IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Canada => Ice Fishing Saskatchewan => Topic started by: Hatandboots on Jan 17, 2024, 01:57 PM
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I'm hoping someone knows more about this here than I do, but is there an accurate bathymetric/topographic map service for Saskatchewan lakes?
I've used navionics before when it was cheaper, and I also use iBoating because it is free, but neither of these seem to be very accurate. It seems to me most maps that exist in these services fore Saskatchewan are very old and out of date. I realize that not every backwater lake will have decent maps made for it, but I would hope that the popular lakes in Sask would at least get an updated map once in awhile.
I've gone out on many trips planning to target some structure on maps, only to drill 10 holes and find the hump doesn't exist, or that the water depth is 20ft different then it said.
Are there nay services that have updated maps? Paid are fine, but it makes no sense paying for a map service that in inaccurate. For a province with as good of fishing as we have it just seems strange that we don't get the same support Manitoba gets.
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I think avenza is starting to do some mapping of saskatchewan lakes.
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Yes. Avenza is the only current group doing new maps. Those old ones from the 60s are very inaccurate.
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are you looking for maps of the northern lakes?
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That's crazy it is only them. Makes Sask. fishing seem pretty under developed. I just opened up their mapping and only saw Bradwell, Zelma, and Blackstrap for available maps right now. Blackstrap was 13.99 for the map, but the preview shows some great detail.
So when people get Navionics + with their Garmin subscriptions or something, are those referencing those old maps still? I heard someone else say the reservoir maps online are just the original surveys they did when building the reservoir.
This all makes me think that making your own maps with good charting tech is important. I don't have that yet but its neat seeing guys drive their boats around making maps, and using them in winter.
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are you looking for maps of the northern lakes?
Not as much, but depends what North is. Don't often get north of La Ronge, but I wouldn't hold my breath that mapping exists for anything far.
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That's crazy it is only them. Makes Sask. fishing seem pretty under developed. I just opened up their mapping and only saw Bradwell, Zelma, and Blackstrap for available maps right now. Blackstrap was 13.99 for the map, but the preview shows some great detail.
I’ve found that the Navionics maps are not accurate.
So when people get Navionics + with their Garmin subscriptions or something, are those referencing those old maps still? I heard someone else say the reservoir maps online are just the original surveys they did when building the reservoir.
This all makes me think that making your own maps with good charting tech is important. I don't have that yet but its neat seeing guys drive their boats around making maps, and using them in winter.
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I've have a Lowrance unit and been uploading to C-map Genesis. Then use my old elite 4 Lowrance unit as a map. I cut the power cord and wired it to a cigarette lighter adaptor so I can run it in my vehicle when looking for a spots on the ice. Or I upload coordinate locations to my navionics app (I haven't renewed mine in 2 years so the base maps are old). Some lakes are pretty much complete like blackstrap, summit lake, little bear for examples. It even takes the Lowrance auto map files for uploads.
https://www.genesismaps.com/SocialMap (https://www.genesismaps.com/SocialMap)
Considering it's $50-$80 a year for the apps I don't fish enough lakes for it to warrant the costs.