera is quite ruggedly built, and understandably so, given that it will be used in freezing conditions.
A 50-ft ruggedized RCA cable connects the camera to the included 4.3-inch display, and the camera itself can be mounted in a trolling fin attachment that helps you direct the view cone of the camera.
The fin includes cable routing paths that let you rotate the camera flat, pointing upwards or downwards as needed.
Additionally, the cable is marked in 1-ft increments, so you know how deep you’re going.
Capabilities
Video from the camera is fed directly to the 4.3-inch display, which you can either hold in your hands or mount directly to a fishing rod.
Simply twisting the RCA cable will rotate the camera underwater, giving you a nice, panoramic view of the area.
If there’s not enough light, the camera can fire up an infra-red light to illuminate the surroundings without spooking all the fish.
Since the camera uses an RCA cable, you’re free to use whatever display you choose.
Connectivity and Battery
A large lithium-ion battery gives you a whopping 6 hrs of battery backup.
This is plenty for an underwater fishing camera.
The battery charges via micro-USB, and you can use a power bank, of course.
Note that video isn’t recorded on the device, and the monitor is only for viewing the camera feed.
Final Thoughts!
This tiny little camera is a great tool for scouting out your fishing location and observing fish undetected.
It’s a neat, fun little tool that is a must-have in any ice fisherman’s toolbox.
- Infra-red light for low-light
- 50 ft cable
- Compact, lightweight design
- Adjustable camera angle
- Battery life
- Display brightness
- Image quality
3. Best Battery Life: MOOCOR 1000TVL HD
- Field of View: 130 degrees
- Video Resolution: 800 x 480
- Battery Life: Up to 9 hours
- Weight: N/A
The MOOCOR 1000TVL HD is great for scouting fish or the topography of the area you’re fishing in.
This tiny little camera comes with a great display and good enough camera resolution to help you observe the fish better.
Design and Build
The camera comprises two parts: a waterproof IR camera that goes underwater and a 4.3-inch screen that you use to monitor the feed.
The HD LCD display comes with a sun visor that makes it easy to see in sunlight, and you get features like 4x digital zoom.
Connecting the two is a 49-ft cable that’s strengthened to withstand 88 lb of bearing tension.
Oh, and it’s bite-proof, so larger fish won’t be able to get away with your precious camera.
A small trolling fin lets you adjust the camera angle and acts as a ballast to keep the camera weighted down.
Capabilities
The camera itself is a 1000TVL HD camera that can shoot 800 x 480 video.
That’s good enough for monitoring, especially on that tiny screen.
If there isn’t enough light, you can simply fire up the infra-red LEDs via the monitor and have a look around without scaring off any fish.
Connectivity and Battery
A 3.7V 5,000 mAh battery powers this device, and yes, that’s a relatively large battery.
Given its capacity, the battery should easily last you 8-10 hours of continuous underwater fish viewing, which should translate to about two days of fishing.
However, it only charges at 5W, so be prepared to wait several hours when it dies.
Since this camera is only for monitoring, there aren’t any USB ports or SD cards to deal with.
Final Thoughts!
MOOCOR’s fishing video camera is a great tool if all you want to do is scout for fish and monitor your lure.
It can operate in freezing temperatures of around -22 F and is quite rugged and more than capable of handling large fish.
For its asking price, you’re not likely to find a more capable ice fishing camera.
- Sun visor for display
- Excellent battery life
- Trolling fin
- Strong tether
- IR LEDs
- Can’t record video
4. Best with Depth Temperature Reading: Anysun 7L-30M
How about tracking the underwater depth temperature?
Well, that’s exactly what Anysun 7L-30M has to offer with its 7-inch large monitor display.
With 8 hours of battery life and HD video recording capabilities, this becomes my easy recommendation for ice fishing.
- Field of View: 130 degrees
- Video Resolution: HD
- Battery Life: Up to 8 hours
- Weight: N/A
While most cameras for ice fishing come with small, portable screens, you’ll need something like this Anysun 7L-30M if you want something larger.
With a relatively massive 7-inch screen and a great HD camera with depth temperature reading, video recording capabilities, this is a great camera for those who’d rather not squint at their screens.
Design and Build
Given that the unit comes with a 7-inch display, the Anysun camera is quite large for underwater viewing.
It comes in a rugged box that’s primarily designed to cushion the display.
The battery is connected externally via cables, and you’ll need to run RCA inputs from the camera as well.
Power is shared between the two, and data is transferred over a 100-ft cable that can withstand about 66 lb of tension.
A floater and some fishing pole clamps are included in the package, and the display comes with a sun visor.
Capabilities
The HD 1000TVL here is a popular choice for ice fishing cameras and makes an appearance here as well.
It records HD video and stills to an SD card and can stream an 800 x 480 feed to the 7-inch touchscreen up top.
IR LEDs can light up the water in the dark.
Interestingly, the display boasts of depth and temperature indicators, a rarity in ice fishing cameras in this price range.
Connectivity and Battery
An RCA out from the camera runs to the display unit, which also houses an SD card reader that can take 8GB SD cards.
The external battery pack charges via a proprietary charger, so there is, unfortunately, no support for USB charging.
The battery is a 12V 4,500 mAh unit, however, so expect about 8 hours of battery life per charge.
Charging with the included 5W adapter should take about 4.5 hours.
Final Thoughts!
