Best Small Center Console Boats Under 25 Feet

The most affordable center consoles are often small ones, and though they may not be intended for oceanic use or to hold a huge crowd, the best small center console boats have a number of additional advantages over their larger brethren. They’re easier to tow, easier to maintain, cost less to run, and can access some fishing grounds that larger boats dare not go for fear of running aground. What constitutes “small” is certainly debatable, but most boaters would agree that those over 25’ are on the larger side and probably don’t belong in this discussion. Still, when perusing all the different center consoles for sale, no matter how tight the budget or size constraint may be, you’ll want to know you’re buying a quality brand. Which are the very best small center console boats no more than 25’? These top picks all have something special to offer.

 

Best Small Center Console Fishing Boats Under 25ft

While many center consoles are focused on fishing, some are more focused than others. If you value angling abilities above all else these brands are must-see options.

 

Jones Brothers

Jones Brothers Marine builds four V-hull boats that fall into the under-25-foot center console fishing boat category, from 18’ to 22’8.” They also have a lineup of four flat-bottom boats that are center consoles, as well. What all of these boats share in common is that they’re fishing machines, period. In fact, their Cape Fisherman lineup is used by professional guides up and down the East Coast. Jones Brothers Marine boats for sale. 

 

Jones Brothers  Cape Fisherman 20. Jones Brothers Marine photo.

 

Parker Boats

Parker is another builder with a well-deserved reputation for building serious fishing machines without too many frills or fancy features. In recent years, they’ve begun adding more comfort touches to several of the seven small center console boats in their lineup, but they’ve kept true to their mission and retained maximum fishability in every manner. They’re also known for being exceptionally stout boats, built to last through many years of tough service. This is another builder that is favored by guides and professional captains. Parker boats for sale. 

 

Parker 2200CC. Parker offshore photo. 

 

Sportsman

Sportsman boats may pay a bit more attention to the family aspect of owning a center console than the other builders we’ve mentioned in this section, but they do so without giving an inch on the fishing front and will be a top pick for anglers who take their spouse and kids along for the ride. They’re also standouts for the level of accessories and accouterments they include on their boats as standard features, which outshine the vast majority of their competitors. They offer six models small enough to be included here, from 20’11” to 24’4”, including both deep-V and bay boats. Sportsman boats for sale.

 

Sportsman Masters 247. Sportsman photo. 

 

Best Small Aluminum Center Console Boats Under 25ft

Aluminum center console boats are a great choice for many people, especially those who want a lighter boat that’s easy to trailer and easy to handle around the docks. Aluminum boats are also lower maintenance and require less power. On the flip side of the coin, they may get tossed around a bit more in the waves and may have fewer integrated features (since they can’t be molded in, as with fiberglass), but on the whole aluminum makes for a great center console. And these builders know it.

 

G3

All of G3’s boats are aluminum, and they offer a lineup of six center console bay boats from 17’2” to 22’3”. They’re available with EZ Loader trailers and have extensive lists of standard features including multiple livewells, fishing rod racks, onboard tackle stowage compartments, and more. A top feature that sets them apart is performance, even with relatively small outboards. The diminutive Bay 18 GX, for example, can hit speeds of 45 mph with just 115 horsepower on the transom. G3 boats for sale. 

 

G3 Bay 18 GX. G3 Boats photo. 

 

Xpress Boats

Xpress Boats has a selection of bay and skiff models that are all constructed of all-welded aluminum. They’re high-end for aluminum boats, too, with 0.125” gauge 5052 aluminum hulls, standard trailers, locking rodboxes, livewells, bow-mount electric trolling motors, locking rodboxes, and in one case a twin-engine option. These boats are also known for their “Hyper-Lift” hull design, which delivers a fast hole shot, excellent efficiency, and low-speed planing abilities. Remember that twin-engine option we mentioned? The pair of F150s on an X23 Bay can plane the boat at just 2500 rpm (at 24 mph) and hit a maximum speed of 60 mph. Xpress boats for sale. 

 

Xpress X23B Lounge Dual. Xpress Boats. 

 

Best Affordable Small Center Console Boats Under 25ft

Affordability is in the eye of the beholder, but for most people finding an affordable boat can be challenging. These builders, however, make an affordability mark that will be tough to beat.

 

Bayliner

There are four center consoles in Bayliner’s model line, from 18’4” to 24’0”. These are boats that attempt—successfully by most measures—to strike a balance between fishability, comfort, and cost. As a rule you’ll find that their MSRPs significantly undercut most of their competitors (one of the traits that helped land Bayliner a spot on our list of the 10 Best Small Motor Boat Brands), while delivering a boat that looks and functions beyond expectations considering the price differential. This is in keeping with Bayliner’s long-term reputation for putting out new boats that, foot for foot, cost less than many of the comparable used boats on the market. Bayliner boats for sale. 

 

Bayliner T20 CC. Bayliner photo. 

 

Carolina Skiff

There are a huge number of choices in the Carolina Skiff lineup, with 18 models that qualify asl small center console fishing boats. In fact, they offer only one model that’s outside of this range. These are relatively simple, straightforward boats, which means they’re easy to maintain and tend to cost less than many competing options. Every one of them is excellent for fishing, with wide-open layouts and optional features that allow for a good level of semi-customization matching the ways you like to fish. Carolina Skiff boats for sale. 

 

Carolina Skiff 178 JLS. Carolina Skiff photo. 

 

Starcraft

The Starcraft brand offers both fiberglass and aluminum boats of all sorts, but the standout offering they bring to the table in the aluminum center console department is the Freedom lineup. The 160 CC is one of the smallest center consoles around and is designed to be utilitarian and simple, which translates into very low cost as compared to most other center consoles. The 180 gives buyers a slightly larger option. In both cases angling necessities like livewells and fishing seats are included, but cost-adding frills are nowhere to be found. Starcraft boats for sale. 

