Flats fishing demands a very specific kind of boat. Too heavy and you're spooking fish before you're within casting range. Too deep a draft and you're stuck at the edge of the flat while the action happens in eight inches of water ahead of you. Get it right, though, and a quality flats boat opens up fisheries that most anglers never access.
We're not ranking these manufacturers because that exercise misses the point. A hardcore Keys guide poling for permit in six inches of water has completely different needs than an angler running coastal flats in South Carolina looking for redfish. What we are doing is giving you honest assessments of eight manufacturers worth serious consideration in 2026, including a few that deserve more attention than they typically get.
One note before diving in: you'll occasionally see flats boats and bay boats grouped together in searches and on dealer lots. They're related but distinct. Flats boats are purpose-built for shallow inshore water, typically ranging from 15 to 22 feet, with hull designs optimized for minimal draft and silent poling. Bay boats are more versatile, handle rougher water better, but can't touch the shallow-water performance of a true flats boat. If you're fishing less than a foot of water regularly, you want a flats boat.
1. Maverick Boats
Maverick has been the benchmark for serious flats anglers for decades, and their current lineup does nothing to diminish that reputation. The 17 HPX-V, 17 HPX-S, and 18 HPX-V represent the top of what production flats boat manufacturing can achieve, using advanced composite materials and lamination techniques that keep weight down without sacrificing structural integrity.
On a calm South Florida morning, a Maverick in 8 inches of water feels completely at home. The performance is genuinely impressive. These aren’t slow, careful boats; they run hard and handle well, which matters when you’re covering water to find fish. The aesthetics match the performance: clean, sleek lines that hold up against anything else in the category.
The honest caveat is price. Maverick boats are a significant investment, and they’re priced accordingly. Worth it for serious anglers who will use the capability; potentially overkill for buyers who fish a few times per season.
It’s also worth noting that Maverick acquired Hewes, our next manufacturer, which explains why both brands share construction philosophies and website similarities.
Fishing: 10 | Performance: 10 | Fit & Finish: 10
View Maverick flats boats for sale on Boatzon
Check out the Maverick Boats website
2. Hewes Flats Boats
Hewes carries the same construction DNA as Maverick following the acquisition, which means you’re getting exceptional build quality in a platform that appeals to backcountry and inshore anglers who prioritize stability and storage alongside shallow-water performance. The current lineup includes the Redfisher 16, Redfisher 18, and Redfisher 21.
Draft-wise, expect around 10 inches with the Hewes models, which is slightly deeper than a comparable Maverick. The trade-off is a drier ride in choppy conditions, which matters if you’re running any kind of open water to reach your fishing grounds. Storage is genuinely well-executed on Hewes boats, with more capacity and organization options than most competitors in the category.
For anglers who want the Maverick construction standard in a platform that handles mixed conditions better and offers more practical storage, Hewes is worth serious consideration.
Fishing: 10 | Performance: 9 | Fit & Finish: 10
View Hewes flats boats for sale on Boatzon
Check out the Hewes flats boats website
3. Hell’s Bay Boatworks
Hell’s Bay might not be on every buyer’s radar, but among guides and serious technical anglers, these boats have an almost cult following. The model range sits in the 16 to 18-foot category, and what they accomplish in that size is impressive. These are performance boats in compact packages, dry in choppy conditions and capable in the kind of skinny water that eliminates most competitors.
Draft runs 8 to 10 inches depending on the model and configuration. The design philosophy is minimal and purposeful: everything on a Hell’s Bay serves a function, which results in a clean, uncluttered fishing platform that experienced anglers appreciate immediately.
The brand history has some interesting texture. Hell’s Bay was co-founded by Hal Chittum, who later sold his stake and went on to found Chittum Skiffs, our next entry. The two brands have a complicated relationship that occasionally surfaces in how each talks about the other publicly.
Fishing: 10 | Performance: 10 | Fit & Finish: 9
View Hell’s Bay for sale on Boatzon
Check out the Hell’s Bay Boatworks website
4. Chittum Skiffs
Hal Chittum’s post-Hell’s Bay venture has developed into one of the more compelling options in the flats boat category, particularly for guides and serious technical anglers. The lineup includes the Challenger 18, Islamorada 18, and Islamorada 21, with weights starting around 345 pounds unrigged, which is remarkably light even for this category.
The Islamorada is the most celebrated model, and for good reason. The layout is clean and functional, storage is well-organized, and the boat drives better than its weight and size suggest. Draft sits around 6 inches, which opens up water that heavier competitors simply can’t reach.