While not as portable as most other ice fishing cameras, this Anysun 7L-30M does offer a larger display and recording capabilities, letting you share your catches quickly on social media.
It’s not the slickest option, but it is good value and just as capable as its more expensive brethren.
- Sun-visor for display
- Large screen
- 100-ft cable
- Excellent battery life
- Depth and temperature sensor
- Large and bulky
- Clunky setup
5. Best with DVR Capabilities: LUCKYLAKER Monitoring Camera
- Field of View: 120 degrees
- Video Resolution: 800 x 480
- Battery Life: Up to 5 hours
- Weight: N/A
If you’re looking for a great gift for a young fisherman or just want a fun underwater viewing camera to sample the joys of ice fishing, the LUCKYLAKER Monitor Portable Camera might be for you.
It’s small, lightweight, and easy to mount, and the best part is that it lets you record footage and photos, though not at very high quality.
Design and Build
The Luckylaker Monitor’s design is very similar to other popular fishing cameras out there.
You get a simple 4.3-inch display with DVR capabilities and a tiny little waterproof camera that is rated to operate in icy waters.
The included 66 ft cable is on the longer side, and it can handle 33 lb of tension.
Capabilities
With a 120-degree FOV and an HD camera, image quality is acceptable, though the frame isn’t as wide as that of some competitors.
On the plus side, this camera can also record footage directly to a TF card, which is an unexpected bonus at this price.
An array of four IR LEDs light up the waters at night.
Connectivity and Battery
Connectivity is limited to the RCA cable from the camera and the TF card slot on the monitor.
Cards up to 16GB are supported, but you can’t extract data directly off the monitor itself and will need a card reader.
Battery life is average for this class of device, with the included 3.7V, 4,000 mAh battery promising about 5 hours of continuous use.
This might drop in colder weather, however.
Final Thoughts!
As a fun, portable ice fishing camera with DVR capabilities, the Luckylaker Monitor excels.
Image quality could, of course, be better, but given its price, I think that’ll make for a great gift to someone young and only just experiencing the joys of ice fishing.
- Good value
- DVR capability
- 66 ft cable
- Can operate in icy water
- Uses TF cards
- Image quality
6. Best Value for Money: Eyoyo 1000TVL
- Field of View: 130 degrees
- Video Resolution: 800 x 480
- Battery Life: Up to 8 hours
- Weight: N/A
As with other large-screen underwater fishing cameras, the Eyoyo 1000TVL Camera comes with a rugged, waterproof carrying case.
Its capabilities are similar to other 7-inch devices in this category, but this one is missing DVR and retails at a lower price because of it.
It’s a great choice if you just need a monitoring camera.
Design and Build
The Eyoyo’s 7-inch screen is nestled in a waterproof carrying case that houses the camera unit as well as the external battery pack.
The base unit comes with a strong, 49 ft RCA cable connecting the camera to the monitor and a selection of hooks to let you attack lures to the camera unit.
Capabilities
The 1000TVL camera unit is great for monitoring as it can send a reasonably clean HD feed (800 x 480) directly to the monitor.
The monitor doesn’t have DVR capabilities, so the feed isn’t recorded, but the large screen with its sun-visor will help you observe your fishing spot and evaluate its worthiness.
A 12 LED IR array allows the camera to see in the dark.
Connectivity and Battery
For a simple camera unit like this, connectivity is straightforward.
An RCA cable runs from the camera to the monitor.
There is no USB or SD card reader to deal with.
The included 4,500 mAh battery is fairly large and should offer you about 8 hours of continuous use.
Final Thoughts!
This Eyoyo fishing camera is for those looking for a large-screen ice fishing monitor and nothing more.
This is a cheap underwater fishing camera and does away with various frills and fancies to hit its price tag, but it does offer more than enough for your monitoring needs.
- 7-inch screen
- Sun-visor for use in daylight
- Good battery life
- Long cable for fishing
- IR emitters for night shooting
- No DVR capability
- Fairly large
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best underwater fishing camera?
Most cameras in this price bracket offer similar features, so what you need to be looking at is features rather than specs.
If I had to choose, I’d go for the GoFish Cam.
It’s the best camera for ice fishing that will serve you better than the other options available in the market.
How far can you see with an underwater camera?
Water is dense and can be quite murky, for this reason, most underwater cameras designed for fishing will only be able to let you see 2-3 feet around your lure.
How do fishing cameras work?
Usually, a fishing camera is directly hooked into an external monitor on dry land, letting you acquire a clean and clear signal of happenings under the ice.
What’s the most important factor to consider for ice fishing cameras?
I’d say it’s the bearing tension of the cable your camera uses.
A higher-rated cable will let you catch larger fish, while a cheaper one could cost you your camera.
Verdict
By far, the best ice fishing camera you can get today is the GoFish Cam.
Not only is it a great underwater camera, but it also streams data wirelessly to your phone and is among the only cameras out there that shoot 1080p 60fps videos.
It is expensive, however, and if you’re looking for pocket-friendly options, here are some great alternatives:
- The MOOCOR 1000TVL HD comes with one of the strongest cables in this segment and is thus more than capable of dealing with large fish.
- If you need something with a large screen, opt for either the Eyoyo 1000TVL or the Anysun 7L-30M depending on whether you’d like to record your footage or not.
Underwater cameras for ice fishing are relatively cheap and far more accessible than one would realize.
Whether you’re a veteran fisherman or just starting out, be sure to grab one from this list to level up your fishing game!
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