Canoe Motors Guide: Everything You Need to Know (2025 Updates)
Canoe motors can make life so much easier. A reliable canoe outboard is a game changer for fishing, hunting, long-distance trips, and even river or lake cruising.
However, you might be overwhelmed by all kinds of canoe motors available and have no idea where to start with the search, especially if you are new to canoeing.
No worries. This guide will cover everything you need to know about canoe outboard motors to help you target the best engine for your canoe in no time.
Table of contents:
Why Canoe Motors
It’s true that a canoe is made for paddling with oars, but nowadays more and more people are attaching a trolling motor to their canoes, and they are doing it for big reasons.
If you are still on the fence, check out the top 5 benefits of motorized canoes to help you make a wise decision:
- A canoe motor allows you to go much faster than you can paddle. That way, you can get to your fishing or hunting spot effortlessly even if it’s far from the launch.
- It can combat the currents on windy days when paddling is a challenge.
- With a canoe outboard, you can go further and get across bigger lakes. Sometimes, there can be a specific body of water you want to travel that simply cannot be done under paddle power.
- Canoe electric trolling motors provide better steering and instant start.
- A canoe motor boat can offer a piece of mind during a long trip if you have heart trouble or other health problems.
That’s pretty much the reason why those small canoe motors become a popular option.
However, it’s worth noting that the weight placement and distribution, canoe motor sizes, and motor types all play a big role in engine performance and your boating experience.
If you want a solid canoe motor setup to satisfy your needs, continue reading for pro tips and advice.
Gas or Electric?
So what kind of motor can you put on a canoe?
Basically, there are three solutions to motorize your canoe. All come with good and bad.
Let’s take a look:
#1. Gas Outboard Motors
Gas outboard motors are a reliable choice for canoes. You can easily find different power ratings you want, such as the popular 2/2.5/4/5/6 HP canoe motors, whether 2 strokes or 4 strokes.
With a gas-powered canoe, you can go long distances non-stop as long as you bring enough fuel. And you can get easily gas anywhere when needed.
The biggest downside is it’s loud and smelly. Also, some might hate dealing with gas every time. If you’re one of them, check out the following two canoe motor options.
#2. Canoe Trolling Motors
The biggest benefit of canoe trolling motors is it’s easier to start and handle, maintenance-free, clean, and silent. It simply brings your boating experience to the next level.
These days, more and more bodies of water prohibit the use of gasoline engines. In that case, an electric canoe motor would be your only option.
All these make electric canoe motors mainstream in the market.
However, a trolling motor is pretty much a trolling motor (top out at 5 mph max speed). You might feel underpowered sometimes and worry about the battery drain in the middle of your trip.
Also, beware that there are some more costs on top of just buying the canoe trolling motor. You will also need a separate marine battery and chargers.
#3. Electric Canoe Motors
An electric canoe motor has simply combined the best of both worlds.
It’s as fast as gas canoe motors with wide power options from 1 HP to 6 HP (or even higher). At the same time, it’s even quieter than trolling canoe motors.
The only worry is the range is limited to battery use, and the new LiFePO4 battery technologies can be the best answer:
The LiFePO4 battery is way more energy efficient than the old ones. So a small electric canoe motor can take you a long way, especially if you’re not full throttle all the time. For example, a 3 HP Spirit 1.0 is good for over 30 hours on low power within a single charge.
Also, it’s so much smaller and lighter that it will barely affect weight distribution. Some popular canoe motors, including ePropulsion eLite and Spirit 1.0, even feature an integrated LiFePO4 battery to help save weight and space onboard.
Tip: If your canoe is big enough, you can put more batteries teamed with solar panels to extend the battery life and range.
Further Reading: Gas vs Electric Outboard Motors: Which One is Better
Canoe Motor Sizes
How big of an electric motor for a canoe? How many lbs of thrust do I need for a canoe? What size trolling motor for a 16 ft canoe?
The answer lies in how far or how long you really want to go.
Generally speaking, an ideal canoe motor size would be 30 – 55 pounds of thrust for trolling motors or 500 W – 1 kW for electric outboard motors.
This is the power range for most canoe models and applications. For more accurate answers, you need to communicate with an expert or do your research on the performance data with similar boats.
For example, according to our test, a 500 W electric canoe motor eLite can go 1.2 km with 84% battery remaining at 10 mph max speed (on a 14′ Clipper Packer canoe).
But you don’t need to use the canoe motor at full power all the time. If you decrease speed, the range and runtime will be greatly extended.
Also, make sure to check the canoe’s capacity plate. If it’s rated for 4 HP, it means the canoe will handle up to a 4HP motor.
Note: There is no need to go for higher thrust or power than required. After all, the canoe is a displacement hull, so extra power won’t get you significantly faster.
