Lowrance Fish Finders Compared: HOOK Reveal 5, Eagle 4X, Eagle 7, and Eagle Eye 9

The right Lowrance fish finder depends on the product line more than the brand. For a kayak or a small tiller boat, the Eagle 4X Bullet is the compact, basic choice. If you want a dedicated keypad plus lake maps on a 5 in screen, the HOOK Reveal 5 SplitShot fits. If you want DownScan structure views and inland charts on a bigger screen, the Eagle 7 SplitShot HD is the step up. If live sonar is the reason you are shopping, the Eagle Eye 9 Live is the only model here that ships with a live transducer.

We compared four current listings from three Lowrance lines: HOOK Reveal, Eagle, and Eagle Eye. All four listings describe sonar fish finders, so the real differences are screen size, the sonar views the included transducer gives you, live sonar, and maps. Specifications come from the Amazon listings, because Lowrance’s website blocked our requests when we compiled this comparison. We did not include Elite FS or HDS models in this comparison.

This guide is general product information, not repair or electrical safety advice. Follow the installation, wiring, and charging instructions in your product’s manual, stop using any battery, charger, or electronics that overheat, swell, or smell of burning, and contact the manufacturer.

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Lowrance Fish Finder Specs Side by Side

All figures are from the Amazon listings. Scroll sideways on a phone to see every column.

Screen Size and Controls

Screen size is the first filter, because it decides where the unit can mount. The four models step from 4 in on the Eagle 4X to 5 in on the HOOK Reveal 5, 7 in on the Eagle 7, and 9 in on the Eagle Eye 9 Live, per the listings. A 4 or 5 in unit usually suits a kayak rail or a small tiller boat. A 7 in unit usually needs a modest dash or console, and a 9 in unit a full console or a bow mount with clear space around it; the Eagle 7 listing gives dimensions of 8.89 x 3.48 x 5.5 in and the Eagle Eye 9 listing 11.3 x 3.54 x 6.39 in, so measure your mounting spot against those.

The HOOK Reveal 5 listing names a dedicated keypad and a SolarMAX display that stays readable in direct sunlight. The other three listings do not say how the unit is operated, so check the product page if control style matters to you. On screens, the Eagle 4X listing describes an IPS portrait screen that stays clear in bright sunlight, from wide viewing angles, and through polarized sunglasses, in a compact portrait design for limited spaces. The Eagle 7 listing says its IPS screen stays visible in sunlight, and the Eagle Eye 9 listing names a 9 in IPS display. Both Eagle listings name a twist-lock connector that makes connecting and removing the display simple.

Sonar Type: Bullet, SplitShot, and SplitShot HD

The included transducer decides what you see under the boat. The Eagle 4X ships with a 200 kHz Bullet Skimmer that the listing describes as a broad 44 degree beam for kayaks and small boats. It shows fish icons with depth and offers a zoom view, but its listing names no DownScan, no FishReveal, and no audible fish alarm. It is a basic depth and fish finder.

The HOOK Reveal 5 and the Eagle 7 both add DownScan Imaging, which draws the bottom under the boat as a picture of structure such as brush piles, rock, and weed edges. The HOOK Reveal 5’s SplitShot transducer combines wide-angle high CHIRP sonar with DownScan, and the Eagle 7’s SplitShot HD combines CHIRP sonar with DownScan, per their listings. Both use FishReveal, which places CHIRP fish targets on the DownScan image so fish stand out from cover. The HOOK Reveal 5 listing names DownScan with its SplitShot transducer but not SideScan, although its description mentions SideScan for the line and lists TripleShot as the transducer option that includes it. The Eagle 7 and Eagle Eye 9 listings do not name SideScan either.

Live Sonar: Eagle Eye 9 Live vs the Rest

Only the Eagle Eye 9 Live includes live sonar. According to the Amazon listing, one included transducer delivers Live Forward, Live Down, CHIRP sonar, and DownScan Imaging with FishReveal, and it connects straight to the 9 in display without a separate sonar module. The box includes the display, a power cable, a gimbal bracket, corner clips, and a live transducer pack. None of the other three listings mentions a live sonar option, so if you expect to want live sonar within a season or two, buying one of them now may mean replacing it later.

The Eagle Eye 9 Live is also the only model in this comparison whose owner review text we could read, eight reviews in all. One owner fishing for flathead catfish in 40 ft of water says the live bait and sinkers showed clearly. Another likes the forward view but not the down view, and says the C-MAP charts are not the best or most accurate, though that owner mainly uses forward sonar rather than mapping. Two reviewers call it entry-level or say it “will not be like a live scope,” while one who previously ran a Garmin unit with LiveScope says it gives that setup “a run for its money.” Two owners value that it is self-contained: one says the lack of a separate black box made installation a breeze, and another moves it between boats. One uses it ice fishing and calls it light for hole hopping, and one dislikes the trolling motor mount and plans to pole-mount the transducer.

Its listing names no SideScan view, and one owner who compares it with LiveScope finds the image less detailed. If you fish mostly through the ice, our ice fishing fish finder picks cover flashers and portable ice kits built for that job.

