Guide Picks: Top Flats Skiffs for 2024

Flats skiffs, also known as flats boats, are built for navigating extremely shallow waters and are essential for anglers targeting game fish that inhabit coastal flats. Versatile and eminently transportable, flats skiffs are an excellent choice for anglers looking to up their inshore fishing game. 

Key Characteristics of Flats Boats

• Shallow Draft: The draft on a flats skiff typically ranges from 4 to 6 inches, allowing you to access areas where other boats would run aground.
• Size: These boats usually measure between 16 and 19 feet in length, making them agile and easy to maneuver.
• Hull Design: Flats skiffs often feature a flat or slightly V-shaped hull to enhance stability and reduce draft.

Purpose of Flats Boats

Flats skiffs are all about giving you a stable and stealthy platform for fishing in shallow waters. Their design minimizes water displacement, reducing the risk of spooking fish as you move through flats. A good flats skiff should offer:

• Quiet operation: There’s nothing worse than spooking a fish before you get a good cast in. Your skiff should make minimal disturbance to the water, allowing you to approach feeding fish without scaring them away. Quality skiff hulls are designed to push disturbance out to the side while maneuvering, as opposed to forward towards fish, in order to maximize stealthiness.
• Poling efficiency: Many flats boats are designed for poling. While you stand on the front of the boat to fish, you’ll want to find a buddy to stand on the back platform, using a long pole to propel and steer the boat silently.
• Stability: Most flats skiffs feature casting platforms, which give you added height and visibility into the water column. These platforms can also make an angler feel a bit unsteady – so you’ll want a skiff that feels steady and comfortable under your feet. 

There are a number of excellent flats skiff manufacturers that each produce a variety of boat designs. It’s easy to get lost in the sea of options, so we’ve developed a few criteria that you’ll want to consider when you purchase your next skiff: 

Size

While the difference between 16 and 19 feet may not seem significant, a 16 foot flats skiff and a 19 foot flats skiff fish very differently. The smaller the skiff, the easier it will be to turn and maneuver through tight spaces. The larger the boat, the more stability you’ll have and the more room you’ll have to move around and store equipment. Ultimately, it comes down to the type of fishing you plan to do – if you’re going to be fishing in tight spots around mangroves, go small. Otherwise, opt for a larger skiff that will offer a bit more comfort.

Construction Materials

The choice of construction material affects a flats skiff’s weight, durability, and performance:

• Fiberglass: Known for its strength and flexibility, fiberglass is a popular choice for flats skiffs. It offers excellent impact resistance and requires minimal maintenance.
• Kevlar: Lightweight yet strong, Kevlar provides superior durability. Its use results in boats that are both fast and fuel-efficient.
• Aluminum: Offering a balance between weight and cost, aluminum boats are durable and relatively easy to repair. 

Advantages of Carbon Fiber Constructions

Boats constructed from carbon fiber boast unparalleled strength-to-weight ratios. These boats also offer improved speed and fuel efficiency due to their lighter weight. Carbon fiber enhances responsiveness, making the skiff easier to handle in various conditions.

Maneuverability and Stability

Modern skiffs have a variety of features that improve the way your boat moves in the water. The following are particularly important: 

• Spray Rails: These features help deflect water away from the boat, keeping you dry while improving traction on the water’s surface.
• Hull Designs: Modern hull designs focus on providing a smooth ride while maintaining stability even in rough waters. Boats with specialized hulls like tunnel or stepped hulls offer improved shallow-water performance.

Maverick HPX-S

The Maverick HPX-S is built with a keen eye for detail, and it’s built to handle any flats fishing adventure. Lightweight but durable, this skiff stands up to the wear and tear that you’re bound to get fishing in skinny water.. What really sets the HPX-S apart is its shallow draft— it can glide through just 4.5 inches of water, making it perfect for reaching fishing spots where other boats can’t go. When it comes to poling, the HPX-S shines thanks to its smart hull design, which cuts down on drag and gives you great control. It’s stable and smooth, even in tougher conditions, so you can navigate tight spots and shallow flats with ease and confidence.

Maverick HPX-S specs

Length: 17’8”

Draft: 6”

Beam: 74”

Weight: 1175 lbs

Fuel capacity: 19 gallons

Maverick HPX-T

If you’re looking for hard to reach fish in the shallowest spots, the Maverick HPX-T is the skiff for you. The tunnel hull design on this boat allows you to run it through water only a few inches deep – its lightweight design, coupled with Maverick’s top build quality, makes this skiff perfect for skinny water fishing. Like all of Maverick’s skiffs, the HPX-T features a spacious deck with plenty of rod and equipment storage. 

Maverick HPX-T specs

Length: 16’9”

Beam: 75”

Draft: 5”

Weight: 840 lbs

Fuel capacity: 18 gallons 

Hell's Bay Waterman

Another great shallow water performer, the Hell’s Bay Waterman features a lightweight yet robust construction that makes for effortless poling and easy maneuverability. With its shallow draft and advanced hull design, this skiff is designed to approach fish quietly and stealthily. The Waterman can carry up to 3 people comfortably, and it features plenty of waterproof storage for any valuables you bring on the water.  

