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Electric boating and fishing

Fish longer. Spend less on every trip.

Lithium batteries give you twice the hours of lead-acid at a third of the weight, and electric outboards run for pennies an hour. Here is the money side of going electric on the water, with real prices.
How long will my battery last?All boating guides

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4 hours

Of fishing on one lithium

55 lb motor, half speed: 100Ah lithium vs AGM (2 hours)

42 lb

Less to lift into the boat

22.05 lb lithium vs 63.9 lb AGM

$107

Fuel saved per 100 hours

Small electric outboard vs 2.3 hp gas

Boating and fishing guides

How long will my trolling motor battery last?A calculator: pick your motor, speed and battery, get hours on the water.Best trolling motor battery12, 24 and 36 V lithium picks, with what they save over AGM.Kayak trolling motor batteryAn 11 lb battery for a whole morning of fishing.Electric outboard motorsePropulsion, Mercury Avator and Torqeedo prices, range and cost vs gas.Fish finder batteryHow long your screens and live sonar run on each size.24V vs 36V trolling motorMore push, or one less battery to buy and carry.Charging lithium on a boatPlug-in, alternator and solar, and the mistakes to avoid.Lithium vs AGMWhich costs less per year, worked out with today's prices.

Where the money goes, and where it stays

Batteries. One 12V 100Ah lithium ($242.89 when we checked) gives the usable power of two 100Ah AGMs ($417.98) and is rated for 4,000 full cycles against the AGM's 500 half cycles. See the year-by-year cost.
Motors. A small electric outboard such as the ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 ($3,607 with battery) costs more than a gas motor up front, then about 18¢ an hour to run, with no oil, plugs or winterizing. See electric outboard prices and running costs.
Charging. Filling a 12V 100Ah lithium costs about a quarter at the US average power price. How to charge on the boat.

Myths, answered

"Lithium is too expensive." Per battery, yes. Per season, no: one lithium does the work of two AGMs and lasts far more cycles. For a kayak, a 12V 50Ah lithium costs about the same as the 100Ah AGM it replaces.
"Electric outboards can't handle real water." Small ones are made for dinghies and jon boats at 3 to 5 mph for hours; bigger ones such as the Mercury Avator 35e are rated like a 9.9 hp four-stroke. Pick the size for your boat, as with gas.
"Lithium and water don't mix." Marine lithium batteries use lithium iron phosphate, the most stable lithium chemistry, in sealed cases; several of our picks are rated IP65 or IP67 against spray and rain.

Electric on the line, too

Electric power isn't only for the motor. Piscifun's AtlantiX 1500 electric reel (opens in a new tab) ($359.99) weighs 17 oz and runs on its own rechargeable battery; Piscifun says a charge is good for up to 180 drops to 165 ft with a 14 oz lure, which saves your arm on a long day of deep jigging.

Piscifun price checked October 20, 2026. Piscifun links are sponsored.

Frequently asked questions

Is it worth switching a fishing boat to lithium?

For most anglers who fish more than a handful of days a year, yes. A 12V 100Ah lithium runs a 55 lb motor about 4 hours at half speed against about 2 hours for a 100Ah AGM, weighs 22.05 lb against 63.9, and is rated for many times the cycles, so it costs less per season.

Is an electric outboard cheaper to run than gas?

Yes, by a wide margin per hour: about 18¢ an hour at full throttle on a 1 kW electric against about $1.26 in fuel for a 2.3 hp gas outboard, at US average prices. The catch is the purchase price, about $1,200 to $1,600 more for a small motor.

What size battery do I need for a trolling motor?

Match the motor's voltage first (12, 24 or 36 V), then pick the amp-hours for the hours you fish. Our runtime calculator shows the hours for each motor and battery.

Figures checked October 20, 2026; sources are listed on each guide.

Photo: Jackery Power Station on Unsplash (Unsplash License).