Best Ice Fishing Tent Reviews: Top 5 Picks

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Getting the right tent or shelter for ice fishing is important, you need on that will protect you from the cold and keep you warm as well as one that its very durable.

There are actually quite a few good options out there but we narrowed it down to these 5 as the best ice fishing tents and here are our reviews on each (the Eskimo QuickFish2 is our top pick).


Contents

Important Things To Consider

Before you go out and buy an ice fishing tent, let’s quickly look at the most important considerations to keep in mind.

1. Size

You need the ice fishing tent to be big enough for the amount of people you go fishing with. Being able to stand up is nice as well.

2. Durability

The tent should be made of durable materials that are water, wind, and cold proof. It should resist ripping due to fish hooks.

3. Insulation

Not all ice fishing tents have this, but it definitely helps to keep warm.

4. Windows

Windows are always nice because they can let in light, but they should be removable for air flow, and they should allow for them to be blocked out to stop light penetration.

Note: We have covered a good checklist and tips for ice fishing, which you can find here.


5 Best Ice Fishing Tents: Reviews

Here we have what we think are the 5 best ice fishing tents out there right now, so let’s take a closer look at each of them!

1. Eskimo QuickFish2

When it comes down to it, the Eskimo QuickFish2 is one of our top pick. It comes in multiple sizes, is easy to setup, and is quite durable as well.

Size & Capacity

In terms of size, the Eskimo QuickFish2 is a 2 person ice fishing tent, but it does also come in sizes for 3 and 4 people. However, this particular one, the 2 person model, has 25 square feet of fishing area on the inside.

It is 67 inches high, which is a little bit short, so you might not be able to stand up in it, but it does have a lot of room in terms of width. It should be more than comfortable and roomy enough when sitting down.

Construction

The Eskimo QuickFish2 is made with 300 Denier ice tight fabric with a super high thread count. The point here is that this thing is made to be super durable. It’s not going to rip from a fish hook, and wind and snow won’t be able to get inside either.

On a side note, you will want to wear a coat, as this thing is not insulated. Either way, here you also get 4 removable hook and loop windows, a door with a high quality zipper and 6 ice anchors to keep everything in place.

Setup

What is nice about the Eskimo QuickFish2 is that it has all metal hubs and solid poles which are very easy to set up. If you have somebody to help you, it should literally only take 60 seconds to get this thing from the carrying case to be ready for ice fishing. An easy setup is a big bonus here.

Pros

  • Easy to set up.
  • Fairly roomy (width).
  • Durable built.
  • Has removable windows.

Cons

  • Not very tall.
  • Not insulated.

You can check the current price on Amazon here


2. Thunderbay Ice Cube

If you need a slightly large ice fishing tent that can fit multiple people, is built to be highly durable, windproof, and easy to set up, then the Thunderbay Ice Cube is a decent option.

Size & Capacity

For one, the Thunderbay Ice Cube ice fishing tent is fairly large. This is rated as a 3 person tent, but if you are 2 big people with lots of gear, 2 people may be all it can fit. However, it should be able to fit 3 people just fine.

This thing is 90 inches by 90 inches, in terms of width and length, so it should be more than wide enough for 2 or 3 people to fish comfortably. In terms of the height, the ceiling height is 80 inches, which is about 6.5 feet.

Therefore, it is tall enough for large people to stand up in, which is always convenient no doubt.

Construction

The Thunderbay Ice Cube ice fishing tent is built very tough. It is made of super durable 300 Denier fabric. It is highly resistant to ripping and tearing, plus it is totally windproof too, something that comes in very handy when ice fishing.

What is also cool is the blackout coating on the roof which keeps light out, unless you want it to come in, which helps to make sure that fish don’t get scared. This thing comes with a large zippered door for convenience, plus 4 hook and loop fastened windows that can be opened whenever you see fit.

The heavy duty fiberglass poles and the 6 ice anchors will definitely keep this thing standing.

Setup

The Thunderbay Ice Cube ice fishing tent is fairly easy to set up. 3 people should take no longer than a couple of minutes to get it ice fishing ready. It is fairly big, so you will need a helping hand, but overall, it is pretty easy to get standing, and to get back into the convenient carrying case too.

It does weigh 21 pounds, which is heavy enough to stay put in the wind, but light enough to carry around.

Pros

  • Superior durability and windproof.
  • Blackout roof.
  • More than enough space for 2 or 3 people.
  • Fairly easy to setup overall.

Cons

  • Does take 2 people to set up.
  • Not insulated.

You can check the current price on Amazon here


3. Eskimo Evo1

Although technically speaking, while this thing does come in several sizes for multiple amounts of people, we are here to review the Eskimo Evo1 which is meant for a single person. It’s lightweight, easy to set up, and quite reliable too.

Size & Capacity

The Eskimo Evo1 is not the largest ice fishing tent out there, but then again, it is only designed for a single person. The interior has just over 19 square feet of space, which should be more than enough for a single person.

The seat height here is 18 inches, which admittedly is a bit short. This thing is definitely not tall enough to stand up in.

