5 Best Fish Coolers for Keeping Your Catch Fresh
Top 5 fish coolers for keeping your catch fresh: Yeti Tundra 45, Coleman 316, RTIC 45Qt, Engel ENG50, Pelican 45Qt. Durable, outdoor-ready, and great insulation properties.

Choosing the right cooler for your fishing trips can be overwhelming with so many options available. To simplify your decision, we’ve reviewed and selected the top 5 fish coolers that excel in keeping your catch fresh. Each cooler offers unique features and benefits to meet various needs, from extended ice retention to ease of transport. Read on to discover which cooler is best for your fishing adventures.
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Below is our choice of the 5 best fish coolers to keep your catch fresh.
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1. Yeti Tundra 45 Hard Cooler
Yeti’s Tundra 45 cooler combines versatility with durability and is the perfect cooler to keep your catch fresh. This cooler will keep your fish cool for up to 5 days when using ice blocks and filling the cooler with ice cubes or crushed ice. The cooler is constructed using roto molding, where the liquid plastic is constantly poured over insulation. This process produces a cooler that has no seams.
To optimize the cooler’s insulation, the mold constantly rotates during the heating phase to prevent the cooler from sagging in the cooling process. The Yeti Tundra cooler has insulation of up to 3 inches. This feature will keep you cold even in the warmest weather conditions. This cooler has a dry basket for keeping foods you don’t want to keep on top of the ice. Other excellent features are a well-sealed lid, rubber latches, and an interlocking hinge system that is strong and durable.
The Yeti Tundra 45 is easy to clean; if a deep clean is required, a water and bleach solution will do the job. Yeti coolers come with a 5-year warranty. It is a top-of-the-range cooler with a hefty price tag, but you will pay for excellent quality.
Pros
- 3-inch-thick insulated walls to keep the cold in
- Holds less because of the thick walls.
- Durable, built to last a long time.
Cons
- It is heavy to carry when the cooler is filled.
- Easy to clean.
- Expensive.
2. Coleman 316 Wheeled Hard Cooler
If you like to have a cooler that is easy to lug around, then this wheeled cooler will be a good fit. Equipped with 6-inch heavy-duty wheels and durable tow and swing-up handles will make the transport even easier.
The cooler is large and well-insulated with thick and robust roto-molded walls. This cooler will keep your catch cool for up to 5 days. It is easy to clean and has a rust-proof leak-resistant channel drain. The lid has built-in cup holders, so your drinks won’t spill, and when the lid is closed, it can support a weight of 250 pounds.
The Coleman 316 cooler costs less than the Yeti Tundra and is as efficient in keeping your catch cool. This cooler is our second choice for taking on a long-haul fishing trip. This cooler is also available without wheels and comes with a 1-year warranty.
Pros
- Superior insulation.
- Portable and comes on wheels.
- Lots of storage space.
- Strong and sturdy.
Cons
- Big and bulky.
- Heavy when fully loaded.
3. RTIC 45 Qt Hard Cooler
This cooler is similar to the Yeti Tundra and is also a strong and durable product with roto molding construction. The insulation is great, partly due to the tightly fitted T-latches keeping the cooler cold. This cooler lets you keep your catch cool for up to 5 days.
This cooler has features such as molded tie-down slots, non-slip feet, heavy-duty rope handles, and an easy-flow drain plug on both sides. This cooler is sturdy, and when the lid is closed, it can be used as a table, a cutting board, or a seat! The RTIC 45qt cooler is well-priced and is another good choice for a durable and effective cooler for a fishing trip. It comes with a 1-year warranty.
Pros
- Value for money.
- Difficult to drain water while the fish is still in the cooler.
- Drains on both sides.
Cons
- The lid must be open, as well as the drain plugs.
- Easy to clean.
- Knotted handles can slip out.
4. Engel ENG50 High-Performance Cooler
The Engel cooler is roto-molded and has a 2-inch polyurethane insulation layer to keep your catch cool for up to 10 days. The sealing on this cooler is excellent. It has compression latches and gaskets made of silicon instead of rubber. The silicon is durable and will keep its shape. This cooler has non-slip feet and dual padlock holes, so you can lock the cooler if there are bears around.
There is a drain plug for easy draining, and the cooler is easy to clean. You can use the non-slip lid as a casting station. The Engel ENG50 high-performance cooler is a great size and is functional for keeping your catch fresh. This cooler comes with a 10-year warranty.
