underwater terrain vs above water terrain

[Tim Barrett]

Any way to identify the underwater terrain by what you see above water on shore?

IE. hills, cliffs, valleys, ETC.

Just wondering what type of above water landmarks are used loch style to find fish.

[Aaron Laing]

Most land forms will carry into a lake situation--i.e. a cliff will usually stretch far below the waterline, a ridge or point of land jutting out from shore will usually carry on far out into the water, a creek will create a channel and build up deposits of sand, rock and debris at the mouth. It's all pretty standard stuff. Look at a few bathymetric charts and compare them with topographic maps of the surrounding countryside--it will give you an idea about how to read corresponding features.

Aaron

[Tim Barrett]

Thanks Aaron for the info.

[Chris Puchniak]

Definitely as Aaron says, gentle slopes on land usually translate into gentle (productive) shoals underwater.  

The type of surrounding land will also tell you (or provide an indicator) as to the richness of the water, and the probable aquatic insects in the area (you can often tell pretty quick if the water is going to have gammarus, or if it is too acidic for them....), as the make up of the water depends heavily upon the nutrients it gets from the surrounding lands.

Land structures too will often create fairly (I use this word loosely) predictable wind patterns, which in turn will influence where you set up your drift, and how fish will move in the lake.

I think it all influences what one does loch style fishing.