Starting this over again...!

 

How many times have you ended up planning to go to a strange lake to fish and not have any tips on WHERE to fish on it? It can be a bit frustrating for novices AND pros alike.

I personally enjoy scouting new waters, and whether or not someone is with me, I still like to TRY to do a little “homework” BEFORE I hit the water.

First off, I need to decide what types of fish I will be targeting. Going after more than one gives me better chances of catching at least something. I also need to realize what phase (pre-spawn, post-spawn, summer peak etc…) the fish should be in, which should give some help as to where they may be.

Taking a look at what the weather has been over the last 10 days and what is predicted for my outing helps a great deal also. A prime example of this would be knowing that there has been 10-15 mph wind from the west for the last 3 days. This should have pushed a good deal of plankton and bugs near the eastern shore, thereby attracting the baitfish AND the predators that you’re after.

Advance knowledge of water conditions (clarity, high or low etc…) would help me limit how MUCH and what COLORS of stuff I decide to bring along in the boat.

I also try to get a hydrographic map, also called bathymetric or contour maps, of the lake, which shows me the bottom contours and depths. Having an idea of what the lake’s structure is like, coupled with the things above, should give me plenty of advance ideas of WHERE some of the best spots could / should be. If your lucky to live in Minnesota, you can go the DNR website and get general lake info, including bottom content and littoral area (% of lake that is LESS than 15 ft deep, which MANY TIMES can indicate how much of the bottom is covered with weeds)

But SOMETIMES, even when you get a map, you get stuck with something like the BASIC 200 acre one I drew up below…

Pretty scary huh? Not much to work with

But that doesn't mean that the map is USELESS. I actually take it WITH ME to the lake.

WHY you ask?

Because while I'm there, I will use it to document what I PHYSICALLY see and find there.

Now then...let's say that I have arrived at the lake. The FIRST thing I want to do is to measure the water temp. This can help me trying to figure out what phase the fish in thie lake are in, and if it's cooler than others I've been on , this could tell me that it's a spring-fed lake, making it a good choice during hot weather. With my depth-finder (or marked rope etc...), I can find the 15 ft line (it's summer, so this should be close to the deep weed edge) fairly easy, and then set up a couple of trolling rods and make a run around the lake (only about 200 acres, so not a LOT of time involved). While I'm doing this, I can make observations of what the shoreline looks like, and by doing so, should be able to get a feel for what the general bottom content is extending out from the shore. I can also keep an eye open for various type of cover (which I will address in a moment).

By staying out in the deeper water, I shouldn't spook any fish in the shallows.

Now let's say that I've completed the run with no fish. But after writing down my observations, I can see that the lake is generally set up like the map below (I've kept it simple as possible to help beginners).





As you can see, I not only have the 4 main types of bottom content to work with, I also NOW have 4 DISTINCT edges to work with, and these can be KEY areas to work with as a good majority of fish not only LIKE a variety, but these edges also provide a wider variety of small organisms that the baitfish feed on, attracting them AND the predators too.

My next step is to go to each of these edges, and work my way UP to the shallow water. This way, I'm not spooking fish in the shallows as stated earlier. While I'm at each edge, I can take a closer look at available cover. Below is my marked up map of what I saw.





As you can see, I now have even MORE places to try, including a couple of what are called "spot on the spot" ones, which are:

1. The lilypads / heavy milfoil that are on the sand / muck edge.
2. The bulrushes at the muck / rock edge.

Other cover I "saw" was:

3. The sandgrass and inside edge of the grass in the sandy area.
4. The stumps in the muck area.
5. The blown-down trees in the rock area.
6. The rock-weed pile in the gravel area.

There could be ANY combinations of things that may attract fish, so the more you document, the better off you are.

I also happened upon an 8 ft HUMP (fish magnet) in 20 ft of water that was missed by the hydrographers. THIS happens a lot more than you may think, and in a later post to this topic, I will show you 2 maps that I found on the Minn. DNR website showing just such an instance, only on more of a grander scale.

I now have not only a lot more places to fish, but I also have a fully marked-up map for the lake that I can use any time I come back, or could even loan it to a friend. I can also make notes on the back of it, and could go so far as to laminate it and make it water proof.

I do realize these ideas may not fit YOUR particular style of fishing, but I do hope that SOME of you may find something useful here.

