Best Jon Boats for 2024
Jon boats are simple, inexpensive, and tons of fun. Here are our top picks for the 2024 model year.
The simple, unassuming Jon boat is one of the most popular types of boats around. Jon boats can be as simple as a hull with bench seats and a tiller-steer outboard, most are made of aluminum, and few grow larger than 21’ in length. Put all those factors together and you get a boat that costs less than virtually any other type, is easy to operate and maintain, can be stored in a driveway, and towed with a modest truck or SUV. We examined the finer points of Jons in Jon Boats: The Ultimate Guide, but looking at two, five, or 10 Jon boat models side by side it can sometimes be tough to tell much difference from one to the next. Which ones should be on your short list? Here are 10 top picks.
- Crestliner 1660 Retriever FCC
- Excel 1860 Shallow Water F4
- G3 20CC
- Havoc MSTC 1656
- Lowe Roughneck 1860 CC
- Lund 1870 Predator
- Princecraft PR 1436 L
- SeaArk 1652 MVT
- Tracker Grizzly 2072 CC
- Xpress H18
Crestliner 1660 Retriever FCC
The Crestliner Retriever is more of a line than a single boat, with tiller, forward console, and side console options. The 1660 comes in all these versions; the tiller model is the simplest and least expensive, and can be outfitted with as little as 20 horses. Designed specifically for running stump- and log-filled waterways, the 1660 Retriever FCC has a center console mounted farther forward than usual, abutting the elevated foredeck. This enhances visibility while running, and combined with a tunnel hull and jet outboard, this boat thrives in wild waterways where other Jon boats might suffer from bent props and dented aluminum. The side console model is designed to serve as either a fishing or hunting platform and is Crestliner’s smallest side console Retriever. All are constructed with 0.1” thick all-welded aluminum hulls and sides, and have full-length extruded keels.
See Crestliner 1660 Retriever Jon boats for sale on boats.com.
Excel Shallow Water 1860 F4
Jon boats are favored by hunters, and being able to run through inches of water and even mere mud is a big bonus. Serious hunters will appreciate the Excel Shallow Water F4, which combines minimal draft and a Mud Buddy motor with an extra-beefy hardened 5086 aluminum hull that’s 0.125” thick. The console features a heavy duty grabrail, 12-V plug, and rocker switches, and the boat is highly customizable with five different camo pattern choices and options like a Kik-Up transom or an integrated 3,000-pound bow winch.
See Excel Shallow Water 1860 F4 Jon boats for sale on boats.com.
G3 20CC
The G3 20CC is a do-everything Jon that comes in camo but also has two livewells plus rodholders, and can be rigged with a bow-mount electric trolling motor. Hull gauge is 0.1” and power comes from a range of Yamaha outboards from the F60LB to the F115LA. The best thing about this package, however, may be that it’s complete. G3 sells it ready to hit the water from day one, sitting atop a black painted, aluminum, or black Kodiak coated trailer with 14” radial tires. There are multiple electronics options for fishfinders up to 10” plus a bow-mount fishfinder, hulls can come in brown or camo, and storage compartments are lockable. Add some gas to the 19-gallon fuel tank and you’ll be ready to roll.
See G3 20CC Jon boats for sale on boats.com.
Havoc MSTC 1656
Designed to run with a mud motor and reach areas few boats can prowl, the Havoc MSTC 1658 is built with eight I-beam longitudinal ribs and integrated steps in the transom which shift floatation compartments outside of the boat and make for easier reboarding. Also unique to the model is wrap-around rear bench seating with storage inside. All in all it’s an ideal rig for waterfowl hunters probing the marshes and bayous, available in several camo patterns with powerplants up to 50 horsepower. Hull construction is 0.1” 5086 aluminum and interior parts are 0.09” aluminum.
See Havoc MSTC 1656 Jon boats for sale on boats.com.
Lowe Roughneck 1860 CC
The Lowe Roughneck 1860 CC is a classic multiuse center console Jon, boasting many more integrated features than more Spartan model Jons. It’s rigged for anglers with a 19-gallon forward livewell, rod holders, bow and stern deck pedestal fishing seat bases, and options for leaning posts, an onboard battery charger, and engines up to 90 hp. It also has camo finish options so it can be used as a hunting platform, and comes packaged with a painted bunk trailer with a swing-away tongue and LED lighting. The 0.1” gauge hull has a 60” chine width and a full beam of 85”.