Hell’s Bay Waterman specs

Length: 18’

Beam: 73”

Draft: 4 1/2” 

Weight: 610 pounds

Maximum horsepower: 70 HP

Hell's Bay Guide

If you like the shallow water performance of the Hell’s Bay Waterman but want a little more space, take a look at the Hell’s Bay Guide. The Guide is 4 inches longer and 5 inches wider than the Waterman but moves just as well through shallow water. Plus, it’s a breeze to pole and is particularly quiet on the water. For a simple, spacious shallow water skiff, the Guide is an excellent choice. 

Hell’s Bay Guide specs

Length: 18’4”

Beam: 79”

Draft: 4 ½”

Weight: 695 lbs

Fuel capacity: 28 gallons

Hell's Bay Marquesa

The Hell's Bay Marquesa is a very versatile skiff that allows for comfortable fishing. Its spacious casting deck, many storage compartments, and non-skid surfaces are welcome features for long flats fishing days, and its sleek design allows for smooth, fast travel across both open water and shallow flats. The Marquesa has become one of the most popular flats skiffs in the Southeast region, where guides and anglers run it in both shallow flats and inshore waters. 

Hell’s Bay Marquesa specs

Length: 18 feet 1 inch

Beam: 79”

Draft: 7”

Weight: 695 lbs

Maximum horsepower: 150 HP

Xplor Delta 18

Delta Boatworks, a division of Xplor Boatworks, focuses on creating a straightforward yet versatile skiff. Built with the same high-quality materials as Xplor boats, the Delta 18 is a reliable, no-frills skiff that leaves plenty of room for customization– Delta offers various add-ons, optional console or tiller, and four different color options. Xplor has also announced the upcoming release of two new hulls: a 23-foot and a 25-foot model.

Xplor Delta 18 Specs

Length: 18’ 9”

Beam: 84”

Draft: 5-7”

Weight: 450 lbs

Maximum horsepower: 50 HP

Drake Outlaw

Drake Boatworks, founded by two South Carolina brothers, set out to design a skiff that excels in shallow waters, handles well when poling, and can traverse open water when necessary– they’ve done all that and more. They produce a limited number of skiffs annually, each tailored to the buyer’s specifications, and each produced using top-quality materials and time-tested techniques. The Outlaw was designed to be simple, versatile, and stable, and it delivers on all three fronts. 

Drake Outlaw Specs

Length: 17’3”

Beam: 59”

Draft: 3-6”

Weight: 320 lbs

Fuel capacity: 14 gallons

Salt Marsh Heron 16

The Salt Marsh Heron 16 is designed for easy poling and comes backed by a reputable manufacturer – Salt Marsh is part of a family that includes Tavernier and Ankona, brands that have both earned a solid reputation in the fishing industry. The Heron 16 is easy to handle and remarkably quiet in shallow water. For those wanting a bit more room, Salt Marsh also offers an 18-foot version of the Heron. 

Salt Marsh Heron 16 Specs

Length: 16’

Beam: 70”

Draft: 7”

Weight: 400 lbs

Fuel capacity: 12 gallons

Floyd Skiff Co 10WT

The 10WT is the first skiff that Floyd Skiff Co came out with, and it has earned the Florida-based company a strong reputation for attention to detail and fine craftsmanship. Versatile and extremely functional, this skiff has a tremendous amount of dry-storage space and a large poling platform, complete with a foldable backrest. Plus, it rides very smoothly across open water. For a comfortable, do-it-all skiff, look no further. 

Floyd Skiff Co 10 WT Specs

Length: 18’

Beam: 75.5”

Draft: 6-8”

Weight (with fuel): 1400 lbs

Maximum horsepower: 90 HP

Floyd Skiff Co 7WT

The Floyd 7WT follows the same design principles as the 10WT, with a lightweight design geared towards simplicity and functionality. The 7WT is a no-frills style skiff, designed to float in just inches of water and pole silently, and it does just that. This boat offers plenty of room to cast and move around, making for a truly comfortable flats fishing experience. 

Floyd Skiff Co 7WT specs:

Length:17’10”

Beam: 72”

Draft: 5.5”

Weight (with fuel): 1000lbs

Maximum horsepower: 70 HP

Chittum Islamorada 18

Founded in 2003, Florida-based Chittum has spent the last two decades producing excellent skiffs. Though pricier than many of the skiffs on this list, the Islamorada 18 does not disappoint. This lightweight skiff offers easy poling and is incredibly quiet. The Chittum 18 will get you about as close as you can expect to get to wary fish– if you love to flats fish, this skiff is well worth the price. 

Chittum Islamorada 18 Specs

Length: 18’

Beam: 80”

Draft: 6”

Weight: 650 lbs

Maximum horsepower: 225 HP

Without a doubt, the best way to choose your next skiff is to spend a day fishing it. If you’re new to flats fishing, start your adventure with AnyCreek. Each of the skiffs on this list comes recommended by our expert guide partners who have firsthand experience running these boats. These guides have all the experience and knowledge necessary to help you figure out which skiff is right for you, and to ensure you have an unforgettable flats fishing experience.