
Welcome to the Quetico & Boundary Waters Fishing Enthusiast Map.

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Disclaimer: 

	Do not rely on this product as your primary source of navigation.

	No Warranty is expressed or implied. The Free software included in this product is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY LIABILITY OF
	OR ANY WARRANTY	from Custom Advantage Gear LLC, Navico, Lowrance or from the government agencies, organizations or individuals which provided the underlying
	source data.

	Data may be incorrect or missing, or conditions may have changed, as often happens in beaver habitat areas.  Always be aware of your surroundings and current 
	conditions and use good judgment. Water levels are often different between lakes, creating moving water between them, which can be dangerous. 

	Locate and use the portages whenever possible.  

	User assumes all liability for operation and associated risks. Your use of the data and/or software is acceptance on your part of the terms and conditions set
	forth herein.
======================================================================================================================================================================

Why was this map created?

	I did not always use a fish finder when fishing in canoe country, but over the years I have come to enjoy using one, as it helps me to find structure and
	better understand fish behavior..... and at times I find that it also helps to increase my catch.  For a number of years when I have used a fish finder, I also 
	used a handheld GPS (Garmin) unit and eventually both units became mounted side by side in my canoe, as a digital dashboard of sorts.  This setup worked to 
	some extent, but it wasn't smooth or natural.  A handheld GPS is good for mapping land terrain, such as portages, but it is not ideal for marking fishing spots
	or lake structure. Also with a chart plotting fish finder you can "rewind" your sonar on screen and place a waypoint on a spot that you have already passed by,
	you cannot do this accurately without having the GPS integrated with your sonar unit.  In 2019 I decided to upgrade my canoe fish finder to one with GPS 
	mapping technology.  What I soon found however, was that the included map data outside the USA(Canada) was terrible and worse the expensive paid map options 
	were very basic and lacked bathymetry data for most waters. That is when I decided to take matters into my own hands. It took some time, several years in fact,
	to build this map. I first started with just the lake outlines with campsites and portages, because that is the essential core data that I really wanted shown
	on my screen.  Gradually, I began to add more and more data features until eventually I realized that I should just spend some time making a more complete map
	and share it for all to use and enjoy. Personally I am more focused on Quetico as that is where I trip most, but I have also been to the BWCA several times, 
	most recently in 2021 when the border was closed due to COVID. As a result you may find the Quetico data has received more scrutiny and updates than that of 
	the BWCA, because I am more familiar with some areas of Quetico. Generally I have found the built in mapping on the US side of the border to be very good, so one 
	always has the option of using the built in map provided on your unit while in the BWCA, with many US lakes even including bathymetry data. I could have just 
	created a Quetico map, but I feel like the two areas are one in the same historically and spiritually even if the are managed differently and separately by 
	their respective countries. So I present you with my map which I call the Q/BW Fishing Enthusiasts Map.   Granted a lot of the data in the map does not have 
	to do with fishing, but I assume only fishermen will use the map since it is tied to and requires a fish finder, specifically a Lowrance GPS mapping unit. 
	Non-fishermen likely will not want to carry such a unit over portages, but if you are a fishermen brining a fish finding unit already, I think this map offers
	superior features and information to that found on virtually any hand held terrestrial GPS or map currently available.

	As a bonus I have also created an optional add-on map for the area directly north of Quetico, which includes the Turtle River White Otter Lake Provincial Park.  
	This "Bonus" map is completely optional and will appear as an extension of the QBW FE MAP if the map folders are copied to your SD Card.  Be aware that some of 
	the data on this "Bonus" map was manually placed by visual comparison to other printed maps and may be inaccurate and that the data has not been reviewed and 			vetted as extensively as the main Quetico and Boundary Waters Canoe Area map data, so use it with a bit of caution and skepticism and be prepared to search nearby 
	for things such as campsites and portages that may be a tad "off" as to their exact location. 