Chittum’s website makes pointed reference to solving problems from Hell’s Bay’s earlier iterations, which gives you a sense of the competitive history. Whatever the backstory, the boats themselves have earned their reputation on their own merits. If you’re in the market for a serious technical fishing platform and haven’t looked at Chittum, you’re missing a manufacturer worth your attention.
Fishing: 10 | Performance: 10 | Fit & Finish: 9
View Chittum Skiffs for sale on Boatzon
Check out Chittum Skiffs website
5. Beavertail Skiffs
Beavertail earns attention on aesthetics alone before you ever consider the fishing credentials, and those credentials are genuinely strong. The composite construction keeps weight down and shallow-water performance up, with drafts as low as 6 inches depending on the model.
The fit and finish on Beavertail boats stands out even in a category where build quality is generally high. Upholstery, stitching, and detail work reflect a level of care that shows up immediately on inspection. The ride holds up in mixed conditions, and the layout balances fishing functionality with the kind of visual appeal that makes these boats recognizable on the water.
For buyers who want technical flats performance without sacrificing the aesthetics that make boat ownership genuinely enjoyable, Beavertail deserves serious consideration.
Fishing: 10 | Performance: 9 | Fit & Finish: 10
View Beavertail flats boats for sale on Boatzon
Check out Beavertail Skiff’s website
6. Sterling Flats Boats & Shearwater
Sterling and Shearwater share a parent company, which is worth understanding before you shop either brand. Sterling’s lineup starts at 17 feet and runs to 22 feet, while Shearwater produces a 22-foot hybrid that bridges flats and bay boat categories in a way that appeals to anglers who need more versatility than a pure flats boat provides.
Sterling’s aesthetic reputation is well-earned. The larger models, particularly the 220XS, have lines that genuinely turn heads, and the construction quality matches the visual impression. Storage is a strength across the lineup, with practical layouts that work for full-day fishing trips.
The Shearwater hybrid deserves specific mention for anglers who fish varied water. If your fishing takes you from shallow flats to open bays within the same trip, the hybrid platform offers meaningful versatility without completely abandoning the shallow-water credentials that make flats boats useful.
Fishing: 9 | Performance: 9 | Fit & Finish: 10
View Sterling flats boats for sale on Boatzon
Check out the Sterling Flat Boat website
7. Eastcape Flats Boats
Eastcape has been building momentum among technical inshore anglers, and their specification sheet explains why. A claimed 4-inch draft is genuinely remarkable and represents the shallow-water extreme of what production flats boats achieve. For anglers who fish the most technical skinny water, that number matters enormously.
The design is simple and purposeful, which fits the intended use. Feedback from owners and guides who’ve spent time on Eastcape boats consistently emphasizes solid performance and a reliable ride. The brand is still building wider recognition, but among the anglers who matter most in this category, guides and serious technical fishermen, Eastcape has earned genuine respect.
If your primary concern is accessing the shallowest possible water, Eastcape belongs at the top of your evaluation list rather than the bottom.
Fishing: 10 | Performance: 8 | Fit & Finish: 8
View East Cape flats boats for sale on Boatzon
Check out the East Cape website
8. Mako Flats Boats
Including Mako will raise eyebrows among hardcore flats anglers, and that reaction is understandable. Mako isn’t building technical fishing machines for guides poling in 6 inches of water. What Mako is doing is offering a legitimate entry point into flats fishing for buyers whose budget doesn’t extend to the premium manufacturers above.
The 18 LTS is the model worth considering in this context. Draft requirements run around 12 inches, which limits access to the shallowest water, but the fishing functionality is solid and the price point, with new models available in the $35,000 range, makes flats fishing accessible to buyers who would otherwise be priced out of the category entirely.
For the experienced technical angler, Mako probably isn’t the right answer. For the buyer stepping into inshore fishing who wants a capable boat without a premium price tag, Mako deserves an honest look rather than reflexive dismissal.
Fishing: 7 | Performance: 7 | Fit & Finish: 6
View Mako flats boats for sale on Boatzon
Chekc out the Mako Boats website
Finding the Right Flats Boat for Your Fishing
The manufacturers above cover a wide range of price points, performance levels, and fishing applications. What they share is genuine quality and a clear sense of purpose. Flats fishing rewards the right equipment more directly than almost any other fishing discipline, because access to water determines access to fish.
Whether you’re a guide building a working platform or a weekend angler looking for your first serious inshore boat, the right manufacturer is the one whose capabilities match your actual fishing rather than the most impressive specification sheet. Explore current flats boats for sale on Boatzon to compare available inventory across these manufacturers and find the right fit for your water.
