If you ever find yourself wanting to anchor on a lake, then anchors are a necessity for water bodies that have strong currents or winds in order to prevent the boat from drifting away. Use of an pontoon boat anchor ensures that the boat stays put which is especially important while fishing. Most of the time while you are fishing you are going to want a trolling motor but if you want to setup in a cove for a bit to hang out then it’s like a art to set the anchor into place properly. Most pontoon boats of course come with an anchor but everyone I know who owns a pontoon has either “almost” lost an anchor, lost an anchor or has wondered if the anchor that came with their boat is big enough or good enough (probably right after they found themselves drifting after thinking that they properly set the anchor). Here is a list of items we watch out for when we are selecting an anchor for our pontoon boat. If you are in a hurry here are the four types of anchors we reviewed:
| Image | Title | Best For | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Seachoice Fluke Pontoon Anchor | Sand or Mud |  | Check Price |
 | Extrememax Boattector Cube Anchor | Offshore Sport Boats, Grass or Mud |  | Check Price |
 | Seachoice Grapnel Anchor | Rocky Bottom | | Check Price |
 | Seachoice Plow Anchor | Muddy Bottom | | Check Price |
Choosing a Pontoon Boat Anchor
There are multiple factors that can help in choosing a pontoon boat anchor. Keeping in mind a few things can aid a person in selecting the best pontoon boat anchor.
Weight of the Pontoon Anchor
Anchors comes in different weights and choosing the right weights depends on the length and weight of the boat. Areas that have strong currents and winds will require an anchor that is heavier than those with normal currents.
Bed of Water Body
Water bodies have different types of beds such as sandy, rocky or clayey and it may be covered by weeds and plants. There are special anchors for distinct bed types and a person may consider the best pontoon anchor for the one that they will use the boat in.
Depth of Water
An anchor is attached to a chain for lowering and raising it. Ideally, the length of the chain must be five times more than the depth of the water body.
Type of Anchors and Their Manufacturers
For deciding upon the best pontoon boat anchor, a person must consider different available anchor types.
Fluke Pontoon Anchors
A pontoon boat fluke anchor is perfect for individuals who are looking for lightweight anchor that does not compromises holding power. It has fluke arms that dig down into the floor of the water body and prevent the boat from drifting. The greater the size of fluke arms the better the hold. This anchor is ideal for sandy or muddy water beds but not for rocky or grass ones. It can also be used as a secondary anchor. Seachoice, Danforth and Fortress Marine are three manufacturers of fluke anchors. Danforth has standard and hi tensile variants while Fortress Marine has three variants, namely – Fortress, Guardian and Commando.
Box or Cube Pontoon Anchors
For water bodies that have muddy beds or light grass and weeds, the box type is the best pontoon boat anchor choice. The hold of these anchors depends on the amount of surface that is in contact with the bed of the water body. Extreme Max Boattector and Slide Anchors are manufacturers of box anchors. They are available in multiple sizes for different length pontoon boats.
Grapnel Anchor
For gravel and rocky beds, grapnel pontoon boat anchors are popularly used. These anchors have multiple arms or claws that can grab onto the rocks to hold the boat still. SeaChoice sells a foldable grapnel anchor that locks in when you want it to and is easy to store. It comes in many size all they way from 1.5 lbs up to 13 lbs.
Plow or Scoop Anchors
For grassy beds, pontoon boat plow or scoop anchors provide the required hold for preventing the boat from drifting. These anchors have a shank that allows them to dig deep into weeds and mud for superior holding power. Seachoice makes a very popular plow pontoon boat anchor. The Delta anchor from Lewmar and the Supreme boat anchor manufactured by Manson are also highly popular plow anchors.
Using an Anchor
Even the best pontoon boat anchors can cause accidents and caution must be taken while using them. An anchor must always be used at bow side and never on stern side as there is the danger of the pontoon boat capsizing. Having two anchors with different designs can help with multiple bed types and also keep the boat steady in case of strong drifts or winds. Care must be taken while using the anchor to prevent any bodily injury. Although you can’t ever replace an experienced pontoon boat captain teaching a newbie how to set an anchor our best advice is to just make sure that your anchor is set before you turn your engine off by trying to sink/hook your anchor by slowly idling it with the anchor down to lock it in. There are worse things that can happen out on the lake but a common frustrating situation for a captain (and therefore also for all boat occupants) is having to take numerous attempts to set a pontoon boat anchor. So make sure you have the right one for your boat and make sure you set it right the first time!