Maps and GPS

Three of the four listings name preloaded C-MAP charts. The HOOK Reveal 5 listing says its C-MAP US Inland maps cover almost 4,000 lakes, and the Eagle 7 and Eagle Eye 9 listings say their C-MAP charts cover more than 17,000 U.S. lakes. These are different chart packages, so check that your home lakes are covered before you buy rather than comparing totals.

The HOOK Reveal 5 and Eagle Eye 9 listings also name Genesis Live mapping. The HOOK Reveal listing says Genesis Live creates custom half-foot contour maps in real time and saves them to a blank microSD card, which is useful on small lakes and backwaters that no chart covers in detail. None of the four listings spells out built-in GPS or waypoint features, and the Eagle 4X listing does not mention charts at all, so confirm those on the product page if you need to mark spots.

Which Lowrance Line Fits You

HOOK Reveal, based on the listing here, pairs a dedicated keypad with Autotuning sonar, FishReveal, and a choice of SplitShot, TripleShot, or HDI transducers. Pick SplitShot for a small inland boat, TripleShot if you want to scan banks and weed edges to the side, and an HDI version for deep lakes, which the description lists as 50/200 and 83/200 HDI.

Eagle, based on the two listings here, runs from a basic 4 in Bullet unit to a 7 in SplitShot HD unit with DownScan, FishReveal, and charts. The two share the same “4-to-9-inch” listing title, so read the model name and screen size, not the title, before you buy.

Eagle Eye, based on the Eagle Eye 9 Live listing, is the choice when live sonar comes first.

Which Should You Buy?

• Kayak or very small boat, basic depth and fish targets: Eagle 4X Bullet. It has the smallest screen here and a wide 44 degree beam, per its listing. The listing includes a power cable and fuse holder but does not say a battery is included, so plan a separate battery to run it. Skip it if you want structure pictures, charts, or a fish alarm.
• Small boat, keypad controls, and lake maps: HOOK Reveal 5 SplitShot. It adds DownScan, FishReveal, C-MAP US Inland maps, and Genesis Live, per its listing, and our Lowrance HOOK Reveal 5 review covers it on its own. Skip it if you want a bigger display, an IPS screen, which its listing does not name, or GPS waypoints confirmed before you buy.
• Mid-size boat, structure views, and charts on a bigger screen: Eagle 7 SplitShot HD with C-MAP US Inland. Skip it if you want live sonar, or if SideScan matters to you; its listing does not name it.
• Live sonar without a separate module: Eagle Eye 9 Live. Skip it if SideScan matters to you (its listing does not name it), if you want the most detailed live image, if a 9 in screen will not fit your boat, or if you do not want to plan a separate pole mount for the transducer, as one owner did.

If you have not settled on Lowrance, see our comparison of the best fish finders across brands, and browse our fish finders section for other styles.

Why You Should Trust Us

We do not conduct our own product trials. This comparison draws on the full Amazon listing for each model and, for the Eagle Eye 9 Live only, the owner reviews we could read. Amazon owner ratings set each model’s AnglerTechLab Score. The Eagle 4X Bullet and Eagle 7 SplitShot HD scores each include a 0.2 deduction because both listing titles cover screens from 4 to 9 in, so their ratings may include other Eagle sizes; the other two scores have no editorial adjustment. We searched Amazon in the United States by line name and by general Lowrance queries, and kept complete units with an included transducer sold new. The other three entries rely on listing specifications alone. We tried to confirm figures on Lowrance’s product pages, but the site refused our requests, so every specification here is the listing’s. Commissions never affect our rankings or AnglerTechLab Scores. Our scoring method is explained on our How We Review page.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you read a Lowrance fish finder?

Whether you call it a Lowrance depth finder or fish finder, the standard sonar view works the same way: the newest returns appear at the right edge and scroll left, the surface is at the top, and the bottom shows as a bright band. Fish usually show as arches or marks above the bottom. DownScan draws the area under the boat as a picture of structure, and FishReveal, per the listings above, places CHIRP fish targets on that picture so fish stand out from brush and weeds. Start with Autotuning or Auto-Tuning on, then adjust range and sensitivity once you know your water.

What is the difference between a Lowrance Eagle fish finder and a HOOK Reveal?

Both lines use auto-adjusting sonar and offer FishReveal, with the SplitShot transducer on the HOOK Reveal 5 and SplitShot HD on the Eagle 7, per the listings. The Eagle 4X and Eagle 7 listings name IPS screens and a twist-lock connector, while the HOOK Reveal listing names a SolarMAX screen, a dedicated keypad, and HDI transducer options for deeper water.

Does the Lowrance Eagle Eye 9 need a separate sonar module?

No, according to its listing: the live transducer connects directly to the 9 in display. One owner on that listing says this made installation easier.

Do Lowrance fish finders come with maps?

Three of the four units here list preloaded C-MAP charts: the HOOK Reveal 5, Eagle 7, and Eagle Eye 9. The Eagle 4X Bullet listing does not mention charts. Coverage differs by chart package, so check that your lakes are included.

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