I saw some of these at the outfitter last week but they didn't have the lake I was looking for. Now that I'm home I searched online for them and can't find them anywhere.

They are about the size of printer paper but are plastic and show the depth of individual lakes. I believe they were called "LakeMaps".

Does anyone know where I can find them?

Google Minnesota Lakefinder. Almost all the lakes are available for free with notes.

Most of the sports shows around Minneapolis have a booth that sells them.

quote GeneralKenobi: "I saw some of these at the outfitter last week but they didn't have the lake I was looking for. Now that I'm home I searched online for them and can't find them anywhere.

They are about the size of printer paper but are plastic and show the depth of individual lakes. I believe they were called "LakeMaps".

Does anyone know where I can find them?"

If you could not find one at any of the shops you stopped at, chances are they don't make the one you were looking for. (which one were you looking for?)
They must be fairly popular canoe routes before they make it.
I had someone stop in looking for one about a week ago or less, that they don't make. Could that have been you?? :)

Google Minnesota Lakefinder, it's part of the DNR website. It has contour maps of almost all the BW lakes. Just type in the lake and the county. It doesn't have to be on a popular route, like I said, they are all there. And it's free. Put plastic on it if you want.

You can also get the Navionics App on your phone. You'll be able to get detailed depth maps of every that has been mapped. If Navionics doesn't have it mapped you're not likely to find a high quality map of the lake anywhere else.

Works great and you can enable your GPS and use it to navigate directly to the structure you see on the map.

quote scat: "Google Minnesota Lakefinder, it's part of the DNR website. It has contour maps of almost all the BW lakes. Just type in the lake and the county. It doesn't have to be on a popular route, like I said, they are all there. And it's free. Put plastic on it if you want. "

Scat, this is really helpful. Thanks.

Example lake for others who are curious.

MN Lake finder is a good reference and good starting point but make sure to check the date of the maps. Some are very old and not real accurate. I've compared lake finder maps of some popular lakes to the more modern mapping apps and map chips and found the lake master maps to be grossly inaccurate. Others are pretty decent and will get you started in the right direction.

I was going to mention that some of the surveys were done as far back as the seventies. Some are more recent. If you are looking for a contour map it is what it's supposed to be, a pretty good interpretation of the lake bottom. I've been copying them for trips for years.

Most of those plastic black-and-white lake maps sold in bait shops statewide are exact copies of those created back in the 50s - 70s. Free online; print and laminate. The majority of electronic maps available (such as those on the UMFG chip in my Garmin 62st) are exactly the same contours, also. Sure, you have a select subset of High-Definition ProMaps of lakes sounded more recently and available to the 1-ft (or even 0.5 ft) contour, but the old maps will get you there. Finding your own hump-on-a-hump is great fun.

We used to go down and get them at some state office by the capital but that has been a long time. My garmin maps have some contours but only on bigger lakes. Generally, I count on my old LC-10 depth finder for finding fish.

A lake bottom contour map should be seen as a tool. Something to give you a general idea of what us below your boat. If we are talking fishing out of a canoe on a BW lake, how precise can you be, fishing in a canoe in weather. The lakefinder maps have served me well. Now Wisconsin has all their lakes available too.