Spec plate typical; models vary
- Length overall
- 10–18 ft
- Usually aboard
- 1–4 people
- Drive
- Small outboard (or oars or a trolling motor)
- Draft
- Shallow
- Where it lives
- Trailer at home
- Towing
- Light trailer: many cars and small SUVs
- Skill to start
- Easy first boat
- Upkeep
- Light
Always go by the boat's own capacity plate and the builder's numbers. Towing classes are rough guides: check your vehicle's rated towing capacity.
Waters
- Ponds, small lakes and riversMade for it
- Big lakes, bays and soundsNot for it
- Open ocean beyond the coastNot for it
Good at
- Very shallow draft for creeks, marsh and stump fields
- Light enough for a small trailer
- Simple to own and hard to hurt
Think twice
- A flat bottom pounds and splashes in any chop
- Little freeboard: stay off big open water
- Bare-bones comfort
Ask before you buy or rent
- What horsepower is on the capacity plate, and what is on the transom?
- Any leaking rivets or welds? (Look for water in the hull.)
- Does the trailer have working lights and sound bearings?
Crowd Tally
Would you own a jon boat?
One anonymous answer per type per day. Only the two totals are kept.
Hullpick Pass $1.95/month or $19.50/year, or a $1.00 Shopping-Week Pass · Free during preview. Compare this type with your shortlist and print a Fit Sheet with these questions.