The Lakemaster and Lakemaster Premium are two of the most popular map cards for providing detailed lake maps to get targeted fish species and fishing information to make all of your fishing trips more productive. In short, Lakemaster is a basic version of the map card, while Lakemaster Premium is the higher-end version.
Both cards can offer a variety of features to help you find the best fishing spots; however, Lakemaster Premium offers more detailed and accurate maps, an adjustable range of advanced view options, and several additional features such as water depth contours, road networks, and satellite images.
Let’s take a closer look at the two map cards and what they can offer to see which one might better suit your unique needs when you head out onto the lake for your next fishing trip.
What Happened to the LakeMaster and LakeMaster Plus Mapping Cards?
The Lakemaster and Lakemaster Plus mapping cards were originally created in the late 1990s and were available for over a decade before they were discontinued in 2017.
The discontinuation of both Lakemaster and Lakemaster Plus cards has been met with disappointment from many anglers, as the detailed information provided on the cards was a helpful tool when planning fishing trips and finding the best spots on the lake.
You could find a range of detailed lake mapping information, including contour lines, water’s surface, and other features of the particular lake you were at. Additionally, both mapping cards were available in physical and digital formats, which allowed anglers to access lake mapping information on both their smartphones and mobile devices.
Do LakeMaster and LakeMaster Premium Have Smart Strike?
Smart Strike is a patented mapping system that helps fishermen locate fish and structures more quickly and accurately, and both LakeMaster and LakeMaster Premium do have Smart Strike.
With Smart Strike, you are able to view a highly detailed map of the lake bottom in order to find the best spot to cast your line out. The underwater advanced mapping technology and collective data from more than 5,000 lakes make Smart Strike one of the most up-to-date sources of information around.
See also: LakeMaster vs C-MAP cards and LakeMaster vs Navionics compared and reviewed
LakeMaster vs LakeMaster Premium Compared
Lakemaster and Lakemaster Premium can both offer a wealth of information for anglers of all experience levels, regardless of where they prefer fishing. This chart provides quick and detailed information at a glance to help you determine which Lakemaster version is able to best meet your needs and budget.
| LakeMasterLakeMaster PremiumOld (legacy LakeMaster cards)Number of waterwaysOver 17,000Over 30,000 with enhanced aerial imagery500 – 10,000 depending on the cardNumber of depth ranges16328Color optionsBlack, blue, and greenBlack, blue, green, and redBlack, blue, and greenVX technologyYesYesNoChart presetsYesYesNoSatellite imageryNoYesNo2D shaded reliefNoYes; 2D shaded relief available on Premium cards onlyNoSmartStrikeYes, standardYes, standardOptionalPrice$15 and up$50 and upDiscontinuedCompatibility with fish finder brandsHumminbirdHumminbirdHumminbirdRegionsGreat Lakes (Bass Pro | Amazon) Dakotas + Nebraska (Bass Pro | Amazon) Great Plains (Bass Pro | Amazon) Midsouth States (Bass Pro | Amazon) Minnesota (Bass Pro | Amazon) Northeast (Bass Pro | Amazon) Southeast States (Bass Pro | Amazon) Western States (Bass Pro | Amazon) Mid Atlantic States (Bass Pro | Amazon) Wisconsin (Bass Pro | Amazon) Manitoba (Bass Pro | Amazon) Ontario (Bass Pro | Amazon) Quebec (Bass Pro | Amazon) | Great Lakes (Bass Pro | Amazon) Dakotas + Nebraska (Bass Pro | Amazon) Great Plains (Bass Pro | Amazon) Midsouth States (Bass Pro | Amazon) Minnesota (Bass Pro | Amazon) Northeast (Bass Pro | Amazon) Southeast States (Bass Pro | Amazon) Western States (Bass Pro | Amazon) Mid Atlantic States (Bass Pro | Amazon) Wisconsin (Bass Pro | Amazon) Manitoba (Bass Pro | Amazon) Ontario (Bass Pro | Amazon) Quebec (Bass Pro | Amazon) | Great Lakes Dakotas + Nebraska Great Plains Midsouth States Minnesota Northeast Southeast States Western States Mid Atlantic States Wisconsin Manitoba Ontario Quebec |
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Humminbird LakeMaster Reviewed
Humminbird LakeMaster solidifies its place with features such as high-resolution lake maps with easy-to-read depth contours, lake bottom composition, and vegetation, as well as custom view settings and create your own maps in order to streamline the path on your next fishing trip.
You’ll find a huge collection of more than 17,000 popular lakes and waterways throughout the US and Canada, helping you determine your next best fishing destination. Each of these maps includes high-definition views of depth contours and bottom composition to make casting your line in the right spot much easier.
- High-definition lake maps with depth contours and lake bottom composition
- Contour Elite software to view, customize, and create your own maps
- GPS waypoint management to store, view and navigate to set locations on the lake
Humminbird LakeMaster Premium Reviewed
Humminbird LakeMaster Premium includes a range of features, including multi-depth contours that allow for more detailed views of the bottom structure, vegetation mapping that can help identify weed beds and other areas where trophy fish may hide, and rock pile mapping that can help you find spawning grounds. Further, you can quickly identify fish-holding areas with 2D shaded relief available with the LakeMaster Premium only.
It also offers customizable color palettes in four colors, including black, blue, green, and red, that can be used to customize maps for specific water or weather conditions and fishing preferences, making it easier for you to view and identify key points of interest at a glance.
Additionally, you’ll find the usual set of 17,000 maps from LakeMaster, along with more than 10,000 brand new highly detailed high-definition maps covering various lakes and waterways in the USA and Canada, as well as plenty of detailed aerial satellite imaging to make navigation on the water much easier.
- Includes over 30,000 high-definition lake maps with enhanced aerial imagery
- Provides detailed information about depth highlight, structure, and contours of lakes
- Is compatible with almost all Humminbird fish finders
Can You View Humminbird LakeMaster Maps Online?
While this has been something many anglers have wanted, Humminbird LakeMaster maps cannot be viewed online. Instead, you are required to purchase the maps you need and load them onto a compatible Humminbird fish finder or chartplotter device.
All LakeMaster maps come with software that allows you to view the maps on a home computer or laptop if you want to get a closer or more detailed view in order to create highly accurate waypoints and chartplotting. This also allows printing of the maps in order to keep a physical log of your destination and where you have been.
