12V vs 24V vs 36V Trolling Motors: Which Voltage You Need
Which trolling motor voltage you need: 12 V up to 55 lb, 24 V for 70-90 lb, 36 V for 101-115 lb, with boat-weight limits, series wiring and battery costs.
System Planner
Boat weight, conditions and hours in: thrust, voltage, battery bank, runtime, wire gauge, breaker and charger out.
A trolling motor’s voltage is not a separate choice from its thrust: each thrust class is built for one battery voltage, and each 12 volts means one more battery in the boat. The real question is how much thrust your boat needs, and whether the extra battery, weight and charger bank that come with 24 V or 36 V are worth it. This page lays out the numbers.
Which voltage trolling motor do you need?
Pick the thrust first, and the voltage follows: 12 V for up to 55 lb, 24 V for 70 to 90 lb, 36 V for 101 to 115 lb. Minn Kota’s buying guide puts it as one battery for every 12 volts: 55 lb or less on 12 V with one battery, 24 V with two, and 36 V with three.
Minn Kota’s thrust rule sets the class: at least 2 lb of thrust for every 100 lb of fully loaded boat weight, with extra if wind or current are major factors. Turned around, that rule gives the heaviest loaded boat each class can handle:
| Motor class | Calm water | Moderate wind (x1.25) | Strong wind, current or tide (x1.5) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55 lb, 12 V | 2,750 lb | 2,200 lb | 1,830 lb |
| 80 lb, 24 V | 4,000 lb | 3,200 lb | 2,670 lb |
| 112 lb, 36 V | 5,600 lb | 4,480 lb | 3,730 lb |
Loaded weight includes hull, outboard, fuel, people, gear and batteries. The wind multipliers are our heuristic, the same ones the System Planner uses.
Why do bigger trolling motors use higher voltage?
Because higher voltage delivers more power without raising the current, which keeps the wire, breaker and plug manageable. Electrical power is volts times amps. Minn Kota’s published max amp draw stays in a narrow 30 to 56 A band across its whole lineup, so the extra power for big thrust comes from the voltage:
| Motor class | Bank | Max amp draw | Peak power (nominal V x A) | Breaker | Wire at 15 ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 lb | 12 V, 1 battery | 30 A | 360 W | 50 A | 8 AWG |
| 40 / 45 lb | 12 V, 1 battery | 42 A | 504 W | 50 A | 6 AWG |
| 50 / 55 lb | 12 V, 1 battery | 50 A | 600 W | 60 A | 4 AWG |
| 70 lb | 24 V, 2 batteries | 42 A | 1,008 W | 50 A | 8 AWG |
| 80 lb | 24 V, 2 batteries | 56 A | 1,344 W | 60 A | 8 AWG |
| 101 lb | 36 V, 3 batteries | 46 A | 1,656 W | 50 A | 8 AWG |
| 112 lb | 36 V, 3 batteries | 52 A | 1,872 W | 60 A | 8 AWG |
Amp draw, breaker and wire from Minn Kota’s Battery & Wiring Installation sheet, Rev. 8.17.2021. Max draw is intermittent, not a continuous rating.
A 55 lb 12 V motor at 15 ft needs 4 AWG cable; an 80 lb 24 V motor at the same length gets by on 8 AWG. Voltage drop is also a smaller share of a 36 V supply than of a 12 V one. Full gauge and breaker tables are in the trolling motor wiring guide.
What voltages do the major brands use in 2026?
Every major brand follows the same pattern: 12 V up to about 55 lb, 24 V around 70 to 90 lb, 36 V above 100 lb, with the newest brushless motors running on either 24 or 36 V.
| Brand and line | 12 V | 24 V | 36 V |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minn Kota brushed (Endura, Edge, Fortrex, Ultrex, Terrova and others) | Up to 55 lb | 70-80 lb | 101-112 lb |
| Minn Kota QUEST brushless (Ultrex, Ulterra, Terrova, Riptide Terrova, Riptide Instinct) | None | 90 lb | 115 lb (same motor) |
| MotorGuide R, X, Xi series (saltwater store listing) | 45-55 lb | 70-80 lb | 105 lb |
| Lowrance Recon | None | 80 lb | 110 lb (same motor) |
| Garmin Force Kraken | None | Runs on 24 or 36 V; rated 100 lb (ISO 13342) | Same motor |
Sources: Minn Kota buying guide, QUEST pages and 2023 Riptide release; MotorGuide online store; Tackle Warehouse spec listings for Recon and Force Kraken; all checked October 2026.
Dual-voltage motors change the upgrade path. A QUEST, Recon or Force Kraken can start on a 24 V bank and gain a third battery later. Lowrance lists the Recon’s max draw as 52 A RMS at 24 V and 58 A RMS at 36 V, and a functional range of 16 to 46 V. Whether the brushless premium pays off in runtime is covered in brushless vs brushed trolling motors.
Who should choose 12 V, 24 V or 36 V?
Choose 12 V for jon boats, canoes, kayaks and small aluminum boats; 24 V for 16 to 18 ft bass and walleye boats; 36 V for heavy boats, big water and anyone relying on GPS anchoring in wind.
- 12 V (up to 55 lb): one battery, simplest wiring, lightest boat. Right for a loaded boat up to about 2,750 lb in calm water. It is the only choice on most kayaks and small transom setups.