Supported hardware:

	The map(s) are created in Lowrance's proprietary AT-5 format and will only work on Lowrance (or Simrad or B&G = Navico) units.  
	I tried to design the map(s) to ideally work on any mapping unit manufactured in the last 10 years or so. You may be able to get the map(s) to run on older 
	units, though they are not recommended as performance will likely be less than optimal. The speed of your SD card also plays a role in performance, see below 
	for further details on selecting an SD card.

	Unfortunately this map will only work on Lowrance (or Simrad or B&G = Navico) units.  Don't ask for a Garmin or Humminbird version of he map as their products 
	are too "Locked down" to allow for custom mapping. Sure they have options for custom sonar map generation, but even those are locked down and paywalled and will
	not allow the same functionality you will get from this free map. 

	So, what type of Lowrance unit do you need to use this map?
	
	Lowrance has three tiers or lines of fish finder units that they currently market to freshwater anglers.

High End Units

	In Lowrance's high end line up are the HDS units, which go by slightly different names depending on year class or generation - Gen 1, Gen2, Gen2 Touch, Carbon, 
	Live, or Pro. 	(https://www.navico.com/news/the-history-of-hds) 
 
		Unfortunately, the HDS line has evolved into larger and larger screen sizes, so they are not ideal candidates for canoe angling. Though they do have 
		exceptional features and mapping capability, they are most suitable for fishing from a motorized boat where hauling a big battery is feasible.

Mid Tier Units

	Lowrances mid tier line is named the Elite, and like the HDS line it has different names for each generation - Elite, Elite HDI, Elite Chirp, Elite Ti, 
	Elite Ti2 & Elite FS. We can break this lineup down even further into two groups based on the operating system that they run on.

		Elite, Elite HDI, Elite Chirp - This group runs on a slightly older operating system, code named Violet or Indigo. These units were 
		available in 4(4.3") 5, and 7" models.  The 4 inch models has a rectangular portrait or vertically oriented screen and the 5 inch model has a square 
		screen.	One thing to be aware of is the first gen Elite units(prior to HDI and Chirp units) contained an older SD card slot, not compatible with modern
		SD cards over 2GB in size. For this reason, I would not recommend the first gen Elite unit.
		   			
		Elite Ti, Elite Ti2, Elite FS - This more modern lineup runs on the latest operating system known as NOS.  The Elite Ti is the only model of this 
		lineup that had an available 5" model, that being the smallest screen in the lineup.  Like the HDS lineup, these models have evolved into larger 
		and larger screen sizes. The Ti models are very capable units almost on par with the HDS units, generally with just with slightly lower screen 
		resolutions and	sporting a single map card slot. Unfortunately, due to option of only larger screen sizes, I would also not recommend these units 
		for canoe angling.  Keep in mind that the 5" Elite Ti is not very power efficient and does require a 9 pin transducer or 7 pin with an adapter, 
		worthwhile considerations when planning for use on a canoe trip.

Entry Level Units

		Lowrance’s low end "Entry Level" line up is referred to as the Hook/Eagle units.  Hook, Hook2, Hook Reveal, and Eagle. Beware of "X" models, which do not 
		support mapping.

		Hook - This first generation Hook unit is really the Elite Chirp unit in disguise. Lowrance took their older mid tier units, renamed them and made them 
		the new entry level tier.  It is the same unit with a new name, with an added 9" size available. Being that it is equal to an Elite Chirp, it is also 
		running	the older Violet operating system, as a result map redraws will be a tad slower than a Hook2 unit. This is a solidly built unit, though the 				software options are a bit dated compared to newer models, which is to be expected.

		Hook2 & Hook Reveal - These units run on the latest operating system known as NOS. The 4" model is now a non-mapping "X" model, though you can find 
		non-mapping "X" models available in the other sizes as well.  The 5" units have a rectangular landscape oriented screen instead of the square screen 
		of the first generation Hook unit.  These units feature a new push/pull style connector for both power and the transducer.   These connectors have 
		proven to be problematic for some users losing signal or power unexpectedly while out on the water.  The 5" units are slightly more efficient than 
		the previous 4.3" Hook model. (approx 300mA vs 330mA) The Hook Reveal added the namesake hook reveal feature whereby both downscan and traditional 
		sonar are overlaid on a single screen.  Also, Hook Reveal added Lowrances "Genesis Live" feature, which allows you to generate a "live" contour map 
		on your unit as you fish using downscan sonar data.  

