Displays and fit
How big is a 5 inch 16:9 fish finder screen?
Quick answer
A 5 inch 16:9 display measures about 4.4 inches wide by 2.5 inches tall. The stated size is the diagonal, so the width is always considerably less than the number on the box, which is why a 5 inch unit fits into less console than people expect.
Every display in this category is sold by its diagonal, and the diagonal is the one dimension that never fits anything. What you actually need to know is the width and the height, and they fall straight out of the aspect ratio.
The screen is not the unit. A flush mount cutout and a bracket footprint are both larger than the glass by an amount only the manufacturer own template gives, so use the figures below for a first pass and the maker template before you cut anything.
On this page
Every stocked size in 16:9
A 5 inch 16:9 screen is 4.4 by 2.5 inches. Each step up the range adds roughly the same proportion to both dimensions.
Published figure A published engineering, regulatory or manufacturer figure. It does not change because somebody disagrees with it.
| Stated diagonal | Width | Height | Screen area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 in | 3.5 in | 2.0 in | 6.8 sq in |
| 5 in | 4.4 in | 2.5 in | 10.7 sq in |
| 6 in | 5.2 in | 2.9 in | 15.4 sq in |
| 7 in | 6.1 in | 3.4 in | 20.9 sq in |
| 9 in | 7.8 in | 4.4 in | 34.6 sq in |
| 10 in | 8.7 in | 4.9 in | 42.7 sq in |
| 12 in | 10.5 in | 5.9 in | 61.5 sq in |
| 16 in | 14.0 in | 7.8 in | 109.4 sq in |
Screen dimensions only. Add the bezel, the bracket and the flush mount cutout allowance from the manufacturer template before measuring your console.
The same diagonal in both aspect ratios
The same 5 inch diagonal is a noticeably different shape depending on aspect ratio, and a taller screen splits better while a wider one shows more chart.
Published figure A published engineering, regulatory or manufacturer figure. It does not change because somebody disagrees with it.
| Aspect ratio | Width | Height | Shape |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16:9 | 4.4 in | 2.5 in | Widest, best for chart and side imaging |
| 16:10 | 4.2 in | 2.7 in | A little taller, common on touchscreens |
| 4:3 | 4.0 in | 3.0 in | Tallest, best for vertical sonar traces |
What actually decides the size you can fit
Three things, in this order. The cutout, if you are flush mounting, which is larger than the glass and is given by the manufacturer template. The depth behind the dash, because a nine inch unit with a cable loom coming out of the back needs several more inches behind it than the case suggests. And the swing, if you are bracket mounting, because a screen that cannot tilt is a screen you cannot read in the sun.
The common mistake is measuring the flat panel of the console and forgetting the wiring harness and the connectors behind it. Plenty of installs that measured fine on the front have had to move because of what is behind.
Is bigger always better
For split screens, genuinely yes. A 5 inch screen showing traditional sonar, down imaging and a chart at once gives each pane about 3.6 square inches, and below a certain size each pane stops being readable at a glance from a standing position at the wheel.
Against that, a big screen at the bow is exposed to everything, costs more to replace, and on a small boat frequently blocks something you need to see. Two smaller screens often beat one large one, because you can put one at the console and one at the bow where the decisions actually get made.
Units with a 5 inch screen
Chosen against the numbers on this page rather than from a general list, so the recommendation cannot contradict the arithmetic above. Every figure quoted is the manufacturer own published specification.
Lowrance Eagle 5 SplitShot HD
$326.48C-MAP US Inland charts on a five inch screen at a price that competes with chartless units from the other two makers.
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Humminbird Helix 5 CHIRP GPS G3
$339.37 Published specsDual Spectrum CHIRP on a five inch screen, which is the Humminbird answer to the Striker Vivid and reads differently enough to be a real choice.
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Garmin Striker Vivid 5cv
$349.99 Published specsThe five inch screen is the first size where a split screen of traditional and ClearVu is genuinely readable.
