Navionics sonar chart question

[midcarolina]

I hope this isn't a silly question but........... I have been studying my local lakes sonar charts, the chart shows area's of the lake bottom that are almost all black.

I'm curious if that indicates a hard ( rock ) bottom or is it simply the contour lines stacked so closely that it appears solid in color when not zoomed in.

[Rees Guide]

Contour line, zoom in and look at em too. We were fishing a tourney on Sardis a couple of years ago and were looking for drop offs, saw some really tite lines in a circle and went to them, it was just the opposite, was a big hump and where we caught our fish for the tourney. With the newer units you can shade certain depths and I do this at like 5 foot deep water, has to be adjusted according to the lake level, for running and then if I am targeting a depth.

[Kirth]

Like this?

[midcarolina]

Kind of like on the first screen shot just to the right of the words lake Minnetonka, I guess thats just showing a rapid depth change? just like the perimeter around the lake?

I was curious cause it's much easier for me on iphone to study the map zoomed out then If I see detail zoom in............Or am I simply over complicating the whole thing?

I've just had too many times in my life when I was sure I knew something............. then find out a looong time later I was doing it all wrong..........LOL

[dfar]

When zoomed out it is like trying to read the fine print from 6 feet away. Like REES said zoom in to read the contours.

[Rees Guide]

I use my phone, my maps on the depth finder and google earth all the time. best thing to do is go find those places on the map in your boat and see how close it is and you will learn what it is trying to tell you. 3 years ago I couldn't imagine using a map on every lake I fish now I cant imagine being without it. Hope by spring I will have access to Naionics (already using), the new LakeMaster card for the South and Lowrance insight. they all show different stuff in different ways, the older Lowrance maps showed you OLD road beds and the old house places before the lake was ever formed, that hard bottom is a game changer some days and its handy to know where it is.

[Kirth]

These where the same areas just zoomed in on the second one

[midcarolina]

Thanks for the replies ........... I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing some vital info..........

I have a Kingfisher paper map of the lake, but imo it could be better...................