The Starcraft STX 2050 has long ranked as the company’s flagship fishing boat for serious anglers. For 2025, the builder added a range of incremental upgrades to make its admirable rig even better.
Starcraft has been making boats for a long time. How long, you ask? Since 1903. Long enough for you? And in that time, the builder has learned plenty about what works and what doesn’t. With a factory located in an area dotted with lakes and an employee pool filled with serious boaters and anglers, Starcraft is assured of a continual flow of ‘what if’ ideas stemming from on-the-water use.
In the case of the STX 2050, that input is bolstered by insights from the fishing world’s elite. These are top tournament anglers and professional guides who spend more than 200 days a year on the water in all kinds of weather. The result is a versatile, durable, and well-designed multi-species fishing boat.
At a Glance: Starcraft STX 2050
Specs
- Length: 20 feet, 10 inches
- Beam: 8 feet, 6 inches
- Dry weight: 2,160 pounds
- Fuel capacity: 48 gallons
- Passenger capacity: 10
- Maximum horsepower: 250
Power
- Tested: Suzuki DF250
- Cylinders: V-6
- Displacement: 3.6L
- Weight: 606 pounds
- Top speed: 60 mph
- Base price w/Suzuki DF250 (as tested): $82,463
Features We Love
- Large bow casting deck
- 36-gallon aerated stern livewell with oxygenator
- High-pressure washdown system
Benefits
- Tons of space for gear
- Dock-like stability in rough water
- Range with 48-gallon fuel tank
Challenges
- No sun protection
- No option for shock-mitigating suspension seating
Who Is This For?
- Tournament anglers who need to get to their honey hole quickly in obstacle-filled waters will like this boat’s horsepower and tough hull.
- Professional fishing guides can put the boat’s performance, durability, and fishing space to effective use.
- Serious anglers who like to catch multiple fish species will appreciate its versatility.
Starcraft STX 2050 Design and Construction
A fishing boat that’s going to be out on the water day in and out will undergo more than its share of wear, so the STX 2050 starts with a battleship-like build. The boat uses Starcraft’s Power-Trac hull design. It utilizes a 0.100-gauge outer skin formed from 5052 H34 marine-grade aluminum that resists dents, dings, and corrosion. That is supported by an inner frame formed from heavy welded-aluminum stringers. Starcraft’s torsion beam design creates a stringer system with an optimal balance of rigidity and flexibility, provides maximum strength and a smoother ride, according to the company.
Reverse chines along the length of the outer hull work with a variable deadrise that holds to a full 19 degrees at the transom to soften re-entry when boating through a chop. Meanwhile, the boat’s beamy profile allows more interior floor space, a larger bow deck for casting, and blink-of-an-eye planing performance.
Features for Anglers
Serious anglers who like to catch multiple different kinds of fish are a difficult audience to please with a single boat. It’s not just that they’re picky. No. The qualities that make a given hull appropriate for sneaking through stump-filled back bays for bass are the opposite of what makes a great boat for trolling on deep, open lakes. Yet, Starcraft accomplishes it with its STX 2050, thanks to some slick engineering both above and below the waterline.
That starts at the keel. A variable deadrise hull eats choppy waves and ensures a calm ride and easy tracking in sloppy conditions. Unlike a lot of deep-V boats, the 2025 Starcraft STX 2050 carries its full 8-foot, 6-inch beam forward of the windshield, combining its sharp bow entry with plenty of lifting surface. The result is a configuration that spreads the boat’s weight over a broader area. The advantage there is a shallower draft that enables it to tackle rough water and still navigate shallow bays.
Inside the boat, the design reflects the most pressing needs of fishers who head out in all sorts of conditions. The newly redesigned twin consoles and a tall, walk-through windshield deliver considerable occupant protection. Anglers will appreciate that when running the boat during cold weather early or late in the year, or in rain.
The windshield is tall enough to provide excellent visibility even with a dash full of electronics in place. Yet, from the bow casting deck, it is low enough that it doesn’t get in the way of casting. That’s not an easy balance to achieve.
Starcraft STX 2050 Layout
The Starcraft STX 2050 follows a proven inner layout: big, raised bow casting deck, twin consoles, open cockpit that terminates with a surprisingly large, elevated stern casting platform.
Wide, solid gunwales provide space to mount all sorts of deck hardware, from rod holders to downriggers and more. It’s a familiar layout, but one that begs further exploration because compartment lids everywhere conceal all sorts of goodies.
Bow
Up front on the bow casting deck, two in-deck lockers provide storage space for all manner of gear. Bulky items such as life jackets fit easily. And you’ll find more fishing tackle trays than any sane person would ever own.