- 24 V (70 to 90 lb): two batteries and a 2-bank charger. The common bass-boat setup, good to about 4,000 lb loaded in calm water.
- 36 V (101 to 115 lb): three batteries and a 3-bank charger. Needed on heavier boats, in strong tide, or where spot-lock has to hold all day; see spot-lock trolling motors compared for why GPS anchoring favors more thrust.
The mount question (bow or transom) is separate; bow mount vs transom mount covers it with the same weight table. Pontoons, with their heavy loaded weights and high decks, are worked through in trolling motor for a pontoon boat.
How do you wire batteries for a 24 or 36 volt trolling motor?
Wire 12 V batteries in series: positive of one battery to negative of the next, so the voltages add while the amp-hours stay the same. Minn Kota’s instructions, described in words:
- 24 V (two batteries): a jumper from battery 1 positive to battery 2 negative; motor positive (through the breaker) to battery 2 positive; motor negative to battery 1 negative.
- 36 V (three batteries): add a second jumper from battery 2 positive to battery 3 negative; motor positive goes to battery 3 positive, motor negative to battery 1 negative.
- Jumpers should be one wire size larger than the motor leads, for example 8 AWG jumpers with 10 AWG leads.
- Batteries must be the same make, type, size and age. Do not mix chemistries in one bank.
What safety rules apply to a series battery bank?
Follow the motor’s manual exactly: Minn Kota’s sheet warns that improper wiring of 24, 36 and 48 V systems can cause a battery explosion. It also recommends a qualified marine technician for rigging changes and ABYC standards for the work.
One more rule comes from the Riptide manual: if your boat has a battery selector switch or automatic jump-start system, only the “low side” battery (the one the motor negative connects to) may be tied into it. Connecting the high-side or middle battery can cause significant damage to the motor and electronics. Which switch a two-battery boat needs is covered in boat battery switches.
Series is not the same as parallel. Two 12 V 100 Ah batteries in series make 24 V at 100 Ah; in parallel they make 12 V at 200 Ah, which adds runtime to a 12 V motor without adding thrust.
What batteries should a 24 volt trolling motor use?
Either two matched 12 V deep-cycle batteries in series, or one battery built at 24 V. The single-case option is new enough to be worth pricing out. Interstate’s list prices, checked October 2026:
| Option | Voltage and capacity | Stored energy | List price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two Interstate SRM-27 flooded deep cycle | 24 V, 88 Ah | about 2.1 kWh | $339.90 ($169.95 each) |
| Interstate LI31M24V60 lithium, group 31 case | 24 V, 60 Ah | 1.44 kWh | $1,104.95 |
| Interstate LI31M36V50 lithium, group 31 case | 36 V, 50 Ah | 1.8 kWh | $1,204.95 |
The single-case packs save space, weight and the series jumpers, but they store less energy than a bank of full-size 12 V batteries. Lithium can use most of its rating, while lead-acid is usually run to only about half of its rating to protect its life, so compare usable energy, not the label. How many amp-hours your day needs is worked out in trolling motor battery sizing.
How do you charge a 24 or 36 volt battery bank?
With a multi-bank 12 V onboard charger, one bank per battery. Minn Kota notes that batteries wired in series or parallel can each be charged by a 12-volt multi-bank charger without disconnecting any leads, which keeps all batteries at the same state of charge.
A 24 V bank needs a 2-bank charger and a 36 V bank a 3-bank charger; add one more bank if the cranking battery charges from the same unit. Amps per bank and overnight recharge time are sized in the marine battery charger guide. A single-case 24 V or 36 V lithium battery needs a charger built for that voltage and chemistry instead.
Who is this comparison not for?
This page covers 12, 24 and 36 V trolling motors on small and mid-size fishing boats. It does not cover 48 V electric outboards, house battery banks with inverters, or AC shore-power wiring; electric outboards are compared with big trolling motors in electric boat motors. For runs longer than 25 ft from battery to motor, Minn Kota’s advice is to bring in a qualified marine technician.
Prices are US list prices in USD; brands and prices differ outside the US.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to what anglers ask us most
Is a 24 volt trolling motor better than a 12 volt?
Only if your boat needs more than 55 lb of thrust. A 24 V motor delivers 70 to 90 lb, which suits boats from about 2,750 to 4,000 lb loaded in calm water, but it needs a second battery and a second charger bank.
How many batteries does a 24 volt trolling motor need?
Two 12 V deep-cycle batteries wired in series, of the same make, type, size and age. A single 24 V lithium battery also works; Interstate's LI31M24V60 is a 24 V, 60 Ah pack in a group 31 case.
Can I run a 24 volt trolling motor on 12 volts?
It is not a supported setup in the manuals we checked. Lowrance lists the Recon's functional range as 16 to 46 V, which excludes 12 V. Run the motor on the voltage it is rated for.
What thrust does a 36 volt trolling motor have?
Minn Kota's 36 V brushed motors are 101 and 112 lb, its QUEST brushless motors 115 lb at 36 V. MotorGuide's 36 V models are 105 lb, Lowrance's Recon 110 lb at 36 V, and Garmin rates the Force Kraken at 100 lb.
Do I need a special charger for a 24 or 36 volt system?
No. A multi-bank 12 V onboard charger with one bank per battery charges a series bank without disconnecting the jumpers, as Minn Kota describes. Two batteries need a 2-bank charger, three need a 3-bank.