The Alumacraft 165 Lunker II SC (Side Console) has a 76” beam (1.95 m) and is rated to handle up to 40-hp and five people.

Our advice hasn’t changed over the years: the best boating value for the money is a small, inexpensive aluminum outboard-powered boat. Dollar-for-dollar, hour-for-hour of fun, no boat in the world can beat a well-made 16-footer with 25 to 40-hp engine. Think of those guys who have spent $50 million or more on a megayacht, and figure out how much their fun is costing per hour. And while you’re at it, add up the cost of their aggravation and heartburn. No, small and inexpensive is the way to go, dollar-for-dollar.

The Alumacraft 165 II SC is such a boat. Several years ago the company was selling it for $10k, and despite everything else that has gone on in the world, the company has managed to hold both the quality and its price at $10k. That is saying something for all concerned.

Mission Statement

The mission of the 165 SC and its sister without the side console, is to be easily trailered by almost anything that moves, be launched in skinny water, and provide a safe and comfortable fishing platform for two or three people. We think she does a good job of all three of those things.



We’re not quite sure what this man is doing in his camouflage outfit with a dog at his side, but we’re not going to ask.

Safety Comes First

You can get a less expensive boat, one that is smaller with fewer amenities, but we don’t recommend it if you want three people aboard and plan to fish in anything bigger than a small river or lake. Most accidents on the water occur in boats under 20’ because the boat capsized. Most of the time small boats capsize because they are over loaded.

That’s why we like the size of this 16’6” (5.07 m) boat with a 76” (1.95 m) beam and recommend that you use it with only three adults, even though it has a capacity of five people or 1235 lb., whichever comes first. You never know what conditions you might encounter, and it is always better to play it safe.



The Lunker 165 has good natural form stability.

The 2XB Hull

There are several safety aspects of this boat that we like. The first thing is the shape of its hull. The 165 has a keel and the single-piece bottom is slightly concave, giving it hard chines. This design maximizes form stability because as one side goes down in the water it actually picks up buoyancy. A round bottomed aluminum boat would be the opposite, and definitely not to our liking.

Second, the Lunker II 165 SC, like most of the Alumacraft boats, has a double plated bottom for strength and rigidity. This design is stronger than a single thick sheet of aluminum, just as laminated wood support beams in a building or house are stronger than a beam made out of single piece of wood. Not only is the 2X bottom stronger, the bottom is actually more resistant to deformation than a single, thicker plate because of the mechanics of two-ply construction. Two-ply also keeps the hull from racking.

Alumacraft places its wide transverse aluminum ribs on 12” centers which is also strong. An added benefit to the 2XB construction is that the boat is quieter.



Expanding foam flotation is sprayed between the ribs. The marine ply deck goes over the top.

Below Deck

Flotation foam is sprayed in the bottom of the boat from bow to stern, with the raised casting platform at both bow and stern permitting more space to be taken up by the foam assuring level flotation if the boat is swamped.

Two seats with pedestals come standard with the boat and there are five places on the deck where they can be mounted. The console has a removable windshield and “no-feedback” cable steering. There is a 13-gallon livewell on the port side with pump, a lockable storage compartment for rods up to 8’ long on the starboard, and storage forward. There is a 12V outlet forward for a trolling motor and places for two batteries, one forward and one aft.



Reader Feed Back

BoatTest.com readers have had good things to say about Alumacraft boats and have made some positive suggestions. One of our readers commented on the customer service he received from the factory, saying,

“I wrote an E-mail to the factory and enquired on the performance of using a different pitch prop and they answered me the same day. Plus they sent me a hat for being "in the family". I would recommend this company for all boating purchases if their product fits your needs.”

The Test

We took the boat out on a hot June afternoon on a flat lake in Georgia with two average guys aboard (total weight under 400 lbs.), full tank of gas, safety gear, etc. and 181-lb engine carbureted Yamaha F25LA, for a total weight of about 1360 lbs. We hooked up our fuel flow meter and pulled out our gps.



The extra wide spray rail will keep the boat dry at speed in moderate conditions.

At 4500 rpm we were going 17.5 mph, burning 1.7 gph and getting 10.23 mpg. At WOT – 5700 rpm – we were traveling at 25.4 mph and recapturing memories of our youth. Interestingly, the faster we went, the better our mpg became. At WOT we were getting 10.79 mpg.

We did not pull a skier, but we can report that the time to plane was 7.9 seconds, which is certainly not warp speed. We can’t remember what it was back in the old days skiing behind an aluminum boat with a 25-hp engine, but we do remember doing it, although not easily. Last year we tested the same boat with a 40-hp Yamaha and she got on plane in 5.1 seconds and had a WOT of 28.5 mph.

We suspect that the Alumacraft 165 II CS is not used much for waterskiing because it is really a fishing boat, but one never knows when the occasion might arise. But for fishing and even tubing the Yamaha F-25 LA should be suitable for most people. It keeps the initial cost of the boat down to around $10k with trailer, and you’ll spend more on sunscreen than on fuel.

• Top speed for the Alumacraft Lunker 165 CS (2009-) is 25.4 mph (40.9 kph), burning 2.4 gallons per hour (gph) or 9.08 liters per hour (lph).


• Best cruise for the Alumacraft Lunker 165 CS (2009-) is 17.5 mph (28.2 kph), and the boat gets 10.23 miles per gallon (mpg) or 4.35 kilometers per liter (kpl), giving the boat a cruising range of 55 miles (88.51 kilometers).


• Tested power is 1 x 25-hp Yamaha F25LA.