Best for: Anyone who found a four inch split screen too small to use
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Humminbird Helix 5 CHIRP DI GPS G3
$370.74The same head with Down Imaging added, which is the upgrade most Helix 5 owners say they wish they had bought first.
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Garmin ECHOMAP UHD2 53cv
$449.99The cheapest way into the ECHOMAP line and into Garmin Navionics cartography, on a five inch screen.
Check price on AmazonHow we chose
We did not test this equipment in person and we never claim to. Picks are researched from manufacturer specification sheets, published engineering and regulatory figures, and the recurring themes in verified owner reviews. Every pick is matched to a real thrust rating, a real published amp draw, a real capacity or a real conductor size rather than to a price bracket, and it is placed in the tier where its published capability actually belongs. We rejected the unbranded flood that dominates several of these search results, because a lithium pack whose management board is the only thing between a cell fault and a fire, a breaker protecting a battery cable, a life jacket and a bracket holding a two thousand dollar motor to the bow at highway speed are all parts whose failure has a consequence nobody can walk away from. Where a figure is convention rather than a published standard we label it that way, and where a manufacturer does not publish a figure we leave it out instead of estimating it.
Frequently asked questions
How wide is a 5 inch fish finder screen?
About 4.4 inches wide and 2.5 inches tall in 16:9. The 5 inches is the diagonal measurement of the glass, which is why the width is so much less than the stated size. The physical unit is larger again once the bezel, the bracket and the flush mount cutout allowance are counted.
Is the stated size the screen or the whole unit?
The screen, and specifically its diagonal. The case is always larger, and the flush mount cutout larger still. Manufacturers publish a mounting template with the exact cutout dimensions for each unit, and that template is what you should measure against rather than any figure calculated from the diagonal, including the ones on this page.
How much console space do I really need?
More than the screen dimensions suggest, in all three directions. Allow the cutout width and height from the manufacturer template, several inches of depth behind the dash for the cable loom and connectors, and clearance for the unit to tilt if it is on a bracket. The wiring behind the dash is the part that most often forces an install to move after it has been measured.
Should I buy one big screen or two smaller ones?
Two smaller screens are often the better answer on a fishing boat, because the decisions get made in two places: at the console when you are running, and at the bow when you are fishing. One large screen at the console means walking back to look at it. The counter argument is that a single large screen splits into three usable panes and two small ones do not.
Does a 5 inch screen split well?
At 4.4 by 2.5 inches, a three way split gives each pane roughly 3.6 square inches. That is comfortable on the larger sizes and tight on the smaller ones, and the practical test is whether you can read it standing at the wheel in sunlight rather than sitting at a bench. Two pane splits work on almost any size.
Does aspect ratio matter?
More than people expect. A wider 16:9 screen shows more chart and suits side imaging, which is a horizontally long picture. A taller 4:3 screen suits a traditional vertical sonar trace and splits more naturally into left and right panes. At the same stated diagonal, the 4:3 screen has more area, because a square is the most efficient shape for a given diagonal.
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Researched, not professional advice. This page is compiled from published engineering and regulatory figures, manufacturer specifications and owner-review consensus, not hands-on testing. Figures described as a rule of thumb are boating convention rather than published standards, and they are labelled that way wherever they appear. Marine electrical work is not house wiring. Use tinned, finely stranded marine cable, size it for voltage drop and for the ABYC E-11 ampacity table rather than one or the other, and put overcurrent protection within seven inches of the battery positive terminal, because everything between the post and the fuse is unprotected. A lithium battery needs a charger with a lithium profile. Never load a boat past its capacity plate, and remember that canoes and kayaks carry no federal capacity plate at all, so their stated capacity is the manufacturer own figure. Wear the life jacket, and treat early season water as the hazard it is: cold water immersion takes your breath and then your hands long before it takes your core.