Best 16-Foot Aluminum Fishing Boats

It’s fun to watch the gleaming high-powered bass boats at the tournament weigh-in, and there’s no denying the appeal of the big offshore aluminum rigs with their V6 engines and mountains of custom gear. But the reality is that the most versatile pure fishing boats available in North America today are Sweet 16s – 16-foot aluminum fishing boats and steered with a tiller-controlled outboard.

Why? Sweet 16s can launch just about anywhere, including those remote back lakes with rough ramps – or no ramps at all – that are off-limits to the huge and heavy bass boats. They’re also designed to fish in multitude ways, making them better for trolling, backtrolling or drifting in the breeze than any other design. Sweet 16s can take rubbing up against a bit of brush now and then, and they’re affordable to begin with, so you can be fishing now instead of saving forever.

Looking for a fishing boat that car really do it all? Here are 10 of the best 16-foot aluminum fishing boats worth every angler’s consideration.

Alumacraft Escape 165

Alumacraft Escape 165

With a hardened aluminum keel that allows easy beaching on almost any shoreline, the Escape 165 features a double-plated bow for added durability, a raised casting deck with plenty of in-deck storage space, a locking rod locker and a 20-gallon aerated bow live well. That’s exactly what we are looking for in one of the best 16-foot aluminum fishing boats you’ll find anywhere.

Crestliner 1650 Pro Tiller

Crestliner 1650 Pro Tiller

Able to handle outboards of up to 75 horsepower, Crestliner’s 1650 Pro Tiller has a huge bow casting deck withs storage beneath, including an oversized rod locker and space to install a bow-mount electric motor. The 150-gallon stern live well also holds a 3.5-gallon bait bucket.

G3 V167T

G3 V167T

G3’s heavy-duty Guide V167T has a riveted .100 gauge hull with a double-plated .064 bow for extra strength and the guts to get into the thick stuff where the big fish hide. Rod storage, a raised bow deck with gear storage beneath and an aerated live well are just the start of this fantastic 16-foot aluminum fishing boat.

Legend 16XTE

Legend 16XTE

In-gunnel rod storage, a raised bow deck with storage for gear beneath, a raised stern deck, twin pedestal-mount fishing seats, a tough vinyl floor for a lifetime of durability and a huge 30-gallon aerated live well in the bow deck give Legend’s 16XTE the credentials to catch big fish anywhere.

Lowe WV1670

Lowe WV1670

With its classic design, Lowe’s WV1670 puts the focus on spending time out on the water instead of onshore cleaning and maintaining the boat. Triple bench seats, a split stern seat and a durable but light weight riveted aluminum hull made this ride the classic favorite among 16-foot aluminum fishing boats.

Lund 1675 Pro Guide

Lund 1675 Pro Guide

Built for serious fishing, Lund packs a lot of boat into its 1675 Pro Guide, with standard features like raised bow and stern casting decks, dual rod storage lockers, abundant gear storage, a command console for electronics and tackle trays, a 16-gallon aerated stern live well and more.

Princecraft Amarok 166 BT

Princecraft Amarok 166 BT

There’s no fooling around with Princecraft’s no-nonsense Amarok 166BT. Standards include raised bow and stern casting platforms, a 16-gallon aerated live well with overflow protection, locking in-floor rod storage, gear storage, an ice box, two luxe fishing seats, an anchor storage compartment and a dedicated battery compartment for the electric trolling motor.

Smoker Craft Excursion 166T

Smoker Craft Excursion 166T

Smoker Craft’s Excursion 166T comes with a raised bow casting deck, abundant storage spaces for rods and gear, C-Zone digital switching, a gunnel track mounting system for accessories, a huge 20-gallon aerated live well, a bow-mount trolling motor pad and twin deluxe fishing seats – all standards.

Starcraft Stealth 166 Tiller

Starcraft Stealth 166 Tiller

Starcraft’s been building boats since 1903 and they put all that experience into their Stealth 166 Tiller. Rated for outboards of up to 60 horsepower, this fishing machine comes with every imaginable feature including a 25-gallon aerated live well, an in-floor rod locker and more. This is, without a doubt, one of the best 16-foot aluminum fishing boats on the market.

Tracker Super Guide V-16T

Tracker Super Guide V-16T

With a name like Super Guide, you expect a boatload of features here and Tracker does not disappoint with standards like an all-welded hull, a 15-gallon aerated bow live well, a Minn Kota PowerDrive trolling motor, dual deluxe fishing seats, a gunnel-mount accessory system and even a custom trailer.