Contour Structure Maps

[finatic]

I'm trying to figure out how to locate contour/structure maps of the waterways in and around my area. I live in Grand Haven, MI and regularly fish the Grand River area. I'd like to find some contour maps of the waterways so I can locate potential spots for catching big cats. Can anyone here give me some advice/links or something on where I could find these things? I've been Googling around for an hour or so and can't find anything.

 

Thanks.

[MN Fisher]

Here's an overview look via I-Boating. You can scroll and zoom in & out.

 

http://fishing-app.gpsnauticalcharts.com/i-boating-fishing-web-app/fishing-marine-charts-navigation.html#12.73/43.0692/-86.1858

[Bass Junke]

https://webapp.navionics.com/#boating@3&key=ukqwGv{c_L

 

https://www.genesismaps.com/

 

Between these two and the one MN Fisher posted hopefully you find the body of water you are looking for.

[finatic]

22 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Here's an overview look via I-Boating. You can scroll and zoom in & out.

 

http://fishing-app.gpsnauticalcharts.com/i-boating-fishing-web-app/fishing-marine-charts-navigation.html#12.73/43.0692/-86.1858

Thanks for the link, but it doesn't show underwater contour or structure.

10 minutes ago, Bass Junke said:

https://webapp.navionics.com/#boating@3&key=ukqwGv{c_L

 

https://www.genesismaps.com/

 

Between these two and the one MN Fisher posted hopefully you find the body of water you are looking for.

Thanks for the links, but these don;'t show underwater contour. The closest one is the genesis map, but it only shows a limited area, not the full area.

[MN Fisher]

Just now, hawgwash said:

Thanks for the link, but it doesn't show underwater contour or structure.

Scroll in closer - shows depths - doesn't look like there's much depth change on the river. Structure...I don't know many maps that show that.

[finatic]

Yeah I zoomed, but like I said it doesn't cover the whole area. 

[Bass Junke]

3 minutes ago, hawgwash said:

Yeah I zoomed, but like I said it doesn't cover the whole area. 

I sure doesn't. Bummer. I know it is not much of a consolation but I wish Navionics scanned as many lakes and ponds in my state as yours. Wow! 

 

Anybody know if Navionics still adds bodies of water and does updates? 

[finatic]

4 minutes ago, Bass Junke said:

I sure doesn't. Bummer. I know it is not much of a consolation but I wish Navionics scanned as many lakes and ponds in my state as yours. Wow! 

 

Anybody know if Navionics still adds bodies of water and does updates? 

That's ok, I appreciate the reply and the link. It is the closest I've gotten so far to something useable. I even tried a thing called BaseMap, which I thought would show me a complete updated contour of the river area here, but of course they don't give you anything with a free basic account.

[Bass Junke]

As far a C-Map Genesis goes that is created by owners of a compatible GPS/fish finders and they upload the data and it appears on the map.  

[finatic]

By structure I meant seeing the contours of the underwater layout. Trying to find spots where big cats might be hanging out. I was considering buying a Deeper Pro+ and just casting that out to read what's underwater, but I thought contour maps would be more helpful.

 

Dicks has a bundle deal on a Deeper Pro+ - one with a Gerber tool and a couple other goodies and one with a pretty awesome head lamp.

[5/0]

Try Fish n Maps Co. They’re hard maps available for sale on line.

[finatic]

6 minutes ago, 5/0 said:

Try Fish n Maps Co. They’re hard maps available for sale on line.

Thanks, but I don't see anything for Michigan in their list.

[5/0]

Sorry, I just noticed that they’re west of Colorado only.

[finatic]

I think I may have found something with this. It seems to have contour maps of the waterways and Grand River is listed. It's $14 but I don't mind paying for it if it has what I need. I think I'll get the interactive one so I can use it on my phone, too. We'll see what happens.

[J Francho]

I'm looking at the Navionics Chart Viewer, and it shows everything in 1' contours for Grand River.

[finatic]

2 minutes ago, J Francho said:

I'm looking at the Navionics Chart Viewer, and it shows everything in 1' contours for Grand River.

 

I didn't see anything so I have no idea where you might be looking.

[Bass Junke]

23 minutes ago, hawgwash said:

I think I may have found something with this. It seems to have contour maps of the waterways and Grand River is listed. It's $14 but I don't mind paying for it if it has what I need. I think I'll get the interactive one so I can use it on my phone, too. We'll see what happens.

Hope it works out for you. 

 

10 minutes ago, J Francho said:

I'm looking at the Navionics Chart Viewer, and it shows everything in 1' contours for Grand River.

Yea but if you keep scrolling East, it stops. Navionics needs finish up. Lets all at Bass Resource start a petition and ask Navionics to plot out every body water in North America. Shouldn't be to hard

[finatic]

3 minutes ago, Bass Junke said:

Hope it works out for you. 

It didn't. I got the downloadable file and looked through it, but they don't have very good contour images of the Grand River area. There are some, but they aren't very detailed. Oh well, the search continues....

[J Francho]

How far east?  There's contour lines all the way to Jenison.

[redmexican5081]

Use the navionics web app but make sure on the bottom left that you select SonarChart and not Navionics.  The SonarChart option will show the lines you are looking for

[finatic]

Ah, nice! This might be what I need. I'll have to play around with it some more when I get home from work. Thanks.

[Bass Junke]

2 hours ago, J Francho said:

How far east?  There's contour lines all the way to Jenison.

Thought the OP was between Bur Oak Landing and Millennium Park. That section Navionics seemed to have forgotten about. Or is that section really that featureless? 

[finatic]

The nav app does show contours,  but not everywhere. A few of the places I want to fish there is no contour at all.  And you can only zoom in so far so it’s not gonna help that much.

 

But at least we’re getting closer to what I’m after.

[MIbassyaker]

The lower Grand River, Spring Lake, and most of the bayous are all well-mapped with good resolution on the Navionics app when you select the "sonarChart" from the button on the lower right (red arrow).

 

 

Not sure exactly what you're looking for in terms of structure (deep holes?), but my understanding is that the area of the river around the mouth of spring lake and the US 31 bridge is a good catfish haunt.

 

If you're looking at an area that doesn't have contours, chances are it's pretty shallow or featureless. Upriver of Bur Oak Landing, where the dredged channel stops, its mostly a gently-sloping 5-10 ft deep trough, and there isn't a lot that's super-useful to map.

[finatic]

 Yeah I saw those deeper spots. The roads don’t have any names on them so it’ll take some figuring out to find those areas.