Contour maps to me were usually found on the most popular and productive fishing lakes in a given area. As a kid growing up I remember finding an Iowa Hotspots fishing book loaded with contour maps of lakes across Iowa. Now, these maps did not have precision contours noted; however, they were a great start to finding structure. I’ve always found myself fishing the smaller bodies of water and even down to local ponds. These are ignored frequently so really understanding the bottom is hard.
Today, you will find more info on lakes and even more contour information than ever before. Now, there is a new tool available for anglers across the world and its the first of its kind, social mapping.
This new tool can be found at gofreemarine.com and once you create a free account and log in you will have access to thousands of shared topo maps by other users. This site is updated frequently and I have found that most maps are updated with even more accurate bottom contour information.
So how do you use the topo maps found on Insight Genesis, besides the normal use of loading them onto your Lowrance, Simrad, and B&G unit. Boat anglers that don’t have the previously listed marine electronics can print off copies for on the water use. The big one is for shore fisherman, now you can compare the fishing location which you found on either Bing or Google Maps. Now you can see the bottom contours of the shore location and see if they fit the needs of what you are trying to fish. Go create an account and find a new body of water in your area, or structure on your favorite lake that you didn’t know existed.
You will be shocked to see the number of lakes already mapped nearby your location, so go take a look!
GO FREE MARINE INSIGHT GENESIS LINK
If you haven’t already, please check out the other articles related to finding fishing locations through Social Media, and the Internet on the site. Any questions, please ask below!
Semper Fish!
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