Although, over where the hole will be, it has a height of 65 inches, which is more than enough to sit comfortable, although you still cannot stand up in it. It’s fine for a single person.

Construction

The Eskimo Evo1 is made with 300 Denier material. As you probably know by now, this stuff is very tough and can easily resist ripping and tearing due to fish hooks and other such things.

The material used here is also totally windproof, which absolutely comes in handy for ice fishing. Do remember to dress warm, as this particular ice fishing tent is not insulated. What we do like is that this thing comes with a seat included, which is nice, because not many ice fishing tents come with a seat.

It does also come with a convenient zippered door for easy entry and to keep the wind out, as well as extra-large windows which you can control how much light gets through. The windows are not removable, but you can control light penetration.

Setup

The Eskimo Evo1 is very easy to setup. If you are on your own, it should take you no longer than a couple of minutes to do so. Now, this thing is quite heavy for what it is, as it weighs a whopping 52 pounds.

So, it will take a bit of muscle power to set up, but on the other hand, you should be able to do it on your own. The high weight of this thing is a bonus when it comes to wind, as it does make the Eskimo Evo1 very stable.

It comes with lightweight and highly durable fiberglass poles which are easy to deal with. It does come with a carrying case, and it collapses down small, but it is heavy.

Pros

  • Very durable.
  • Should be able to set it up on your own.
  • Decent space for 1 person.
  • Windows with light control.

Cons

  • Cannot stand up in it.
  • Very heavy.

You can check the current price on Amazon here


4. Tangkula Ice Shelter

The Tangkula Ice Shelter is another good option to keep in mind. It’s a great 2 person tent with lots of room, it is lightweight, and quite durable too.

Size & Capacity

The Tangkula Ice Shelter comes in at 58 by 58 inches in terms of width and length, which should be more than enough to allow 2 people to sit down and ice fish comfortably, plus have some spare gear too.

Now, this thing has a ceiling height of 66 inches, which is a little over 5 feet. It should be tall enough to allow most people to stand up in it, although anyone over 5.5 feet will have to duck a bit. It’s spacious enough for 2 people, but depending on the size of the people, it might get a little tight in there.

What we do not agree with is that the Tangkula Ice Shelter is rated as a 3 person tent, because fitting even 2 people in it can be difficult depending on the size of people and amount of gear.

Construction

The Tangkula Ice Shelter is made with oxford fabric, which is totally windproof, waterproof, and can withstand temperatures as low as -22 Fahrenheit. It is a very durable ice fishing tent, one that is not going to freeze, let in water, let in wind, or rip due to fish hooks.

Durability is a big bonus here. It comes with an extra-large door for easy entry and exit, one with a zipper for good closure. It also comes with several removable windows for airflow, ones which can be covered to eliminate light penetration.

All in all, it is a well-constructed ice fishing tent, although, once again, this one is also not insulated.

Setup

The Tangkula Ice Shelter comes in at just over 20 pounds, plus it uses very lightweight and flexible poles to keep it standing. Such a low weight makes this thing very easy to transport and set up.

Although it is a 2 person tent, a single person should be able to set it up on their own.

Pros

  • Highly durable.
  • Wind, water, and frost proof.
  • Enough room for 2 people.
  • Easy to set up and transport.

Cons

  • Definitely not enough room for 3 people.
  • Tall people will not be able to stand up in it.
  • Not insulated.

You can check the current price on Amazon here


5. Nordic Legend Ice Shelter

If you need a large and heavy duty ice fishing shelter that can easily fit 3 or even 4 people, the Nordic Legend Ice Shelter is a good option.

Size & Capacity

The Nordic Legend Ice Shelter has 40 feet of fishable area on the interior, which is a lot of space. Now, it is only 65 inches in height, which is good because it has a low profile in terms of wind, but also bad because most people probably won’t be able to stand up inside of it.

However, the area here is around 80 by 80 inches, making it quite roomy. Although this thing is advertised as a 4 person ice fishing tent, we would not recommend using it for more than 3 people.

Construction

The Nordic Legend Ice Shelter is made with really durable and tough fabric that is wind and waterproof. It is definitely a durable ice fishing tent.

Now, the big bonus here is that besides the large zippered door and the removable windows, it is insulated. Yes, this is the only ice fishing tent here today that is insulated, and will therefore keep you warm.

Setup

All of the ice anchors, poles, and other such things do come included here, and they are fairly lightweight and reliable. However, the fabric of the tent is quite heavy, and therefore this thing does take a bit of effort and multiple people to set up.

Pros

  • High durability.
  • Insulated and warm.
  • More than roomy enough for 3 people.
  • Removable windows.

Cons

  • Not tall enough to stand in.
  • Heavy and a bit of a pain to set up.

You can check the current price on Amazon here

Conclusion

We are not going to make an outright recommendation here, because besides the size differences, most of these ice fishing tents are quite similar, with the exception of the final one on the list, which is insulated. Which one you get is up to you!

Jason Downs

I created Fishtackly to share my 30 years of fishing experience and knowledge with others with the aim to help, and hopefully get more people involved and educated in this fantastic hobby that I love.