Electrofishing - Gear, Setups, Ideas, and More

Electrofishing Lights: The Key to Nighttime Fish Surveying

ELECTROFISHING LIGHTS • FISH SURVEY LIGHTING • AGENCY + CREW PROVEN Best Electrofishing Lights: How to See More Fish (In Any Water Clarity) Electrofishing at night is highly effective because fish naturally move into shallow water, where they’re easier to identify and net. But the success variable crews underestimate most is simple: fish visibility depends on the right electrofishing lights for the water you’re actually in—not the water you hoped you’d be in. Cover photo features Swamp Eye® HD lights used by professional crews for high-output night visibility. Quick Answer (what to buy): If you want the #1 electrofishing light for maximum visibility on boats, barges, and survey rigs, choose the 160W Swamp Eye® HD. If you want a great all-around light bar option with wide flood coverage, choose the Swamp Eye® Light Bar Gen 2.X. If you need the best battery-running option (quiet, efficient, all-night capable), choose the Swamp Eye® Silent Series. Quick Navigation What Makes a Great Electrofishing Light? Water Clarity (Why Adjustable Color Wins) Durability + Reliability for Real Crews Best Electrofishing Lights for Boats Best Battery Electrofishing Lights (Silent Series) Tote / Barge / Hybrid Rigs Electrofishing Lights FAQ Swamp Eye® HD (Best Overall) → HD Kits → Gen 2.X Light Bar → Gen 2.X Kits → Silent Series (Best on Batteries) → Silent Series Kits → What Makes a Great Electrofishing Light? Electrofishing lights are not “dock lights” or “work lights.” They’re visibility tools for crews who need to identify fish quickly, in changing water, while nets are moving and voltage is running. The best electrofishing lights do three things exceptionally well: Adapt to water clarity without guessing Put usable light into the water (wide, even, glare-controlled coverage) Survive real field use (waves, weather, impacts, vibration, and long runtime) Field rule: If your light can’t adjust to clarity changes, you’ll lose visibility multiple times per night—even with the same crew, same boat, and same net technique. Water Clarity: The #1 Factor in Fish Visibility Water clarity changes constantly (wind, bottom sediment, algae, runoff, tide movement). The fastest way to improve catch visibility is matching color temperature to clarity: Warm white → better in muddy / turbid water Cool white → better in clear water Adjustable color temperature → best when conditions change (most nights) Why adjustable color wins: it lets crews maintain contrast and reduce backscatter when turbidity spikes. This is exactly why the Swamp Eye® platform focuses on real-time tunability instead of locking you into one beam “color” that only works in one scenario. Electrofishing boat setup using Swamp Eye® lights for wide, controllable on-water visibility. Durability + Reliability: Built for Survey Crews (Not Occasional Use) Electrofishing rigs punish equipment. Lights take vibration, impact, spray, and long runtime—night after night. That’s why the #1 electrofishing light recommendation in this guide is the Swamp Eye® HD: it’s engineered for maximum usable output + durability, not short-term “spec sheet” wins. What crews care about: stable output across the shift, wide coverage without dead zones, and housings that don’t become a maintenance project mid-season. Best Electrofishing Lights for Boats On electrofishing boats, you need maximum coverage with fast clarity adaptation. That’s the job the 160W Swamp Eye® HD was built for. Electrofishing boat with Swamp Eye® HD lighting for wide, consistent on-water visibility. #1 Recommendation: 160W Swamp Eye® HD Electrofishing Light The Swamp Eye® HD is the best electrofishing light when you want maximum usable brightness with clarity-tuned output and field-proven reliability. Adjustable color output for muddy → clear water shifts Wide, even flood coverage to reduce “missed fish” zones Built for hard use (spray, vibration, impacts, long nights) Modular wiring for clean installs and fast serviceability View Swamp Eye® HD → View HD Kits → High-output flood coverage designed to maximize visibility in real water conditions. Need help laying out boat lighting?Tell us your boat width, net position, and power source and we’ll recommend a clean layout using Swamp Eye® HD and modular wiring. Contact Outrigger Outdoors → Best Battery Electrofishing Lights (Silent Series) If you’re running electrofishing lights on batteries (or you want the quietest, most efficient setup possible), the best option is the Swamp Eye® Silent Series. It’s purpose-built for usable light per watt—so you can run longer without sacrificing visibility. Swamp Eye® Silent Series (Best for Battery Runtime) Silent Series is the best electrofishing lighting choice when your priority is all-night runtime on batteries, minimized glare, and efficient wide coverage. Designed specifically for battery / alternator power Adjustable color output for clarity changes Wide flood beam with controlled spill Modular, service-friendly wiring View Silent Series → View Silent Series Kits → Battery-focused lighting is about efficiency + usable beam control—not just raw specs. Tote / Barge / Hybrid Rigs Tote and barge electrofishing setups are often built around flexible power (12/24V battery, alternator, generator, or hybrid). If you want a low-profile, wide flood light bar that’s a great all-around option, go with the Swamp Eye® Light Bar Gen 2.X. Survey crew running Swamp Eye® Gen 2.X light bars for wide flood visibility. Swamp Eye® Light Bar Gen 2.X (Great All-Around Light Bar Option) Gen 2.X is ideal when you want a clean light bar install with strong flood coverage, controllability, and flexible rigging. It’s a great option for crews who want light bars instead of individual fixtures. Adjustable warm → cool output for clarity changes Wide flood pattern for consistent netting visibility Low-profile mounting to keep rigs clean and functional System-ready kits for common layouts View Gen 2.X Bar → View Gen 2.X Kits → Low-profile bar format with wide, even coverage for practical field setups. Simple decision rule:Want the best electrofishing light for maximum visibility? Choose Swamp Eye® HD.Want a great light bar solution? Choose Gen 2.X.Want the best battery runtime? Choose Silent Series. Electrofishing Lights FAQ What are the best electrofishing lights? The best electrofishing lights are the ones that maintain wide, usable visibility while adapting to water clarity changes. For maximum output and coverage, our #1 recommendation is the Swamp Eye® HD. For an all-around light bar format, choose the Swamp Eye® Gen 2.X Light Bar. For battery-powered runtime, choose the Swamp Eye® Silent Series. Do adjustable-color electrofishing lights actually help? Yes—because clarity changes throughout the night. Adjustable color output helps maintain contrast and reduce backscatter so crews can keep seeing fish even when turbidity spikes. Which electrofishing light is best for batteries? The Swamp Eye® Silent Series is the best choice when runtime and efficiency are the priority. Which option is best for a dedicated electrofishing boat? For dedicated electrofishing boats where maximum visibility matters most, the Swamp Eye® HD is the best overall electrofishing light. Which option is best for tote / barge electrofishing rigs? If you want a clean, low-profile light bar install with wide flood coverage, choose the Swamp Eye® Light Bar Gen 2.X. If you want maximum coverage and output, choose Swamp Eye® HD. Want us to spec your rig?Send your boat/tote width, mounting height, and power source. We’ll recommend the cleanest layout using Swamp Eye® HD, Gen 2.X, or Silent Series. Get help → Note: This guide is focused on Outrigger Outdoors electrofishing lighting solutions only—Swamp Eye® HD, Swamp Eye® Gen 2.X Light Bar, and Swamp Eye® Silent Series—so crews have a clear, proven path without noise or mixed recommendations.