If you are still not sure about canoe motor HP, you can leave us a comment below and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
Mounting a Motor on a Canoe
How to put a motor on a canoe?
The first step is to choose a proper mounting position. It’s suggested to mount their motor on a bracket off the side where you can reach the tiller comfortably and steer easily.
Or you can simply clamp the motor to the side of the boat over the gunwale. Just make sure the motor prop doesn’t hit your canoe and you are not overstressing the side of your canoe.
In fact, mounting a motor on a canoe is made easy with all kinds of motor mounts available. Also, you can try making a sturdy mount for the canoe motor. There are a lot of DIY mounting plans and tutorials online.
While mounting a trolling motor on a canoe, just keep in mind where your weight is and how the canoe is sitting. If the canoe motor is heavy, the bow will be off balance and likely rise. In that case, you can use some ballast in the front to help with weight distribution.
Tip: For better stability, you can also use an outrigger in case there are larger boats creating wakes that could tip your canoe.
Best Canoe Motors
If you want a quick decision on the best canoe motors, here are two of the most popular canoe motors worldwide.
Both recommended canoe outboard motors are saltwater rated, so no worries about fishing or hunting saltwater or brackish.
And both are lightweight with long-lasting integrated batteries, so no trouble lugging the battery every time.
#1. ePropulsion eLite
No one wants a heavy canoe motor that’s hard to transport and makes the canoe unstable. This lightweight electric outboard is tailor-made for canoes:
It weighs only 6.7 kg (14.7 lbs), including the battery, with a compact design. You can easily lift it single-handed. What’s more, there’s no need to deal with the extra battery since it’s integrated.
It’s super easy to use. Just press the button to turn it on and off you go.
Besides that, this lightweight small canoe motor is powerful in a way that trolling motors can never compare.
| Half Power (250W) |
Full Power (500W) |
Sport Mode (750W) |
|
| Speed (kph / mph) |
6.0 / 3.7 | 7.5 / 4.7 | 8.3 / 5.2 |
| Max Run Time (hh:mm) |
1:30 | 0:45 | ** |
| Range (km / miles) |
9.0 / 5.6 | 5.6 / 3.5 | / |
*The data above is for a single person driving an 8ft aluminum dinghy (total weight 117 kg), in calm conditions. Range and run time may vary with canoes in different conditions.
Here is a range test & review on a 14′ solo canoe from an eLite user:
#2. Spirit 1.0 Evo
If you want even more power from the canoe motor, the 3 HP Spirit 1.0 Evo is a good choice. Here is a performance table on a 12-foot aluminum boat, so there’s no doubt that the speed and range can be even better on canoes.
| Power (W) | Speed (mph / kph) | Runtime (hh:mm) | Range (mile / km) |
| 35 | 2.2 / 3.5 | 12:25 | 80 / 129 |
| 65 | 2.7 / 4.3 | 19:35 | 53 / 85.3 |
| 125 | 3.5 / 5.6 | 10:00 | 35 / 56 |
| 250 | 4.4 / 7.1 | 5:00 | 22 / 35.5 |
| 500 | 5.3 / 8.5 | 2:30 | 13.3 / 21.3 |
| 750 | 5.7 / 9.2 | 1:40 | 9.5 / 15.3 |
| 1000 | 6.2 / 10 | 1:15 | 7.8 / 12.5 |
With ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Evo, you can get a day’s fishing out of its integrated battery with no issues.
The bonus is that this canoe motor comes with a flotable battery. If you happen to tip, you will not worry about losing the battery (and the motor).
In addition, this canoe motor features a digital screen (as the eLite), so that you can monitor your battery charge at any time. You will not want to get way out and then run out of power to get back.
FAQs
The following are some of the hottest questions regarding canoe motors. Check them out for quick answers if you share similar confusion.
#1. Can you put a motor on a canoe?
The answer is an absolute YES. You can mount an electric or gas motor on a canoe, but it will require boater registration and license in most places. Check the state laws for details.
#2. How fast will a canoe go with a trolling motor?
The fastest trolling motor for canoe can reach a top speed of about 5 mph. After all, a trolling motor is designed for slow trolling. If you want to go faster, you should look for gas engines or electric outboards.
#3.How fast can a canoe go with a motor?
A canoe with motor can go as fast as over 10 mph or as slow as 3 mph, depending on your canoe motor types and sizes (and also the boat weight, weather conditions, etc).
#4. How to set up a canoe trolling motor battery?
The canoe trolling motor battery setup should start with the battery selection (LiFePO4 is recommended). Then you need to find a proper place for the canoe motor battery that will help with the weight distribution. After that, it’s all about wiring, and there are tons of video tutorials online to help you get it done correctly.
If you find it challenging, a canoe motor with an integrated battery is a good option for you.