As demand for boats and outdoor experiences grows, boat builders rush to meet the surge in interest. Today’s center console fishing boats cater to both hardcore anglers and those with families looking for quality adventures.
From skiffs to yachtlike offshore vessels, here are some of the most recently introduced top boat models in a variety of price ranges and styles. They’re listed alphabetically by brand.
(If you’re looking for vessels in specific size ranges, these galleries also feature best boats):
20 Top Center Consoles 26 Feet and Under
15 Top Center Console Boats 26 to 30 Feet
Best Center Console Boats Over 30 Feet
Cobia’s beamy 350CC offers anglers a spacious cockpit, measuring 131 square feet, and roomy walkthroughs fore and aft. Twin 42-gallon livewells, two in-deck fish boxes, a full tackle and bait-prep station, belowdecks lockable rod storage and an inward-opening side door stand out as fishing features while seating for 11, a cabin with a V-berth and head, and a hideaway bow table give families loads of conveniences.
Contender’s 44 Fish Around model delivers plenty of fishing features as well as a comfortable cabin for multiday offshore trips. The near-44-footer offers twin 55-gallon transom livewells with an 80- or 100-gallon deck well optional. Fish box space totals 500 gallons. Belowdecks, anglers will find a queen-size berth, galley, refrigerator and electric cooktop as well as an enclosed head and standup shower.
The 395cc — a mid-size model between the 355cc and the 435cc — comes with comforts such as mezzanine seating, a full-beam folding transom bench, interior dining area and a forward-facing double lounger. For anglers, the single-level cockpit features insulated 112- and 75-gallon fish boxes, two 40-gallon pressurized livewells, 39 rod holders, under-gunwale power ports, and more.
Grady’s Canyon 326 features a strategic console design, with a full-height windshield and integral superstructure that creates a haven for the helmsman and wide walkways for anglers. A rigging station aft of the helm seating, standard 32-gallon livewell, and an 80-gallon fish box in the transom highlight the fishing amenities.
This XTS (Extreme Tournament Series) bay boat features deep freeboard forward for enhanced passenger safety. It comes with two livewells (13- and 30-gallon sizes), a 28-gallon fish box and a pair of lockable rod bins.
Parker Boats labeled its new boat SH for Special Hybrid. The vessel features a spacious forward casting deck, twin aft 30-gallon livewells, lockable rod storage, and a standard jack plate. Families will like the padded seating and cupholders throughout and the freshwater washdown.
This new center console features a hybrid deck layout with an open aft cockpit resembling that of an offshore boat, and a raised foredeck like many bay boats. The double-stepped hull draws 17 inches and comes standard with two livewells and three fish boxes.
Boasting some new, innovative features, Pursuit’s S 378 center console is a unique showpiece. A button push turns the aft-facing mezzanine seat into a social zone. Pursuit also sculpted in tempered glass hull-side windows near the bow. Anglers will love the hull side door, twin 41-gallon fish boxes, lockable rod storage and a 36-gallon livewell.
The second model in its crossover line, Regulator’s 24XO offers dozens of standard features including a hardtop, 25-gallon aft starboard livewell, two bow fish boxes with locking rod storage, a leaning post with rocket launcher and tackle storage, a 12-inch Garmin display and a saltwater washdown. In Yamaha testing, the vessel topped out at 50 mph, powered by an F300.
Scout’s 330 LXF features a 10-foot, 4-inch beam, three inches wider than its predecessor, offering more room to fish and greater roll stability at rest and while underway. Like its LXF siblings, the 330 comes with luxury as well as fishing amenities from its encircling coaming pads, teak bow table and padded sun lounge to its retractable rocket launcher, insole fish lockers and 21-gallon livewell.
This 26-foot multihull comes from a rich heritage — created by longtime catamaran builder Forrest Munden. For anglers, it features twin 25-gallon livewells, a large forward casting platform and two 7-foot boxes recessed into the deck and plumbed with drains and pumps. Options include a custom hardtop, SeaStar EPS power steering, a forward livewell and additional rod holders.
Sea Chaser’s new flagship 35 HFC comes standard with two 50-gallon livewells, a 64-gallon fish box, and a full-featured tackle station. But it also has a softer side: the forward console chaise accommodates two loungers with armrests and nearby cup holders. At the transom, dual bench seats fold down to create a plush perch for four people. The 35 HFC also features an aft tuna door and a portside boarding door.
Stamas built its 31T Aventura on the popular Tarpon Series center-console platform and filled it with fishing features such as an aquarium-style livewell in the leaning post, transom livewell, insulated fish boxes, tackle station with sink and a spacious cockpit and bow casting area. Belowdecks, anglers will find a berth with convertible settee, freshwater sink with a shower nozzle, a head and a table.
Viking Yachts debuted its line of outboard-powered center console boats with the series name “Valhalla.” The largest, the V-41, can adapt to eight different power choices, including a variety of options from Mercury and Yamaha. Each build of the double-stepped hull is semi-custom, with buyers choosing from a long list of fishing options, seating choices, electronics and more.
The 17 CE is a cutting-edge version of the company’s smallest flats skiff. It features the same deck as the original 17, but its new hull introduces a deeper deadrise forward with a sharper entry. The 17 CE also incorporates a single-step running surface. Its layup resembles that of the 24 CE bay boat comprising Kevlar, carbon fiber and E-glass weave.
