# When reading a lake map what do you look for?



## murphy13 (Jun 30, 2013)

I look at lake maps and I understand how to read them what I don't understand is what exactly to look for to find fish. Can anyone help me?


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## 10fish (May 12, 2005)

It's all kind of like detective work. Your lake map is only a piece to the mystery. And every lake has it's own secrets. 
I would start with what kind of fish you are targeting as they all move to different places at different times of the year. 
Learn the basics of where your target fish likes to be and when. You can then look for those clues on your map.
You need to have contour lines to really start to identify possible locations. The tighter the lines the steeper the drop in depth or height. 

Example you are looking at say the middle of a lake and there are only a couple of lines one might say 30 and the next closest says 25, then you see a couple tight circles and in the middle it says 10.

You can conclude that that particular area is a flat area with a soft slope and the tight circles are a 15 ft rock pile or hump. 

Mark the hump as a spot to try. Little fish will go to humps or rock piles to hide from big fish, big fish would hang there to catch little fish.


That is just one example of many. hope that helps ya, good luck


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