Questions and comments are welcome, as are any tips YOU may have.

In the near future, I will also address a more complex hydrographic map (a REAL one), and we will try to give others some pointers on those too

Life Member David BB Linkmeister US Army '78-'85

OK...this is what I was talking about things not showing up on various hydrographic maps.

Here's a hydrographic map of Ottertail Lake (+14,000 acres) in West-Central Minn...

 

The 1st contour line you see is listed at 10 ft.
Now here is ANOTHER version of the lake also taken from the DNR website...

 

 

If you were to compare the 2 physically, you would notice a LOT MORE detail on this one. And if you look at the south-central shore, you will see a fair size hole that doesn't show on the 1st one. This hole is +25 ft with a max spot of 34 ft, and probably a good 200-300 acres in size, but yet was entirely missed in the 1st sounding.

As you can tell by the 1st map, there is a LARGE percentage (57%) of this lake that is under 10 ft deep. A good possibility of what happened is that the sounders just figured that since the lake LOOKS like it does, that there wasn't any deeper spots near shore, and never even sounded there.

But I would bet that the "hole" has some decent fishing in it

Here's a link to the MN DNR webpage for Otter Tail Lake maps

If you download each one, you'll then be able to zoom in on this area and others to see what I'm talking about.

Life Member David BB Linkmeister US Army '78-'85 West Coast Member of da EH! Team Kangaroo Kounty Razzer-in-Chief

June 22, 2005, 06:12 PM

Fisherman_Pete

Hey Dave, That’s some neat stuff! More to those maps than I thought. sometimes I take a glance at a topo map of a lake I'm new to. I didn't know there was them hydro maps with more detail. Kind of you to put that on the board, must have took awhile!
Pete

June 22, 2005, 06:24 PM

ole1kanobe

Amen Dave, I use the maps and survey reports (although some of the surveys were last taken back in the 50's) from the MN DNR web site. I think other states should follow suit.
I remember the first time I went up to Six Mile, I printed (and laminated) the topo map of the lake and spent hours looking over it deciding where my go-to spots were going to be (as well as backup spots just in case) right away.
I also use the lake finder (just pick a county) to find new lakes to try out. I use it a lot for when I go up to the Suomi Hills area north of Grand Rapids, lots of lakes up there that are pretty tough to find/get to.
Man I love living in the land of 10,000 lakes!

 

June 22, 2005, 06:29 PM

papa_d

NICE JOB THERE DAVE; YOU’RE QUITE THE MAPSTER ALSO... I EVEN PICKED UP SOME USFUL INFO. I NORMALLY DON'T FOLLOW MAPS BUT WILL PAY CLOSER ATTENTION FOR NOW ON. THANKS AGAIN, DENNIS

 

June 23, 2005, 07:43 AM

davesett2000

Hi Fisherman_Pete

Topo maps have just the land terrain with contour lines showing height above sea level...

The hydrographic maps are the ones like ALL of the above, with the contour lines showing depth underwater

ole1kanobe  You're definitely right about the "Lakefinder" at the DNR sight ...

Have you ever used the "MN DNR Compass"?

You're welcome papa

June 24, 2005, 05:38 AM

Tom & Laure Larson

Good info for the novice and the advanced type fisherpeople.

Mrs. Mossback

 

June 24, 2005, 02:42 PM

wme96

Good job Dave and on lakes that ya fish alot like for me was Lake Anna I was always marking new stuff on the map 6 yrs later keeping one up to date.

 

June 24, 2005, 02:45 PM

davesett2000

Yahoo Search Results for various map names

Also, several states DNR websites have downloadable / printable lake maps for free

Yahoo Search for "contour map" + lake

Search Results for "hydrographic map" + lake

Yahoo Search Results for "bathymetric map" + lake

Search Results for "depth map" + lake

you can ALSO substitute the word "reservoir" for lake and make get some different results

June 24, 2005, 02:51 PM

wme96

That's good to know since all these okie waters are new to me and I did put your other post to me in my favorites to help with it. thanks

 

June 25, 2005, 06:59 PM

ouachitabassangler

I just rated this thread as high as it will go. I've been missing it working on other threads and running out of time before getting down to it. This is the kind of stuff any fishing forum needs, all very good instruction, ya'll. My hat's off to ya, David!