		Eagle - Lowrance chose to resurrect the Eagle name, which years ago used to represent their budget line of products and renamed the Hook line to Eagle.
		Notable improvements over the Hook Reveal include a locking mechanism for the power and transducer plugs, a brighter IPS screen, and a slightly 
		improved shallow water (wider cone angle) transducer. The Eagle line also did away with all of the non mapping "x" models, with the exception of .
		the 4" model being the only "X" model unit now available. If it is in your budget, the Eagle 5 is the model that I would recommend in 2026 for 
		canoe angling if you wish to run any sort of vector based mapping.


SD Cards
		Modern fish finding units have adopted the use of SD cards for map data, specifically MicroSD, also sometimes referred to as transflash(TF) cards.
		Not all MicroSD cards are created equal and which card you choose can greatly affect your user experience in that maps may load very slow or 
		even stall with a slow card causing frustration or conversely maps may load quickly and redraw map shapes fluidly with a fast one, providing for a 
		pleasant mapping experience.  From a quick glance both cards may appear identical in both shape and size, but internals can and do differ.

		There are 4 different MicroSD standards.  The original MicroSD for cards of 128MB-2GB in size(hard to find at this point).  SD High Capacity (SDHC)
		for cards 2GB to 32GB. SD Extended Capacity(SDXC) for cards 32GB-2TB.   SD Ultra Capacity(SDUC) for cards 2TB-128TB, these cards are bleeding edge 
		technology and not common or affordable at this point.  Lowrance units officially only support SDHC cards up to 32GB in size.  That said, SDXC cards
		can be used safely and effectively if formatted as FAT32.
		

		SD card speed ratings

			This is where things can be confusing and sometimes even misleading.  There have been several speed ratings introduced over the years to help
			us choose an appropriate SD card.

			Class rating - Not very relevant any longer, almost all cards are Class 10 rated.  Be wary of any card not Class 10.
			UHS or U rating - Either 1 or 3, most modern cards are 3, so again not really helpful.
			UHS Bus Speed - You should select UHS 1, as these cards have only one row of pins to transfer data that your unit can utilize.
			Video Speed Class - V6, V10, V30, V60, or V90.  The higher is obviously better, but V30 is adequate for our purposes.
			Application Class - A1 or A2.  A2 is better, but not all cards even carry this rating.

			Most speed ratings have to do with write speeds, which is important for video recording applications.  For mapping, read speed is more 
			important, so how relevant even are these speed ratings?  For the most part, write speed and read speed are corelated to a cards overall 
			performance, so other than measuring a cards performance ourselves we usually have to rely on the manufacturer's speed ratings when shopping 
			for cards.  Some cards now advertise their max read speed, anything around 100mbs should work just fine, even 80 or 90mbs would provide 
			acceptable results. Sometimes the quoted speeds are inflated on the packaging, and you would need a special reader in order to achieve the 
			stated speeds.	For best results one should always use a built in reader on your laptop or one that plugs into a USB C port for fastest 
			throughput performance and accuracy when measuring speeds.   

		So what brand and what size card should I buy to use with my Lowrance fish finder?

			There is no one right answer here.  I would go with a name brand card or one that you have at least personally tested beforehand. Waiting until
			you are	out on the water is too late to do testing and you may get stuck with lackluster performance. I tend to like Sandisk(WesternDigital) 
			or Samsung cards for important stuff, but I do use others and have had relatively few issues, except for some off brands that have proved to 
			be slower.  As of this writing(2026) I would go with a 64 GB card, as I find them to be only a dollar or so more than a 32GB card, but twice 
			the capacity and with generally a faster write speed (V30).  Whereas a 128GB card is double the price of a 64GB card, so 64GB seems to be the sweet 
			spot in terms of price/capacity at the moment and probably provide way more capacity than you will need for this application.   I would choose
			a card rated at V30 or A2 for best performance. 
 
