I am a fairly new boater and have been reluctant to fish areas of say Ray Roberts due to the submerged timber all over the north end. There are creek channels marked on the navigation maps and many look fairly wide and in theory, easily traveled, if one follows the graph (if it can be trusted).
How did you all venture out in these areas the first time. I would really like to get up into the northern arms of Roberts, but getting there looks daunting for a new boater.

I don't trust them at all. If in doubt, trim up and idle.

+1

Depending on the lake and depending on the particulars of the chip you have I think they can be fairly accurate. That said, even if it was perfectly accurate when the chip was made, things change. I'd never risk my boat or my neck trusting a piece of software.

Do NOT trust those Creek channels or road beds, etc. Those things are off more than they are correct. If there's any doubt just idle. I'm not sure if someone makes a boat lanes chip for Robert's or any other lakes besides fork, rayburn, toledo but that's the only lanes I trust and only trust those to a certain lake level.

That's a hell of a long ways to idle from just about any ramp on the lake..... Guess you create tracks as you explore and just add to them over time.

See if you can get someone that knows the lake to run you up the different arms of the lake as you create tracks on your graph. Then you can make some boat lane waypoints for you next trip.

Thanks Karl!

Even if you make your own trails I still wouldnt trust it. The problem is GPS varies on what and how many satellites you are picking up so at any given time they could be anywhere from 5 to 30 or more feet off.

Does anyone know which of these systems our typical graphs use for their GPS?


GPS SYSTEM ____________________ EXPECTED GPS ACCURACY (METRES)

GPS with S/A activated____________________ �100
GPS without S/A activated____________________ �15
GPS with WAAS____________________ �3
Differential GPS____________________ �5

Everything I have read and the options I see are WAAS.

I wouldn't trust the features marked on maps to run those areas. At RR I spent many hours/days idling the creeks marking trails when the lake was 5'-7' low. Now I can run around several of them but still don't fully trust my trails cause in places like crossing a fence row I know being off by 10' could be trouble. Only easy way would be to hire a guide or get someone experienced to show you around. Or burn some gas and put in the time idling. Only problem with that is making your own trails now at current lake level could prove to be dangerous and unusable when the lake drops a few feet and hidden hazards start showing up.