June 27, 2005, 09:13 AM

ouachitabassangler

I discuss this subject elsewhere on other forums fairly often because it’s a neglected subject. It makes me happy to see someone else take it up. Not many fishermen will join in, not knowing enough to comment, so it's a lonely thread as far as getting techniques added. I study the pros, digesting all their pre-fishing techniques, how they size up a lake, learning as much as I can about why THEY choose a certain area. The more I learn from them the less I have to figure out on my own. Jim

June 27, 2005, 11:06 AM

dawsonb

WELL DONE DAVE!!!! I have found that most Department of Natural Resources, Forestry’s, Wildlife, and etc. do have some maps available it is just navigating to get to them. We ought to start a topic on just that and then use it for references in the future. I love fishing new water and try to do it as often as I can. I don't quite go to all the detail you have stated, but I think you have it right. I check all the weather sites… NOAA, Intellicast, and weather channel (several others for saltwater fishing). I also try to find bait and tackle stores, lodges and guides in the area and check to see if they web sites with info and most of the time I do find good info. I will use a guide for a day or two on a long trip and then go on my own for the length. I probably don't do that as often as I should but you can't go wrong with that. If you happen to get to your destination the day before you plan on fishing go to fish cleaning stations, boat ramps, and or bait and tackle shops. You would be surprised how many great people you can meet just by asking a few questions and you can get your license too. The single most important thing to do is keep an open mind and keep your bait in the water. Never ever be afraid to try something! (thats legal) A lot of times I will use the trolling motor to keep a bait trolling while casting something else to different areas. This will allow you to cover alot of ground in a hurry.

 

June 27, 2005, 01:05 PM

davesett2000

Good points ouchitabassangler and dawsonb ...LEARNING is the key

dawsonb...have you seen this one? State by State and Canadian DNR's

MOST of the DNR websites have a "Search" feature...just type in "lake maps"

Life Member David BB Linkmeister US Army '78-'85

Here is an imaginary lake I drew with some areas marked that should produce fish at given times of the year. Below the map is a description of each of the area types. The circled numbers on the map coincide with the descriptions listed below the map.

 

The MORE variety a particular area of a lake has, the more potential it has to hold numbers of quality fish. Variety is provided by various combinations of bottom content / structure / cover. Bottom content is usually sand, gravel, rock or muck. As mentioned before, edges between these alone can be hotspots, but combined with various types of structure and cover, they can be outright fish magnets.

Cover includes weeds, rocks, stumps, blown-down trees, over-hanging trees, brush, docks, man-made “cribs” and bridge pilings. Even a small clump of weeds, a single stump or 3-4 rocks can hold a couple of fish. “Boat wreck” cover is popular fishing spots on the Great Lakes. Don’t bother fishing near large areas of dead weeds though, as the decaying process eats oxygen in the water of the area. A not-vary-often mentioned type of cover is crevices in the “wall” of a steep drop-off. A good example of this are high-cliff areas along the shore of some reservoirs. But this isn’t just limited to reservoirs though. Even natural lakes with steep drop-offs will have these crevices underwater, and you have no high bank to tell you where they are. Your map shows them though, and your depthfinder will help you locate them, along with other areas of structure.

1. On the map, look for contour lines closely bunched together. These are steep, sheer drop-offs, also called ledges or the “breakline”. Schools of baitfish will follow these as they move from one area to another, and the predators will follow. Larger fish will work together to “push” a school of baitfish up against the ledge in an effort to cut off escape routes. An especially good spot can be where the drop is very close to shore, as the baitfish won’t have much cover to hide in / retreat to if ambushed as they move. A “flat” at just the right depth near a drop off can hold a ton of fish. Again, the amount of cover available and water temperature will dictate which ones are best at any given point in time.

2. Flats are areas where the bottom is basically level, and if there’s one near a steep dropoff, even better. An 8 ft deep flat may be hot in the spring, while a 16 ft flat may hold more fish during hot temps. A small rockpile, weedbed or stump field on the 8 ft flat could make it a magnet early morning or late evening. Also, many larger flats will have small humps or holes on the flat that weren’t picked up during the sounding process, and either can hold fish even though the depth variation may only be 1-2 feet. Only scouting with your depthfinder will show these, and again, a variety of cover nearby makes them even better.

