How Much HP Is a Trolling Motor? Thrust-to-HP Chart

Quick answer: How much hp is a trolling motor? Most electric trolling motors are between about 0.5 and 2.5 horsepower at full power. Using Minn Kota’s own formula (amps times volts, divided by 746), a 30 lb thrust 12-volt motor works out to about 0.5 hp, a 55 lb motor about 0.8 hp, and a 112 lb 36-volt motor about 2.5 hp. Trolling motors are rated in pounds of thrust, not horsepower.

So if you were picturing a small outboard, scale it way down. Even the big 36-volt bow mounts stay under 3 hp by this math. That’s the honest picture.

The catch is that these are electrical input numbers at maximum draw. Real output at the prop is lower, and most of the time you’ll run at a fraction of full power anyway.

How Much HP Is a Trolling Motor, by Thrust?

Minn Kota publishes the maximum amp draw for each thrust class. Plug those into its horsepower formula and you get this:

Thrust class	Voltage	Max amp draw	Approx. horsepower at max draw
30 lbs	12 V	30 A	0.48 hp
40 to 45 lbs	12 V	42 A	0.68 hp
50 to 55 lbs	12 V	50 A	0.80 hp
70 lbs	24 V	42 A	1.35 hp
80 lbs	24 V	56 A	1.80 hp
101 lbs	36 V	46 A	2.22 hp
112 lbs	36 V	52 A	2.51 hp
QUEST series	36 V	60 A	2.90 hp

Amp draw and voltage come from Minn Kota’s conductor and circuit breaker sizing table. The horsepower column is my math using Minn Kota’s formula.

Notice how voltage changes everything. The 70 lb motor draws fewer amps than the 55 lb one, yet it makes far more power because it runs on 24 volts instead of 12.

Minn Kota’s Horsepower Formula

Minn Kota’s published formula sheet keeps it simple:

Multiply the motor’s amp draw by its voltage to get watts.
Divide the watts by 746, the number of watts in 1 horsepower.

Its own examples: 45 amps at 24 volts is about 1.45 hp, and 37 amps at 36 volts is about 1.79 hp.

Here’s the trick to reading those numbers honestly. Minn Kota notes that maximum amp draw “only occur[s] intermittently during select conditions” and shouldn’t be treated as a continuous load. So the table shows peak electrical power, not what the motor uses on a slow troll down a weed line.

Why Thrust, Not Horsepower?

Minn Kota describes thrust as a static measurement of pushing or pulling power. It’s the force the motor makes, and it’s what decides whether your boat moves well in wind and current.

Horsepower is a rate of work. When you run an electric motor at low speed most of the day, thrust is the more useful number for matching a motor to a boat, and in my view it’s the only spec worth comparing in the store.

And here’s the part I think most buyers miss. Minn Kota says higher thrust “does not necessarily mean greater speed.”

How Fast Does a Trolling Motor Go?

Slowly. Minn Kota’s speed formula multiplies prop pitch by motor RPM and a slip factor:

4-inch prop pitch × 1,540 RPM × 0.85 slip factor
Divide by 12 for feet per minute
Multiply by 60 and divide by 5,280 for miles per hour

That example works out to about 4.95 miles per hour. Minn Kota’s note on the same sheet: “Using a higher thrust motor will not give you a higher top speed.”

How Much Thrust Do You Need?

Minn Kota’s rule of thumb is at least 2 lbs of thrust for every 100 lbs of fully loaded boat weight, people and gear included.

Fully loaded boat weight	Minimum thrust (2 lbs per 100 lbs)
1,000 lbs	20 lbs
1,500 lbs	30 lbs
2,000 lbs	40 lbs
2,750 lbs	55 lbs
4,000 lbs	80 lbs

That guide assumes normal lake conditions. Minn Kota suggests more thrust if you fish heavy wind, rivers or rough weather, and I’d round up rather than down. Don’t forget to count the batteries, cooler and passengers.

How Long Will the Battery Last?

Minn Kota’s runtime formula: battery amp-hour rating × 85%, divided by the motor’s amp draw.

A 120 Ah battery at a 30 amp draw lasts about 3.4 hours.
The same battery at a 5 amp draw lasts about 20.4 hours.

That’s why a motor’s peak horsepower matters less than how you run it. Low speeds sip power. High speed gulps it.

If your fish finder shares that battery, a dead battery takes both out; see Garmin fish finder won’t power on for the power checks.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Many HP Is a 55 Lb Thrust Trolling Motor?

About 0.8 hp at maximum draw. Minn Kota lists a 50 amp max draw for its 50 to 55 lb 12-volt motors, and 50 × 12 ÷ 746 is roughly 0.80.

Is There a Direct Thrust-to-Horsepower Conversion?

Not a clean one. Thrust is a force and horsepower is a rate of work, so the reliable way is Minn Kota’s formula: amp draw times volts, divided by 746.

Does a 24-Volt Trolling Motor Have More Horsepower Than a 12-Volt?

Usually, yes. Power is volts times amps, so a 24-volt motor at a similar amp draw makes roughly twice the watts. Minn Kota’s 70 lb, 24-volt class works out to about 1.35 hp versus 0.80 hp for its 55 lb, 12-volt class.

What Size Circuit Breaker Does a Trolling Motor Need?

Minn Kota’s sizing table lists, for example, a 60 amp breaker at 12 volts for 50 to 55 lb motors and a 60 amp breaker at 24 volts for 80 lb motors. It recommends mounting the breaker or inline fuse as close to the battery as possible.

More boating guides live in our boating and paddling section, including paddle board vs surfboard.

Last updated: November 10, 2026. Sources: Minn Kota: runtime, speed and horsepower formulas (PDF), Minn Kota: amp draw, circuit breakers and fuses and Minn Kota: calculate speed and required thrust.