 

Starcraft Freedom 160. Starcraft photo. 

 

Best Inshore Small Center Console Boats Under 25ft

By definition most of the best small center consoles will be appropriate for inshore, since they’re generally designed for saltwater use but aren’t quite large enough for regular use in offshore waters. That said, there are some targeted specifically for bay and inshore fishing including these top brands. 

 

Boston Whaler

Boston Whaler boats are famous for being unsinkable, thanks to a unique construction method of pumping foam under high pressure between the hull and deck liner, resulting in a fiberglass-foam-fiberglass sandwich that fills belowdecks voids. This gives them an edge in handling choppy waters as well as in safety, as the foam helps to absorb vibrations and quiet water noise. Also helping Boston Whaler secure this spot on our list, they offer a huge lineup of models appropriate for either fishing or for kicking around on the bay and inshore waters. That includes the Super Sport runabout series starting at 13’1”, the Montauk series from 15’5” to 21’4”, the Dauntless range starting at 21’3”, and the smallest of their Outrage line at 23’0”. Boston Whaler boats for sale. 

 

Boston Whaler 190 Montauk. Boston Whaler photo. 

 

Mako

Mako boats has a number of offerings that fit into this mold but the Pro Skiff series will stand out for inshore anglers. These boats have Mako’s “Inverted V” hullform, which has deeper sides and a central tunnel-like depression that result in performance somewhat like that of a powercat (and also helped Mako land on our list of the overall Best Center Console Boat Brands). Additionally, the Pro Skiff lineup, which includes the 13 CC, 15 CC, 17 CC, and 19CC, comes in package form well equipped to fish including a trailer and motor at Mako’s nationally advertised “No Haggle No Hassle” pricing. Note that this pricing beats out most competitors by a longshot, and Mako could easily land in the best affordable center consoles category. Mako boats for sale. 

 

Mako 13 CC. Mako photo. 

 

Pathfinder

Pathfinder is well known for offering inshore fishing boats that are at the top of the heap, whether you’re considering fit and finish, equipment, fishing prowess, or performance. Five of their models from 22’5” to 24’9” fit into our parameters for the best small center console boats. Each of these is highly customizable, with a huge list of optional features that allows a buyer to rig out the boat exactly as he or she likes. Each also offers eyebrow-raising performance; a 2400 Open rigged with a Yamaha F300, for example, has cruising speeds a tick over the 40 mph mark and a top-end well over 50 mph. Pathfinder boats for sale. 

 

Best Small Center Console Deep V Boats Under 25ft

While the vast majority of the small center consoles out there run on V hulls of one sort or another, few are true deep-V designs. Named one of the Top 10 Innovations that Changed the Boating World, the Deep-V is usually described as having 21 or more degrees of deadrise at the transom. These top picks all meet that mark and stand out from the crowd for additional reasons, as well.

 

Contender

Most of the Contender Boats fleet is too large to meet our definition of “small,” however, their 24S fits the bill and carries 22.5 degrees of transom deadrise. This allows it to slice through big waves while minimizing the pounding, and anyone who’s run a Contender knows that their reputation for smooth riding is well-deserved. Plus, the 24S has far more fuel capacity than most boats its size (130 gallons), giving anglers the ability to run far offshore on days when the weather allows. Contender boats for sale.

 

Contender 24S. Contender photo.

 

Regulator

Another case where the manufacturer’s lineup mostly exceeds our definition of a small center console, Regulator Marine does have the 23 (which is 23'5" LOA). This boat, like most in Regulator’s lineup, has an exceptionally aggressive hull—in this case, a full 24 degrees of deadrise, the most of any in this roundup. Regulators also stand out for their exceptional detail work, including a flawless fit and finish. Regulator boats for sale. 

 

Regulator 23. Regulator photo.

 

Best Small Center Console Jet Boats Under 25ft

If you prefer a jet boat to an outboard-powered center console, your choices will be quite limited. That said, there are a handful of models that qualify, offering sporty handling and the fun prop-free ride of a jet boat.

 

Scarab

Every boat Scarab builds is a jet boat powered by BRP Rotax engines. Three of their offerings are center consoles; the 235 Open ID and 255 Open ID (which stretches the tape to exactly 25’0”) are both fishing-oriented, but the 235 Open Wake is a very unusual offering: a center console designed for wake sports. If you want a center console jet boat that carries wakeboard racks on the T-top rather than rod holders and can be fitted with ballast tanks and ski tow bars, this will be the pick. Scarab boats for sale. 

 

Scarab 235 Open Wake. Scarab photo.

 

Yamaha

Yamaha has the most extensive center console jet boat lineup on the water, with eight models from 19’5” to 24’6”. These are powered by Yamaha’s HO, SVHO, and TR-1 engines and 155 mm or 160 mm high-pressure pumps spinning three-bladed stainless-steel impellers. A standout among the standouts is their newest 255 FSH Sport H, the one and only center console jet boat that offers joystick control via the Yamaha Helm Master EX system. During on-the-water testing, we found it made dockside handling easier than on any jet boat we’ve ever run. Yamaha boats for sale. 

 

 

You say you think these boats may be just a bit too small for your taste? In that case you may want to see our roundup of the best center console boat brands in the mid-sized category. Or perhaps money is no object, and the best luxury center consoles over 40 feet will be of more interest. But if economic or size constraints have you looking for a center console boat below the 25’ mark, one or more of these top brands should fit the bill.

 

This article was published in March 2023 and most recently updated in April 2024 by Lenny Rudow