Forward-Facing Sonar: LiveScope, ActiveTarget, MEGA Live

Forward-facing sonar (FFS), also called live sonar, is a transducer that scans a thin fan of water in front of or below the boat and redraws it continuously, so you watch fish, bait and your lure move in real time. Three systems dominate the market: Garmin LiveScope, Lowrance ActiveTarget and Humminbird MEGA Live. They do the same job at similar prices, and each one locks you into its own brand of display.

What is forward-facing sonar, and how is it different from a normal fish finder?

A traditional fish finder draws a history of what passed under the boat; forward-facing sonar shows what is inside its beam right now, including fish the boat has not reached. Standard 2D CHIRP and down imaging scroll the screen as you move, so a fish becomes an arch only after you have driven over it.

Live sonar uses a fan-shaped beam that is wide in one direction and thin in the other. Garmin’s LiveScope Plus LVS34 covers 135 degrees front to back and 20 degrees side to side; Humminbird lists MEGA Live 2 coverage as 20 x 120 degrees. Aim it forward to see the water ahead, or down to see a wide slice under the boat. All three brands also offer a wide overhead view: Garmin calls it Perspective mode, Lowrance calls it Scout and Humminbird calls it Landscape.

The 2D, down imaging and side imaging views most anglers start with are explained in side imaging vs down imaging vs CHIRP.

How do LiveScope, ActiveTarget 2 and MEGA Live 2 compare?

On published specs, Garmin’s LiveScope 2 LVS44 reaches farthest (250 ft), MEGA Live 2 draws the least current (1.15 A max), and ActiveTarget 2 and MEGA Live 2 share the lowest price ($1,399.99).

Specs from Garmin’s LVS34, GLS 10 and LiveScope 2 installation manuals, Lowrance’s ActiveTarget 2 spec page, and Humminbird’s MEGA Live 2 installation and operations guides. Prices from the makers’ US stores on 2026-10-06; ActiveTarget 2 was listed out of stock on lowrance.com that day. Garmin and Humminbird both state that range depends on salinity, bottom type and water conditions.

The biggest change in this generation is the black box. LiveScope 2 and MEGA Live 2 connect without a separate sonar module; LiveScope Plus and ActiveTarget 2 still need one, which is one more box to mount, wire and fuse. Within Garmin’s range, the LVS42HD gives up half the LVS44’s range for more detail on close targets.

What does a complete forward-facing sonar setup cost?

Plan on about $2,600 to $3,000 for the sonar plus a compatible display, before any special mount, battery or new trolling motor.

Garmin shows the ECHOMAP UHD2 9 inch sv as frequently bought with LiveScope Plus; confirm any pairing on the Compatible Devices tab of Garmin’s product page before you order. If you already own a GLS 10 from an older LiveScope system, Garmin sells the newer transducer without the module, which is the cheapest upgrade path.

Which forward-facing sonar should you buy?

Buy the system that matches your display brand; within that brand, choose by range, mount and trolling motor.

• You run a Garmin chartplotter. LiveScope 2 LVS44 is the long-range pick with no black box. The LVS42HD suits shallow lakes and close cover. LiveScope Plus makes sense if you already own a GLS 10.
• You run Lowrance HDS PRO, HDS LIVE, HDS Carbon or Elite FS. ActiveTarget 2. Lowrance says its ActiveTarget 2 XL transducer works with the existing ActiveTarget 2 module, and HDS PRO can show two live views at once with a second system.
• You run Humminbird XPLORE, APEX or SOLIX G3, or a Minn Kota Ultrex. MEGA Live 2. Its TargetLock feature keeps the beam on a fish or brush pile as the boat swings; it works on the Ultrex only and needs an adapter kit.
• You run an entry-level unit. None of the three works with it. Humminbird’s MEGA Live 2 guide lists APEX, SOLIX G3 and XPLORE only, so a Helix owner needs a new display too.

How much power does forward-facing sonar use, and does it need its own battery?

The sonar alone draws about 1 to 2 A at 12 V, so an 8-hour day takes roughly 12 to 17 Ah from a LiFePO4 battery before you add the display.

Battery sizes from the System Planner model: 80% usable for LiFePO4, 50% for AGM, with a Peukert correction. We used the maximum figures as steady loads, which is conservative.

Add your display’s draw from its own spec sheet and enter the total in the planner’s fish finder field. Run all electronics from a separate 12 V battery: tapping one battery of a 24 or 36 V series bank drains it unevenly and shortens the whole bank’s life, as the trolling motor battery guide explains.

Fuse each unit as its manual says: Humminbird specifies a 2 A fuse for MEGA Live 2, Lowrance a 3 A fuse for the ActiveTarget 2 module, and Garmin builds a 7.5 A fast-acting fuse into the LiveScope 2 power cable and warns that removing it voids the warranty. Circuit layout and breaker sizing are covered in trolling motor wiring.

How do you mount forward-facing sonar on a small boat?

Most anglers mount the transducer on the trolling motor shaft so it points wherever the motor points; a pole or transom mount works on a boat without a bow motor.

• MEGA Live 2 mounts to Minn Kota Ultrex, Fortrex, Maxxum and Edge motors, to most FFS poles, and to the transom with the separate MEGA Live 2 Transom-Mount.
• ActiveTarget 2 ships with trolling motor shaft and motor mounts; the transom mount and Scout Wide mount are sold separately.
• LiveScope installs on a trolling motor shaft or barrel, a pole, or Garmin’s Perspective mode mount. Garmin also sells a motorized pole, the Spy Pole Mount, at $1,999.99 for 42 in and $2,199.99 for 49 in at Tackle Warehouse on 2026-11-06.

All three brands also sell live sonar packages for ice fishing; they are compared with flashers in ice fishing flashers vs live sonar.

Two limits apply to every brand. The transducer must sit low enough to stay in the water when waves rock the boat, and it is built for trolling speed: Humminbird says MEGA Live 2 should not be in the water during high-speed travel. A bow-mount motor is the natural home for live sonar, which is one reason anglers upgrade from a transom motor; see bow mount vs transom mount. Pairing live sonar with GPS anchoring, so the boat holds still while you watch the fish, is covered in spot-lock trolling motors.

Is forward-facing sonar allowed in tournaments?

Rules depend on the circuit and are changing. For 2026, B.A.S.S. allows forward-facing sonar at five of its nine Elite Series events plus the Bassmaster Classic, and bans it at the other four.

A Bassmaster column published on October 28, 2025 reported the split and said the events were chosen at random. Bassmaster’s own 2026 coverage of the Lake Champlain and Tenn-Tom Elite events describes both as no-FFS tournaments. Other tournament organizations and local clubs write their own rules, and some limit or ban live sonar at specific events. If you fish competitively, read the current rulebook of every circuit you enter before you spend $2,600 on a system.

Who should not buy forward-facing sonar?

Skip it for now if your display is not compatible, if you fish mostly at speed, or if your boat still lacks good basic sonar and maps.

• Entry-level display owners. The real price is sonar plus a new screen, about $2,600 or more.
• Kayak anglers. It can be done, but the LiveScope Plus hardware alone weighs about 6.6 lb (GLS 10 plus LVS34) and needs a dedicated battery. Most kayakers get more from a compact unit; see kayak fish finders.
• Trollers covering open water at speed. Live sonar is built for trolling speed and for holding position over targets.
• Anglers still choosing a first fish finder. A good CHIRP, down imaging and GPS unit comes first; start with choosing a fish finder for a small boat.

We have not tested these systems on the water. Every figure above comes from the makers’ manuals, spec pages and US store prices checked on 2026-10-06, and prices change often in this category.