Mark Strand is out on a Minneapolis Metro Lake demonstrating how to read and interpret lake contours and maps to help focus on productive water. Depending on how close the contours are together, determines how quickly the drop-off is. The closer the contours are, the faster the drop, more spread out contours means it is a gradual drop in depth. If you have really wide separated contours, that could indicate a flat. Flats are excellent target areas, as fish move around the flats in search of prey. Learning to understand and read lake maps and contours is critical if you want to be the most effective when out on the water.