			Also, beware of fake capacity cards on the market.  Generally scammers target the more expensive, higher capacity cards(256GB-2TB), so you 
			don't see as many issues with 32 or 64GB cards, but it can happen.   Scammers can make a smaller capacity card mimic a larger capacity card,
			but the cards overwrite themselves, corrupting the data before reaching the advertised capacity.  These fraudsters can mimic the packaging and 
			screen printing very closely, so that it can be almost impossible to identify a fake just by looking at it with the naked eye. Avoiding 
			third-party sellers can help to avoid but not completely eliminate this risk.  For example when buying from Amazon, look to make sure that the 
			product	is sold by and shipped by Amazon and not some external seller on their website.  This way if you do somehow end up with a fake card, 
			you have some recourse with Amazon. 

		SD Card Format

			Again, Lowrance units only officially support SDHC cards, 2GB-32GB.  You can easily format these cards on a Windows based computer, and it 
			will format the card as Fat 32 by default, no issues at all. If you try to format a SDXC 64GB or larger card in Windows explorer, it will format 
			ok(as NTFS or ExFAT), but not in the FAT32 format that your Lowrance unit needs in order to use the card. In order to format a 64GB card in 
			Windows, we need to use some other method, such as another operating system(Linux) or using a specialized application.  I like to use a piece
			of software called guiformat by Ridgecrop Consultants, Ltd. to format my cards. (http://ridgecrop.co.uk/index.htm?guiformat.htm) The download link
			is not immediately obvious on their website, but just click on the picture to download the software. There are other such utilities out there that
			do the same thing, but this is the one that I have always used. I often get a permission error when using this software to format an SD card after 
			insertion.  The solution I have found is to quick format the card in Windows first(as NTFS or ExFAT) and then the card will be available in 					guiformat to format as FAT32.  Once your card is formatted as FAT32 your Lowrance unit will be able to recognize it and read/write files to and 				from it. Be careful to select the correct drive before you click format so that you do not format your hardrive or another drives data that you 				intend to keep.  
		

Unzip the map file downloaded and copy the contents to the root of the SD card.

		Which map do I need?

		As you may have noticed, there are two versions of each map offered.  You can choose to include one version or both versions on your SD 
		Card, depending on your needs. One version is labeled with the folder titled as "Social" and this will show up on your unit as "C-MAP Social Map". 
		This version is designed to be a base layer for any social map that you might download from https://www.genesismaps.com/SocialMap/.  Since both the map
		you downloaded here and the map generated by genesismaps.com have the same programed name, they will be displayed at the same time, with the genesis 
		map overlaying and sometimes blocking out data from my map.  By having a second version of the map loaded on your SD card, you can effectively 
		"turn off" the genesis social map overlay by selecting "QBW FE Map" as your chart source instead of "C-MAP Social Map". 

		Likewise the Turtle River White Otter map also has two versions for the same reason.  One version of this map will show up as "C-MAP Social Map" and 
		the other version will be part of the "QBW FE Map" map.  If you have no interest in the Turtle River White Otter area, you may wish to not included it 
		on your SD card, it is optional. I treat this map as a "bonus" feature of the Quetico Boundary Waters map, as it is located so closely to Quetico, but 
		In reality it is likely a separate and unrelated trip to Quetico or the Boundary Waters in most instances.  This map may also be of interest to those 
		who frequent some of the resorts and lakes outside of the parks in the close proximity where coverage extends.

Map Data

	Please see the separate Acknowledgements.txt file for general source information for the data presented. Though I will acknowledge that very little of the data
	used is of my own creation, almost all of the data has been edited or modified in some form so that it shows up cleanly and as intended on the map. I thought that 
	I should provide some detail about the map data so users can better understand the map and what they are looking at, though I believe most of it to be self 		explanatory with a little exploration and use of the map.


