When I recently got my new HB 787c2i Combo NVB I was thrilled to see that the Navionics maps had boat lanes shown on the GPS lake maps.

We were moving along on Lake Conroe, just south of the 1375 bridge, running in a boat lane on the GPS map when we started seeing stumps and backed it down quickly. Luckily we didn't hit any at speed, but it was a major disappointment to see that the boat lanes on the map can't be trusted. We were clearly in the boat lane on the GPS, but were surrounded by stumps both above and below the water surface. Lake level was normal pool. There didn't appear to be an actual cleared boat lane anywhere around us so it wasn't that the GPS was a little off or that it was overzoomed.

I was really looking forward to using this feature on Livingston, Sam Rayburn, and Toledo Bend. What have others experienced with the boat lanes shown on Navionics maps?

The ones on Fork are right on.

They are accurate, but by the time your screen has updated your position, your boat has moved. The higher the speed you are travelling, the more inaccurate they become.

Do you guys feel the Hot Maps version boat lanes are accurate?

i have the 08 navionics chip and i'm fishing fork tomorrow for only the 2nd time. so they are marked on my chip?

I shut the outboard off, and fished with the trolling motor, in the stumps, in the mapped boat lane. It didn't have anything to do with speed. This was with the Navionics HotMaps Lake Maps.

your unit has the 2006 version software inside it. those boat lanes may have been moved, or edited since then on Conroe( i am not familiar with that lake, never been there). each year thourgh staff product forms, the staff sends any discrepencies they find. if you want, you can send the areas to me and I will check to see if they have been edited in the newer versions of maps.

on FORK- yes, the lanes are marked.I ran a few of them last time I was there. you still cant rely on GPS 100%, as there may be variables involved in each seperate unit. You still need to use you eyes, and judgement when running through forests I have ran a few on Fork and was very impressed with the accuracy.

I have a Navionics chip also and it is around year 2000. I know that I can't rely on it on Sam Rayburn for the short cut between Jackson Hill and the deer stand. I have run that area of the boat lane only when the lake was above pool and I was questioning the accuracy. After the water went down I noticed that I was far away from the short cut and running over the stumps on the north side of the cut. Like they say, do not use for navigation purposes. The best thing to do is use it for a general location and then track and save for future uses.

I just got the navionics 2008 chip yesterday. I know Conroe real well. Have run to the 1374 bridge many, many times. I will let you know what i think about it's boat lanes after i am on the lake tomorrow.

I would recommend you ride with someone that knows the lake. South of 1097 bridge there isn't much to worry about.

same here, i live on the north end of conroe and know it well. i'm about to get a navionics chip and will see how accurate it is. but if you don't know the north end of conroe, be careful until you get a feel for it.

My navionics 07 chip works on the north end of conroe just perfect.... But on the shortcut for Rayburn from Jackson Hill to the deer stand I have to stay to the right of the trail on the map but the angle is perfect. The boat lane is wrong but alignment is good. I wonder if the GPS unit it self has a calibration factor...

Just a thought....

Sorry did not go north today and did not think just to look at to see how it matches up in regards to how we run the north end. From where I was today it's pretty good on all the detail but not great. For instance there are several pond dams that aren't on the chip. It sure is a big help locating those spots I haven't been on for years. With about 6 years or so of not much bass fishing my old line up points are pretty rusty. Things that used to take me a minute to get on now take a while with out GPS. Overall I would say its well worth the $150 for the 2008 chip.

New product to solve this problem on Lake Fork
check out www.boatlanes.com

Please tell me Blue Hole is not mapped on it Fishspanker.

It doesn't have named holes but it's probably on there. I do not know blue hole. Likely I know where it is but we call it something else. Go ahead and PM me the coordinates and I will let you know....lol.

There aren't any secrets on Conroe. If it looks good on a depth finder a lot of people know about it. It's all about the right place at the right time. Those side imagining units are even making this more true. One thing nice about those wrapped boats you can spot them a mile away.