In the center is a two-layer rod locker with plenty of secure storage for expensive rods and reels. The lid—it’s this way on all lockers—is supported by gas rams, so people can use both hands when stowing or extracting gear. An aluminum base for a removable pedestal-mount seat lies just forward of the rod locker lid.
Along each side of the bow are long, deep storage trays with useful mesh panels to keep small items such as pliers, hook disgorgers, scent bottles, sunscreen, and other tackle securely stowed but accessible. Straps far forward secure rods during high-speed runs between spots. They work in concert with tubes on the face of the twin consoles that protect the rod tips in transit.
Far forward on the bow is the expected raised deck for installing a 24-volt or 36-volt electric trolling motor. The companion plug is housed in a newly updated control panel along the port side of the bow. The panel is complete with a remote engine tilt, livewell controls, and a useful courtesy light.
Space on the starboard bow is reserved for electronics. Owners have plenty of room to mount a pair of large displays on an articulated mount for easy screen adjustment.
The bow decking is a hard-wearing marine carpet for optimal traction. That’s an important consideration when fishing from an elevated position in rough conditions. Flush-mount cleats are a nice touch—you won’t snag fishing lines—while the durable EVA foam top on the gunwales ensures a safe, slip-free surface when entering or exiting the vessel.
Cockpit
As impressive as the bow deck is, it’s only when you step down into the main cockpit that you really begin to appreciate all that the Starcraft STX 2050 offers.
The cockpit depth of 24 inches is impressive for a 20-foot aluminum fishing boat. It provides a sense of safety and security on big water. The STX 2050 comes with four pedestal-mount seats and five seat bases. Some buyers may choose to add an additional seat as an optional upgrade. Others may replace the four standard seats with a pair of high-back captain’s chairs at the console positions, each with fold-down armrests.
A pair of in-floor storage lockers amidships can stow still more gear. Multiple in-gunwale compartments are able to accommodate yet more tackle.
Twin Consoles
The newly updated passenger console is designed to house a removable cooler in its base. Fortunately, that leaves room up top for a locking glove box and a VHF radio in the console face. A deep tray on the top left keeps gear such as sunglasses handy yet secure. A grab handle, a drink holder, and a USB charging outlet are thoughtful touches.
The driver’s helm console—it was redesigned this year, too—features a sport steering wheel with a tilt adjustment. A control head for the standard AM/FM/Bluetooth stereo is to the left of the wheel. To the right is a long panel with controls for electrical accessories such as the livewell, the running lights, and the courtesy lights.
The dash top sits just above the hub of the steering wheel. It’s low enough to easily accommodate a pair of large multifunction displays without obscuring the driver’s forward vision when underway.
More Fishing Features
Starcraft offers an array of fishing hardware options as factory upgrades in collaboration with Bert’s Tackle. This includes a range of track-mounted rod holders, downrigger mounts, weight mates, tool holders, and more. Also available is a snap-in carpet option for the main cockpit floor, which is otherwise finished in a durable pebbled marine vinyl.
The stern of the Starcraft STX 2050 features an elevated casting deck that houses more storage compartments and a 36-gallon FreshCatch aerated livewell. It is complete with a recirculation feature and an oxygenator to keep fish fresh and happy.
In the gunwale is a sprayer and hose for the boat’s standard high-pressure washdown system. Dealing with fish slime and scales is a simple matter of spraying the deck and walking away. Serious anglers have enough to do at the end of the day; scrubbing the deck isn’t part of that.
Starcraft STX 2050 Power and Performance
Rated to accept outboard engines of up to 250 horsepower, the STX 2050 isn’t shy about getting to the best spots in a hurry. And there’s still space on the transom for an additional kicker engine.
Our review boat was rigged with maximum power in the form of a stealth black Suzuki DF250 outboard. The boat planed in less than three seconds with just a touch of negative trim and two full-grown guys aboard. Even with a full tournament load and three quarters of a tank of fuel, the boat reached 30 mph in just over six seconds, according to my GPS. We quickly ran out of lake as the boat reached a wide-open throttle top speed of just under 60 mph.
That’s solid performance, but what really impressed me was the way the boat handled underway. Even at full throttle, the STX 2050 simply leans in and goes wherever you point it, without any fuss. There’s not a hint of chine walking, and no evidence of sliding or prop ventilation. I even went out of my way to try and force that with some overly tight turns at high speed. Starcraft’s Power-Trac hull has a longstanding reputation as a solid performer, and that’s particularly true with the STX 2050.
There’s a reason that hardcore, multi-species anglers have bought the Starcraft STX 2050 for years. With its new interior updates, Starcraft has raised the bar by making its classic flagship better.