	Vector vs Raster
	This map is entirely vector based. What is Vector and how is it different from Raster?  Vector imagery is basically computer drawn shapes, so it is very 
	efficient and scalable.	You can make a vector image larger or smaller and it will still appear crisp and sharp on your unit's display.  In contrast we have 
	Raster imagery, such as a scanned map or satellite photo. As you enlarge a raster image, it gets more pixelated or blurry.  High resolution raster images take
	up a lot of space, whereby vector images are very small in size. A singular version of the QBW FE Map is only 38MB......tiny for the amount of data that it 
	contains. Some Lowrance units can actually display raster imagery if formatted correctly, and satellite mapping can be quite useful in some instances.  
	However, most of the entry level Lowrance units are confined to only using vector mapping, and since this map is vector based I will not go further into raster 
	mapping here.

	Lakes, Streams/Creeks/Drainage, Emergent Rocks
	All this data comes from government supplied sources and I find that it is extremely accurate when it comes to locating features.  The Lake shape files cover
	the areas with water precisely when compared to a satellite image overlay with accurate depiction of island and point locations.  Streams, Creeks or even some 
	seasonal drainage flows can be found on the map when zoomed in to an appropriate level, shown as dark blue lines.  No distinction is made for the size of 
	the flowing waterway, but it may give you an area to focus on while locating a fishing spot.  Likewise emergent rocks are shown with a "+" symbol when zoomed 
	in, and can often indicate areas of underwater structure or areas to investigate while fishing.

	Campsites
	The campsite data is sourced from Paddleplanner.com with permission. I know there are other sources of this data to be found, but I have found that the naming 
	convention of the campsites originally done by Dr. J. Archer Harris in his Portage and Campsite Database(PCD) which later transferred to PaddlePlanner, has become
	the synonymous standard for many.  You can mention a campsite by the number, and many people familiar with Quetico will know exactly which site you are speaking 		of. I have reformatted the data so that the campsite name, rating and tent pad information can be readily viewed on the map. Furthermore, campsites are broken down 	by color to allow you to quickly discern the type you are interested in.    

	A red dot indicates a campsite rated 3-5 stars
	A orange dot indicates a campsite rated 1-3 Stars
	A yellow dot indicates a campsite that is not rated
	A blue dot is an unverified or closed campsite
	A black dot is an unconfirmed Quetico campsite(Legacy Forest). 

	The red dot 3-5 star sites are shown in all zoom layers, the other campsites are only shown at a select zoom level for reference and are otherwise hidden to avoid 		map clutter.  By including campsites in a map such as this, one can overcome the hardware limitation imposed by importing campsites as waypoints, like you would 		with most any other GPS unit. No longer do you have to pare down your campsites to fit your device limits, here you can keep and view them all.  Save your 			waypoints for marking fish or your own discoveries. Keep in mind that campsite ratings are rather subjective, but a useful metric nonetheless, and also that 			conditions change.  What was a 5 star campsite 10 years ago might be an overused 3 star today.  Hammock campers obviously have different needs than tent campers. 		Not all campsites that exist are included in the database, but most are shown and it should give you more than enough possibilities to check out. I know that 		sometimes in the BWCA, campsites may be closed for a variety of reasons.  I do not intend on updating or maintaining this map to reflect those closures.  
	If the campsite does not have a fire grate and latrine, it is not a valid site to camp at in the BWCA.  Of course in Quetico, these rules do not apply, and you may 	camp in any suitable location.

 	Portages
	Again, sourced from Paddleplanner.com.  There is one thing that I wanted to mention about the portages and how they appear.  There is a limitation in the 
	software of Lowrance units and how they process short sections of line data with labels.  I found that if I wanted to label a short portage, the software 
	would simply omit the line and label altogether.  To overcome this "Bug" I needed to come up with a creative solution.  To fix the issue I left the portage 
	lines unlabeled and inserted an icon on one end of the portage. If you zoom into the map portages, eventually an icon of a hiking dude will appear on one end of 		the portage. Hover over or click on the hiking dude icon and you will see the portage length revealed in rods.  A rod is roughly the length of a standard canoe 
	(16.5 feet or roughly 5 meters), which is why rods are often used on canoe maps, and why I chose to use it as a measurement here. 