See Lowe Roughneck 1860 CC Jon boats for sale on boats.com.
Lund 1870 Predator
Geared towards freshwater anglers with availability in camo for those also interested in hunting, the Lund 1870 Predator can have varying levels of complexity as it’s available in tiller-steered, center console, or side console versions. It’s a roomy model with a whopping 96” of beam, and along with stock features like a 23-gallon livewell, side rodholders for rigs up to 9’6”, pedestal seat bases, and prewiring for a bow-mounted electric trolling motor, it also has the SportTrak/ProTrak gunwale for adding accessories like shell holders, drink holders, or rod holders. Hull gauge is 0.1”, and seating options can vary quite a bit depending on the steering version you choose including leaning post, triple-wide bass boat style seating, and swiveling pedestal mount seating.
See Lund 1870 Predator Jon boats for sale on boats.com.
Princecraft PR 1436 L
The PR 1436 L is a quintessential Jon, as simple and utilitarian as a boat gets with a flat bottom, integrated bench seating, .05” gauge aluminum, and no complexity-adding features. Max horsepower is a 15-hp tiller steer outboard and the boat can carry up to three people (551 pounds total). The boat itself weighs a mere 145 pounds, so if you remove the outboard it can be carried short distances by a couple of anglers. If you’re looking for a super-simple, exceptionally inexpensive rig for small inland waterways, this one gets the nod.
See Princecraft PR 1436 L Jon boats for sale on boats.com.
SeaArk 1652 MVT
If you’re looking for a simple, inexpensive, easy to maintain Jon the SeaArk 1652 MVT will surely be in the running. Hull gauge is 0.1” and like most SeaArks, a wide variety of options and accessories are offered to semi-customize the boat for the style of fishing or hunting you enjoy. There’s also a MVJT model that can run with a jet-drive outboard. This model has a modified-V tunnel hull design and when coupled with a jet up to 45 hp can run through exceptionally skinny waters. In both cases the boat has aft bench seating that can be optioned up and an integrated raised foredeck with stowage underneath.
See SeaArk 1652 MVT Jon boats for sale on boats.com.
Tracker Grizzly 2072 CC
Those who want a very large Jon boat with gobs of space and capacity will be checking out the Tracker Grizzly 2072 CC, a 21’5” long, 8’3” wide model that can handle a whopping 150 horses on the transom and nine people aboard. The hull is constructed of 5052 aluminum in 0.1” gauge, the deck is 0.19” aluminum, and bow chines and gunwales are extruded aluminum. This Jon is not only huge it’s also rigged to the teeth with goodies like a 32-gallon livewell in the bow, a 9-gallon livewell in the stern, five different seat pedestal locations, port and starboard rod holders plus vertical holders in the rotomolded console, and a Sure Tread interior coating. It also comes packaged with a custom-fitted powdercoated single axel trailer. Despite being one of the biggest, most well-outfitted Jon boats around it’s still surprisingly affordable, and comes with a comprehensive five-year bow-to-stern warranty and limited lifetime structural warranty.
See Tracker Grizzly 2072 CC Jon boats for sale on boats.com.
Xpress H18
Although this boat’s overall design pushes the definition of a Jon boat, the Xpress H18 will be of interest to dedicated bass anglers who want a little more than the standard Jon offers without spending the big bucks necessary to buy a dedicated fiberglass bass boat. The beefy hull is formed of 0.125” gauge 5052 aluminum, and can take a whopping 115 hp on the transom. It comes fully rigged with accessories like a Minn Kota trolling motor, two-bank battery charger, Humminbird Helix 5 fishfinder, and a BackTrack aluminum trailer. And it can be rigged with options not normally seen on Jon boats, like a jack plate, Hot Foot throttle, hydraulic steering, SeaDek liner, and even a Wet Sounds stereo system. If you want a boat that goes beyond the average Jon the Xpress H18 will be one of interest.
See Xpress H18 Jon boats for sale on boats.com.
There are plenty of other Jon boat options on the market — larger and smaller, more complex and simpler. Which will be best for your needs is your call, but hopefully one or more of these top picks will help get you on the road to finding the perfect Jon.
See all Jon boats for sale on boats.com.
