Bathometry maps to gps?

[deerguy]

Anyone try putting a bathometry map on a gps device? Want to put some Alberta lakes onto the iPad to follow the contours this ice season.

[iliketrout]

I have, with Google Earth Pro now free it's very easy once you do one or two.

http://www.ags.gov.ab.ca/publications/lake_bathymetry.html has GIS files of a lot of lakes in Alberta...it's essentially uncolored contour lines. Save the file to your computer, then open it up in Google Earth. I recolor the lines in Google Earth so that I know what I'm looking at. Then save it as a .kmz or .kml and go to Google maps. Create a new map by uploading the kml/kmz you just made. Now, if you have the Google Earth app on your iPad, you can access your Google account and open up the map you just made.

Here's a screenshot of the one I did for Lower K.

There may be a way to do it with fewer steps, this is just what works for me. It's a little time consuming to recolor the contour lines but worth it in my opinion. It's reasonable accurate to give you an idea of areas to start fishing and find the key structure.

[sturgeonhound]

There is also an ipad app called "Aqua Map Alberta HD" that has the same lakes as the gov. of alberta GIS website. It's quite easy to use.

SH

[iliketrout]

Sounds interesting, is it fairly accurate?

[sturgeonhound]

Iliketrout,
The accuracy is driven by the bathymetric GIS dataset. The same GIS dataset is used for all of the maps that you get in alberta. (free data now, but you had to buy it on the navionics chips just a few years ago) Navioncs has updated some of the lakes in the last few years, but its not free data....you have to buy the navioincs HD app I believe. Here is a screen shot from the Aqua Alberta app....its the exact same contour lines as the GIS data set that you used in Google earth. When I use this app, I have my ipad Bluetooth'ed to a Bad Elf gps unit. This combo has the same accuracy as any commercially available gps unit with a mapping chip.
The only way to "better" hydro maps is to make them yourself with Lowrance insight genesis, Humminbirds autochart, or reefmaster....and by better I mean more detailed contours lines.
I hope this helps.

Cheers,
SH
http://i1328.photobucket.com/albums/w536/sturgeonhound/Fishing%20Stuff/File%202015-10-28%206%2025%2012%20PM_zpsczi6smke.png

[sturgeonhound]

sorry my mistake ....the latest and more detailed Navioncs app is called "sonar chart" not HD. If you buy a chip I think its the gold chip.

[iliketrout]

Wow, that looks great. I think I'll give it a try. Thanks SH!

[sturgeonhound]

No problem. I hope it works for you as well as it does for me.
BTW if you have a lowrance device that takes a mapping chip, those GIS files that are on the gov of alberta website can be converted to .at5 files using some GIS software and insight map creator and then put on a sd card and used in your lowrance unit. If you want some help with that, let me know.

Cheers,
SH

[iliketrout]

I have an Elite 7 so it should work on there...I'll definitely be looking into it, thanks for the offer SH