	Entry Points 
	For Quetico, entry points are shown with an icon of a red colored canoe being portaged, whereas the BWCA entry points are shown with an icon of a blue canoe
	being portaged.  Hovering over the Quetico Entries will also reveal the quota of daily non resident permits issued.

	Fish Icon = Fish Species
	As you zoom in on the map, at a certain level you will see small red fish icons appear on the lakes.  Clicking on an icon should reveal a lake name and the 
	species of fish that inhabit the lake.  A note about the data is that it was originally presented in a polygon(lake shape) file containing data for each lake.  
	A limitation in the software does not allow the data to be presented in this manner as lakes are not selectable, only point data.  So I had to convert the 
	Polygon(lake shape) data into point data.  The location of the points were originally set to be the center point of the lake.  This works out well for some 
	lakes, like perfectly round ones for example.  For many of the glacially carved lakes of the area, the center point is often not even located on the lake 
	itself. I have corrected a number of these, particularly in Quetico, there are no doubt more to be corrected.  Be aware of this and look for the red fish 
	icons in the vicinity, and you will likely find the data you seek.  Also for some lakes in Quetico I was able to find Secchi data from a lake survey done 
	in 2018 and provided by retired park biologist Brian Jackson.  This may give you some idea of a lakes tannin stain or conversely water clarity.

	International Border/Quetico & BWCA Boundaries
	Self explanatory, the international boundary is shown as a bright red line. The BWCA is shown in brown and Quetico is shown in green.

	First Nation Reserve(Neguagon Lake Indian Reserve 25D) - In 2023, Lac La Croix First Nation changed its name to Gakijiwanong Anishinaabe Nation. 
	'Gakijiwanong' is Ojibwe for "Where the water flows". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gakijiwanong_Anishinaabe_Nation.  This area is shown in Purple on the map
	and is the location of the Lac La Croix village as well as a Quetico park ranger station.

	Land Contours
	This data comes from two different sources.  The US Boundary Waters data was downloaded for the three MN counties encompassing the BWCA: Cook, Lake & 
	St. Louis and then combined.  I used the 10 foot interval data, and then used every third line, effectively making a custom 30 foot contour interval.  
	I did this as the data for Canada was in Meters, so I used 10 meters as the interval for the contour lines on the Canadian side of the border.  The thinking
	is 30 Feet is roughly similar to 10 meters.  I view this data as mostly texture filler to give you a general lay of the land in the absence of any raster 
	depth shading.

	Burn Areas
	I included the recent major burn areas in the map.  There may be some smaller areas that burned some years back and have regrown some that are not 
	included.  The thought being that only the larger burn areas might be areas to note or possibly avoid.  Specifically I included the 2021 Quetico fire area,
	the Pagami Creek Fire, The Cavity Lake Fire and the Ham Lake Fire. The Cavity and Ham areas overlap somewhat, so the Cavity Lake fire area is a slightly 
	different color.  The Pagami Creek fire also partially burned through two of the PMA areas, so you will see a section of these PMA's with an outline and the 
	burned areas shown as well.

	Roads
	I included some road information, but other than highways(shown in red), I did not distinguish between different types of roads.  I did not feel this would be 
	useful for most users, but there may be a time where you are curious, just how far are we from the nearest road.....could be a gravel logging road or a paved 
	road. Except for a few Canadian highways, labels are not provided, but again, this map is not intended for vehicle navigation, the data is provided just as a
	general	reference point.

	Boundary Waters PMA / Hiking trails
	I did include the Primitive Management Areas in the Boundary waters, but did not include the different zones for each area.  I also included some BWCA hiking
	trail data, though this is probably not the GPS one would take while hiking.  Perhaps you might spot a hiker while fishing, say on Angleworm Lake in the BWCA
	and after you consult the map, it might make sense where you made the observation.