Pros
- Stainless steel hardware, not plastic.
- Good ice retention.
- Lightweight, easy to carry.
Cons
- Small storage space.
- Expensive
5. Pelican 45Qt Elite Wheeled Cooler
The Pelican 45qt Elite cooler is another ideal choice to keep your fish cool, and the heavy-duty wheels make it easy to transport. The gasket is of freezer grade, and with 2 inches of polyurethane insulation will keep your catch cool for up to 7 days.
Other features are non-skid raised feet, molded-in tie-downs to prevent the cooler from slipping around on the boat, molded-in handles that are large and comfortable to use when wearing gloves, as well as a built-in trolley handle. The components like latches and hinges are made from stainless steel and resist corrosion. It has a suitable drainage plug that can be attached to a garden hose for cleaning purposes.
A nice-to-have feature is a built-in bottle opener, and a fish scale is included on the lid of the cooler. The Pelican 45qt Elite cooler is made in the USA and has a limited lifetime warranty. This cooler is ideal for a weekend fishing trip.
Pros
- Good ice retention.
- Durable.
- Stylish with lots of features.
Cons
- The cooler is heavy.
- The wheeled coolers are not roto-molded.
- Expensive.
What Is A Good Size Cooler For Fishing?
The size of the cooler will depend on the time you spend on your fishing trip and how much fish you intend to catch. If you are fishing from a boat, ensure the cooler can slot into the space you have allocated for it. A 45-quart cooler is ideal for a day or weekend trip, and a 100-quart cooler is suitable for more extended fishing sprees.
A 150-quart cooler is usually the standard size if you are fishing offshore. You can also consider the dimensions of the cooler. A cooler that is 30 inches in length should accommodate most size fish. It is ideal if the fish can lie flat in the cooler without bending the body. It is best to have one cooler for your food and drinks and another for your catch.
How Do I Keep My Fish Cold In A Cooler?
The best way to keep fish cold in a cooler is by putting ice blocks that have been in the freezer for 48 hours at the bottom of the cooler. Then add several inches of ice cubes or crushed ice on top of the ice blocks. Lay the fish on the ice as it is caught. Add a layer of crushed ice on top of the fish. Or if you clean and fillet your fish, rinse it in cold water and store it in the cooler with crushed ice.
Pack the fish in single layers, adding crushed ice to each layer. Remember to keep draining the cooler so that your catch does not lay in water which will affect the taste of the fish. Avoid opening the cooler too often, as this allows cold air to escape.
What Is The Difference Between A Marine Cooler And A Regular Cooler?

Marine coolers are hardier than regular coolers as they are made to be used on boats or on the beach, where they are exposed to the sun and salty water. The coolers often get bashed about on the boats, so they must be robust. These coolers must also be able to freeze the day’s catch. A marine cooler will cost more than a regular cooler. But, if you consider the features of the marine cooler, the extra cost will be worth it.
Special features of a marine cooler are:
- Good ice retention – for keeping your catch, food, and drinks cold for longer.
- Thicker insulation – to be able to freeze the fish.
- Inbuilt UV protection – to prevent the cooler from discoloring from the sun. Most marine coolers come in white.
- Non-slip feet – to prevent the cooler from sliding around on the boat. These coolers can also be tied down to the boat.
- Anti-rust – these coolers are built with anti-rust components like hinges and latches, usually made from stainless steel. This is necessary due to the cooler being exposed to salt water.
- Measurements on the lid – some marine coolers have markings in inches or centimeters so you can measure your fish.
- A seat cushion – some coolers have the option of an add-on padded seat.
However, high-end roto-molded coolers like the Yeti, Engel, or Pelican are just as good as marine coolers. These cooler brands are much more costly than marine coolers.
Is There A Cooler Better Than A Yeti?
As a high-end cooler, the Yet has been the dominating brand for a long time. The best feature of the Yeti is the roto molding and excellent insulation used to manufacture their coolers. But other brands have adopted this method and are now in the same league as the Yeti.
These coolers are not better than the Yeti but have the same qualities and are definite alternatives. Two of these brands are Pelican and Engel roto-molded coolers.
Do I Need A Cooler For Fishing?
You will need a cooler to keep the fish that you catch. The cooler will keep your catch fresh and cool outdoors until you can cook it. During your fishing trip, you must stay hydrated, so keeping water, cold drinks, and food cool in the cooler is ideal.