
Livewells are a useful feature on fishing boats, allowing you to keep your catch alive and fresh. They work by pumping fresh water from the surrounding body of water into the live well, which then sends the water back out. This keeps the water oxygenated and fresh enough for living creatures to be sustained. Livewells can be factory-installed or aftermarket installations, and they can be used to keep bait alive, too.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Water source | Raw water from outside the boat |
| Water movement | Pumped in and then drained back overboard |
| Water circulation | Circulated through a closed system |
| Water aeration | Pump air into the water |
| Water temperature | Relatively stable |
| Water oxygenation | Maintained through fresh water |
| Water pressure | Regulated |
| Waste removal | Removes waste like ammonia |
| Bait storage | Keeps live bait alive |
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What You'll Learn
- Livewells can be factory-installed, aftermarket installations, or temporary, even improvised containers
- Livewells keep the water moving and aerated
- Livewells can pump raw water from outside the boat into the well and then drain it back overboard
- Livewells can circulate the water already in the well through a closed system
- Livewells can pump air into the water

Livewells can be factory-installed, aftermarket installations, or temporary, even improvised containers
Livewells can be factory-installed original equipment, aftermarket installations, or temporary, even improvised containers. The simplest livewell is the time-honoured styrofoam bucket with a rope handle, which works just fine to keep a couple of dozen crappie minnows or shrimp alive for the morning. For extra peace of mind, toss in one of those little oxygen tablets from the display next to the cash register at the bait shop.
Factory-equipped livewells are often rotomolded and usually have insulated walls to help maintain water temperatures. Livewells are basically a cooler with some plumbing. They keep the water moving and aerated by pumping raw water from outside the boat into the well and then draining it back overboard, circulating the water already in the well through a closed system, or pumping air into the water.
Pumping raw water from outside the boat through your well is the best way to keep everybody in it happy. Raw water means fresh oxygen and the removal of waste like ammonia that builds up from excretion. Additionally, a constant flow of raw water keeps the temperature in the well relatively stable at approximately the same temperature as the surrounding surface water.
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Livewells keep the water moving and aerated
Livewells can be factory-installed original equipment, aftermarket installations, or even temporary, improvised containers. The simplest livewell is a styrofoam bucket with a rope handle, which can keep a couple dozen crappie minnows or shrimp alive for the morning. More sophisticated livewells have some means of circulating water and are basically a cooler with some plumbing. Factory-equipped livewells are often rotomolded and usually have insulated walls to help maintain water temperatures.
Livewells are important for keeping live bait alive and for storing caught fish. They are carefully regulated to keep fish alive with the correct oxygen and water pressure. Livewells also give you a hidden space to keep your fish, so your boat won't stink up or become crowded. Some argue that livewells are the most ethical way to store caught fish, as they can remain in regulated water on your boat.
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Livewells can pump raw water from outside the boat into the well and then drain it back overboard
Livewells are used to keep water in a boat well moving and aerated. They can pump raw water from outside the boat into the well and then drain it back overboard. This is the best way to keep the water fresh and oxygenated, as well as removing waste like ammonia that builds up from excretion. The constant flow of raw water also keeps the temperature in the well stable.
Livewells can be factory-installed original equipment, aftermarket installations, or temporary, even improvised containers. The simplest livewell is a styrofoam bucket with a rope handle, which can keep a couple dozen crappie minnows or shrimp alive for the morning. Livewells have some means of circulating water and are basically a cooler with some plumbing. Factory-equipped livewells are often rotomolded and usually have insulated walls to help maintain water temperatures.
Livewells pull external water in through a pump, aerate it, and spill it into the tank. As the water level rises, the excess goes through the overflow tube back into the lake or river. Some livewells have an adjustable valve on the water outlet so you can set the incoming flow to match the outgoing overflow.
Livewells are carefully regulated to keep fish alive with the correct oxygen and water pressure. They give you a hidden space to keep your fish, so your boat won't stink up or become crowded. Livewells are also considered the most ethical way to store caught fish, as they can remain in regulated water on your boat.
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Livewells can circulate the water already in the well through a closed system
Livewells are used to keep living creatures, such as bait or caught fish, alive on a boat. They work by keeping the water in the well moving and aerated. This can be done in a few different ways: pumping raw water from outside the boat into the well and then draining it back overboard; circulating the water already in the well through a closed system; or pumping air into the water.
Circulating the water already in the well through a closed system is a good option when pumping raw water into the well isn't possible, for example, when you are in warm, shallow or turbid water that you don't want to introduce to your tank, or when you are running on a plane between spots and don't have a high-speed pickup in your boat's livewell system.
Livewells with closed systems can be factory-installed original equipment, aftermarket installations, or temporary, even improvised containers. The simplest livewell is a styrofoam bucket with a rope handle, which can keep a couple of dozen crappie minnows or shrimp alive for the morning. For extra peace of mind, you can add an oxygen tablet from a bait shop. Factory-equipped livewells are often rotomolded and usually have insulated walls to help maintain water temperatures.
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Livewells can pump air into the water
Livewells are used to keep water in a boat's tank oxygenated and fresh enough to sustain living creatures. They can be factory-installed or aftermarket installations, and they work by pulling in water from outside the boat, aerating it, and then pumping it into the tank. As the water level rises, the excess goes back out through an overflow tube.
Livewells can also pump air into the water. This is one of a few different approaches to keeping the water in a livewell moving and aerated. The other two approaches are pumping raw water from outside the boat into the well and then draining it back overboard, or circulating the water already in the well through a closed system. Pumping raw water from outside the boat is considered the best way to keep the water fresh, as it provides fresh oxygen and removes waste like ammonia that builds up from excretion. It also helps to keep the temperature in the well stable.
If pumping raw water into the well isn't an option, many livewells use recirculating systems as an alternative. These systems circulate the water already in the well to keep it moving and aerated.
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Frequently asked questions
Live wells pump fresh water from the boat’s surrounding body of water into the live well, then sends water back out. This keeps the water oxygenated, and ultimately, fresh enough for living creatures to be sustained.
You can pump raw water from outside the boat into the well and then drain it back overboard, you can circulate the water already in the well through a closed system, or you can pump air into the water. Pumping raw water from outside the boat is the best way to keep the water fresh.
Live wells are carefully regulated to keep your fish alive with the correct oxygen and water pressure. They also give you a hidden space to keep your fish, so your boat won’t stink up or become crowded. Some argue that live wells are the most ethical way to store caught fish, as they can remain in regulated water on your boat.
Livewells can be factory-installed original equipment, aftermarket installations, or temporary, even improvised containers. The simplest livewell is the time-honored styrofoam bucket with a rope handle, which works just fine to keep a couple dozen crappie minnows or shrimp alive for the morning.







































