Renata Sokolova

Fish in a lake bite hardest in low light, so the best time of day to fish a lake runs from about 30 minutes before sunrise to an hour after it, with the last hour before sunset a close second. Those two windows are short, and that is exactly the problem: if you spend the … Read more

What depth to fish for bass in summer? On most U.S. lakes the answer is 10 to 20 feet, and on the deepest reservoirs it stretches to 25 to 35 feet. That range tracks the thermocline, the layer where warm surface water gives way to cold water below. Fish usually hold a foot or two … Read more

A lake map for fishing is a bathymetric chart, and the whole thing works on one idea: each contour line connects points of equal depth, so the distance between lines tells you how fast the bottom rises or drops. Learn that one skill and a map stops being a pretty picture and turns into a … Read more

The fastest way to find fishing spots on a new lake is to read a depth chart before you leave the driveway, mark every place where shallow water meets deep, and then test two or three of those spots instead of covering the whole lake. Points, drop-offs, creek channels, weed edges and man-made cover hold … Read more