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Author	Message Text
nofish	11/06/2021 11:16PM   The navionics app is a game changer. I've been using for years in and out of the bwca and both open water and ice fishing. I will also use the lake finder tool to review survey data for lakes in the area I'll be in. I usually just look at those at home and make a mental game plan of which lakes I want to fish based on some of the survey data. I have found much of the survey data for lakes in the bwca to be very old and likely not very useful. If you look at the older lake maps you can assume they are also not super accurate.
Hammertime	11/05/2021 02:34PM   You can download PDFs of the depth maps and print them. I always have a bag full of them on our trips.
JohnGalt	11/05/2021 11:56AM   Hello I wasn't sure where this question fit best, as it spans Planning, Gear, & Fishing. MN DNR Lake Finder, as we all are likely aware, is a great resource for analyzing waterways. The only issue I have with it is that it is hosted online & cannot be 'put in my pack' to reference in the wilderness - it would be nice to have as a reference material. Is anyone aware of a 'screen scrape' or data extract of the Lake Finder that is available for download? Thanks!
plander	11/05/2021 01:16PM   Not sure if of interest to you or gets at your question but I have found the Navionics app to be of great use for general lake depth info while in the BWCA (or most any lake in the US). It works with your phone GPS so you can see the approximate depth of your location. You download the areas you want to your phone then use on your trip with no connection. The image below shows the areas I have downloaded to my phone-they are the lighter sections (BWCA-SNF, Duluth-Superior area, and Chequamegon National Forest, WI). Works just like a hand held GPS unit. Example shows Lady Boot Bay on LLC.
cyclones30	11/05/2021 07:01PM   Buy Voyageur maps from this site's store and you'll have depth contours of nearly every lake and general fishing info on each one. (size and numbers) You don't get the tables that show stockings and net surveys and such like the DNR site....but a general table of species, size, and numbers of all the studied lakes within that map's reach.
Savage Voyageur	11/05/2021 07:52PM   Just take a screen shot of anything and print it out. The lakes are mapped out and can also be printed off.
JohnGalt	11/05/2021 10:35PM   plander: "Navionics app" Thank you for this tip, plander! This is a great solution for contours, especially with the 'you are here' function.
HowardSprague	11/05/2021 08:15PM   If it's the fishery survey data you want handy, there might not be any way other than to look up each lake on an upcoming trip, drop the fish info into a chart or two, laminate it and include it in your map case with your Fisher/McKenzie/Voyageur maps.
JohnGalt	11/05/2021 10:45PM   cyclones30: "Buy Voyageur maps from this site's store and you'll have depth contours of nearly every lake and general fishing info on each one. (size and numbers) You don't get the tables that show stockings and net surveys and such like the DNR site....but a general table of species, size, and numbers of all the studied lakes within that map's reach. " It is nice that they put this information on the maps - I have a few of theirs & they are good maps. The other manufacturers could print this information on the back of the maps, it isn't like they use transparent paper. Out of the maps, I think I like the Fisher most for navigation (maybe its nostalgia/habit), though I reached out to Stu today on the T.R.I.P.S. program & asked if I could get a full set of maps marked up by him with general tips. He prefers the McKenzie maps, so I'm going to grab a set of those for marking/fishing & keep the Fisher maps clean for navigation/campsites. As an aside, Stu's take on the maps: "PLEASE NOTE: I personally prefer McKenzie maps for the BWJ TRIPS Program. Their larger scale makes it easier for me to accurately mark specific locations. Islands, points, bays etc. are more distinguishable on a larger scale. McKenzie also has more of the BWCAW lakes depth charted which is a real asset for fishing reefs and structure."
JohnGalt	11/05/2021 10:37PM   HowardSprague: "If it's the fishery survey data you want handy, there might not be any way other than to look up each lake on an upcoming trip, drop the fish info into a chart or two, laminate it and include it in your map case with your Fisher/McKenzie/Voyageur maps." The fishery survey data is something I thought would be nice to have offline + digital. It's not necessary by any means, though I enjoy pulling out the map at camp & perusing the waterways while daydreaming about day trips - it would be enriching to be able to add that variable into the calculation while in the bush. Thank you for the suggestion re charting the relevant data - I think I will go this route if I cannot find the 'crown jewel'.