	Outfitters/Lodging/Dining/Hospitals
	I tried to include as much information as possible in the map.  Much of this information will not be used by fishermen. I wanted to point this out as 
	general	reference information.  If you click on many of these icons, in most instances, you will be presented with an address and phone number.  One could 
	use this as a kind of rolodex of sorts if you know the location on the map of the place you wish to contact.  It could be handy if you have cell service, but
	no data plan for example.  The Hospital in Ely and Atikokan is also visible at a high zoom level if needed, but do not hesitate to call 911 if possible in 
	an emergency.


CMAP - Social MAP Data Logging

	There are several advantages to having a modern fish finder equipped with an SD card slot for data access, that most might not even consider.  You can save
	screenshots of your fish finder for later review, you can update the software that your system runs on if an update becomes available and on some units, you
	can even view pdf files and photos.  But in my opinion the most useful feature would be the ability to record your sonar logs to the SD card.  While your unit 
	is running, it is gathering both a sonar reading from the bottom of the lake and also a GPS signal of your precise location.  By logging your sonar, you are 
	able to capture this data for later processing, which once processed can be used to create detailed, one foot interval, bathymetry charts of the lakes you 
	visit.  You might think that this process would be really complex, but it does not have to be.  The first step is to turn on data logging and actually collect 
	the data. You are not going to notice any performance difference by using this feature, your unit is already gathering this information, you just need to tell
	it to save it as you fish. It is an extra step that you have to remember to do and the procedure will differ based on model, but basically you just need to go
	into your menu and select to start sonar logging.  Now once it is logging, your unit will show a red dot in the upper right corner letting you know that it is
	recording.  It is best to have several smaller files rather than one big one, so throughout the day it is best to stop logging and then restart, so that you
	have several different files.	This also helps reduce the chance of data loss, should one file get corrupted somehow, you theoretically might still be able
	to access the other files, though I have not had any such issues. Ideally, one would criss cross the lake several times in grid like pattern and collect data
	to create a complete map of the lake.  Of course this is not really practical in a canoe, but I find that if I just start recording data as I fish, I get some
	very detailed mapping without much effort, of course only covering the areas that I have fished.  Rome wasn't built in a day and it took many hands, such is 
	the case also with detailed bathymetry mapping.  

	Once you have the data logged and saved to your SD card, how are you going to process it?  There are actually a few choices.  If you happen to have an active
	Navionics subscription, you could upload the data there, though I have never done it, so I cannot offer details of the process.  Navionics calls this option 
	Sonarchart(TM) Maps and you can see there are a few lakes in Quetico that have been mapped by others.  see their webpage at webapp.navionics.com  This is a paid 
	option, that requires an initial map card purchase and an annual renewal fee.  Lowrance units are still compatible with Navionics mapping, which is owned by 			Garmin, though newer units are now bundled with C-MAP preloaded maps by default.

	Another option is to process the data yourself using a third party application such as Reefmaster. https://reefmaster.com.au/  This would give you the most 
	control over your data and how it is presented in the finished map.  Of course this also is a rather expensive option that requires some skills, talent and 
	time to get good results.  This is the least beginner friendly option.

	Fortunately, there is a third option offered from Navico, the parent company of Lowrance. 
	https://www.c-map.com/social-map/ or https://www.genesismaps.com/Home/Index