3. Off shore islands or underwater humps are ultimate fish magnets, and the further away from shore they are, usually the better they are. Islands usually have vegetation, so that puts bugs in the water, attracting baitfish and predators. Underwater humps with cover also attract baitfish, as cover there provides food for the small organisms they can eat, and all the food chain lives and grows there, and as with flats, depth can be a big part of what kind of fish are there or if any are there at all.

4. Saddles are usually described as underwater areas between 2 islands, but could also be between 2 points that are close together. Deepwater nearby and cover make these good spots too.

5. Narrows are “necked-down” areas, usually defined by 2 opposite points between 2 larger bays. Predators lay in ambush near here waiting for schools of bait fish to pass through. The predators themselves use these to move to other parts of the lake, making these areas great spots to find hungry fish in search of food.

6. Points. These are “fingers” of land that extend out from shore. Whether the slope is steep or gradual, you will find fish near these pretty much year round. Water temperature, available cover and baitfish locations will dictate how deep the fish are and how close they stay.

7. River and creek inlets / outlets. Some individual fish are rather nomadic, and if there are ways to get to other bodies of water, they will go, including whole schools of baitfish. A few predators can usually be found nearby. Some lakes that are part of a river system will have a river channel going all the way through them, just like most reservoirs. The edges of these and any “bends” in that channel will hold fish.

8. Trenches. Not many lakes have them, but every now and then I see a map of a lake that has 15-25 ft deep, narrow trench in a shallow area, providing bigger fish with access to deeper / cooler water near weedbeds holding baitfish. You can bet fish will be near there too.

9. Sharp turns in the contour lines can indicate a small underwater “canyon”. The edges of these near weeds etc…can also hold fish.

Here's a real lake map marked with numbers that correspond to the list in my above post....

Bay Lake MN. What made those holes, Dave?

If I explore a new lake I immediately look for structure. Then I decide what lure to use based on other contributing factors.
TIGHT LINES!

Posted By ouachitabassangler on 27 Jul 2010 06:45 PM
Bay Lake MN. What made those holes, Dave?

Bay Lake it is Jim.

As far as the hole....I don't know Jim. Seems a little too big to have been dredged out though.

Educated guess would be the glaciers made them several thousand years ago.

QUESTION! What if you just happen to find a nice pond or lake, stream, whatever while you're driving or just taking a stroll? There's plenty of surface cover, and there's also lots of algae and duckweed on the surface. ----- Cutting to the chase, how do you know if there are fish in the water you are investigating?

Streams are the safest bet...as during extreme temperatures fish will either slip into shady cover / deeper holes...or move downstream to more hospitable areas.

Lakes and ponds are a different story....especially in the northern US as freeze-outs can happen...and if the oxygen level drops too low....fish will die.

I would ask around to your fishing buddies....check with a local tackle shop...or even contact the local DNR officer and inquire. If the lake / pond has a name (check USGS maps)...you MAY find info on the 'Net.

Or...you can take a few topwater weedless lures with ya....and maybe a few Carolina rig items / jigs (to help get you under the cover)...and spend a couple of hours there.

Any other thoughts guys?

Well I know for sure that it doesn't have a name and it's on someones front lawn. I went down there anyway and did pretty well. I didn't catch any bass but I saw some really BIG splashes. I caught a few sunfish around 6in or so. The funniest part about it was that I couldn't get to the deeper water (who knows how deep that is) but I caught those fish in less than a foot, no maybe even less then 10 in of water! There was PLENTY of weeds and underwater plant growth. It was on my lure every time I reeled it in!

Vweeks, if it looks "bassy" you'll probably find bass!
TIGHT LINES!

All it really takes to determine presence of fish is a slice of bread. My grand daughters get more fun out of feeding fish pieces of bread of any kind than anything else they do at the lake. No takers-no fish. Even big bass will come up to inhale bread. I realize that isn't typical technology we write more of, but it works wherever you are.

Posted By multispecies101 on 29 Jul 2010 11:00 AM
Vweeks, if it looks "bassy" you'll probably find bass!
TIGHT LINES!

Well it sure does look "bassy" and I had a couple of hits by them. Also the guys who have mowed the lawn at the house for years have fished there and one of them had caught a 5 pounder there before!