	Navico owns C-MAP, which they acquired shortly before their direct competitor Garmin purchased Navionics in 2016.  CMAP not only offers paid mapping solutions, 
	they also offer a free service that they call social mapping.  As the name implies, it involves sharing your sonar charts online, though they do offer a 
	subscription service if you would wish to keep your data private. Personally, I do not see the need to keep your sonar logs private for an area such as Quetico.  
	Quetico has so many barriers to entry when it comes to border crossing, fishing regulations and just the physical requirements of paddling and portaging, that
	many anglers won't even consider it an option for fishing, and since there is over a million acres in Quetico and limited permits, there is lots of solitude to
	be found.  Also when you share your data, the service does not collect your waypoints or tracks, just your depth/GPS/bottom composition data, so the data 
	presented still requires individual interpretation, there are no "Fish Here" markers on the map.  As I mentioned earlier, your map will be far from complete, 
	as it is difficult to map all but the smallest of lakes in Quetico by yourself, or even in one trip.  For this reason, the social map makes a lot of sense as,
	as a community, we can tackle the project one canoe tripper at a time and keep improving the data over time.  One thing I would suggest though it to keep a 
	backup and save your data logs for safe keeping.  Should the service change or be discontinued, you may be able to recreate mapping through another means.  
	Uploading your sonar logs to the genesismaps.com (C-MAP) website is pretty straightforward, again it is better to have several smaller log files than one large
	one.  You will need to create a free account with C-Map and register your device by entering its unique ID.  The Social map will be tied to your device once 
	downloaded, so if you wish to share your logged map with others, they would also need to create a login and register their device to their own account.  Once
	your logs are uploaded, it is just a matter of waiting for the social map to be updated.  Unfortunately this process can take some time, for me it has been 
	around 6 weeks turnaround during the busy summer months for my uploads to appear on the map for download.  Unfortunately, as a free service, I do not think
	Navico allocates a lot of staff to this function, so the process does take some time for uploads to be processed.    

	Using this map as a basemap for C-MAP social map.

	This is an easy process and only requires that you have both the social map that you downloaded from genesismaps.com on your SD card as well as this 
	(QBW FE Map) map on your SD card.  Both maps are coded the same, so they will appear on your unit at the same time under "C-MAP Social Map", with the C-MAP 
	social map overlaying the QBW FE map for the area that was downloaded. This can work out very well, but there can be issues with some lake layers incorrectly 
	being covered up by the C-MAP download. For example, I have seen some areas that are land areas being shown as underwater, not on the Genesismaps.com website 
	online, but only on the social map once downloaded to my unit. There is an issue with the data source that C-MAP is using for Canadian waterways, and you can 
	see some of these issues if you preview their paid map using their online chart explorer at https://www.c-map.com/chartexplorer/.  The lake shapes are not well 
	defined	and a lot of detail is missing, particularly islands, even relatively large ones. For this reason there are two versions of my map included and you 
	have the option	of viewing just the QBW FE MAP without the Social Mapping and thus effectively turning off the social mapping if or until the data can be fixed.
	When I download the C-MAP social map for the first time after uploading my sonar logs, I like to review it for any such issues.  If there are issues I report 
	them through their website, so that any issues can hopefully be fixed. To report an issue, simply go to the social map as if you were going to download the 
	area to be fixed and when you click on the water droplet icon, you should see an option to "Send Feedback".  Again, This can take some time, but I am hopeful 
	that their process might improve to eliminate such errors in the future. I have directed CMAP, in my feedback, to use the Ontario lake shapefile that I used 
	to used to create this map, as I have found the data to be very accurate when overlaid on a satellite image. The data they are currently using as a base layer
	is not very good, but if you are aware of the possible discrepancies, you can still effectively use the depth charting and try to ignore some of the errors. 

	Once your social map is loaded, you should be able to view and explore the depth contours on your unit.  As you zoom in, you should see that detail of the data
	increase.  If you are using a NOS based unit (Hook2 or newer) you should have a few preset depth palette options to choose from under chart options.  This will
	shade the depth contours differently depending on your viewing preference.  You can also set a custom safety depth, which can be a useful "Hack" for 
	highlighting a particular depth you wish to fish.  Traditionally you would use such a safety depth to highlight shallow areas to avoid running aground with 
	your boat motor.  Fishing from a canoe, the safety depth is less useful, except	in rough conditions.  Unfortunately, Navico has not enabled true custom depth
	shading on lower end units, so in such cases one is left with using the few depth palettes made available. On the NOS units, you also have the option of 
	reducing the chart detail if you find the 1 foot contours make viewing the map too difficult to read clearly. 
	
	  
Updates

	I have named this initial version of the map V25-1.  If I do any updates this year, I plan to name them 25-2, 25-3, Etc.  Any updates next year would be 
	26-X...  I am open to reviews or suggestions on future map updates, though improvements or features would be limited by hardware and software capabilities.


 	

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