Until today I thought I had an accurate depth map of my Grandmas lake.  Turns out there are two lakes with the same name and similar shape.  ;D  Its okay though, the water is clear enough to see at least 10 or  more feet down, but Im wondering how deep it really gets in parts.

Its a small lake so we just have a simple rowboat with a trolling motor on it, no depth finder for me  I do have a large orange weight (well, in comparison to other weights) that looks like it clips onto a line.  I didnt buy it, I found it in my dads tacklebox and I doubt he knows how to use it- So how do I use it?

Also- Since its supposodly a deep lake Im going to try dropshotting- since I have no fish finder how high should I place the hook?  Should I go with 18-24 inches like some guides suggest?  Or go higher?  One last question- Would a northern strike a dropshot rigged plastic  like a bass would?  If so is there a way I can rig it with a wire leader?

The best way to do it out of a row boat is to ask whoever is in front to look over the bow Then shake the boat as your helping him back in ask him if he can touch bottom

                             

The best way to do it out of a row boat is to ask whoever is in front to look over the bow Then shake the boat as your helping him back in ask him if he can touch bottom

                                 

Its much deeper than that.  Its anywhere from an inch to about five feet deep extending out about 30 ft from the shoreline and then drops off really quick- Which I can see easily- its a very clear lake.  The name of the lake is "Little Deep".  Its little, and it is deep  

I  would take a weight or anchor and it in several places around the lake and just measure by the length of rope how deep it is, it may take a while but it will give you at least a ballpark estimate.

you can also get a pretty basic D/F for around a $100 or less.  I won't be much for detail but it will at least give you and idea about depth.

Hey for real I fish the same way (rowboat/trolling motor) I bouight a fish eagle depthfinder for 79 bucks from cabelas> I dont know how to find fish with it but it does show depth,kind of bottom and water temp pretty clearly and eaisly

Sometimes I tie a heavy bell sinker to the line off of a 6 foot rod.  drop the sinker over the side.  With a 1 oz. or heavier sinker, it will drop fast and you will have no doubt when it hits bottom.  I then retrieve the line by holding the rod straight up and marking the spot on the line where it touches the bottom of the rod.   then I reel up the line till the spot I marked is at the rod tip, and mark the new spot at the bottom of the rod.  continue untill all the line is retrieved.  It's very accurate, and can be done pretty quickly.

Just get yourself some rope and tie knots in it one foot apart. Put a weight on the end and presto, you have a poor mans depth finder.

Hey I use something similar to avid when I fish a new pond A former GF gave me the idea of tying different color yarn each  foot and I did that makes it eaisier

Sometimes I tie a heavy bell sinker to the line off of a 6 foot rod. drop the sinker over the side. With a 1 oz. or heavier sinker, it will drop fast and you will have no doubt when it hits bottom. I then retrieve the line by holding the rod straight up and marking the spot on the line where it touches the bottom of the rod. then I reel up the line till the spot I marked is at the rod tip, and mark the new spot at the bottom of the rod. continue untill all the line is retrieved. It's very accurate, and can be done pretty quickly.

Clever!  What a great idea - thanks for the tip!

You might go out and take some soundings like suggested just to satisfy your curiosity, but I don't see much use for that information concerning fishing. You put hook where fish are biting. If a drop shot it really wouldn't matter how high the hook is above the sinker if by lowering it a few feet at a time you locate biting fish before reaching bottom.  Then if you want the sinker on bottom adjust the hook to sit at the biting depth, but that might require setting the hook 20 feet above sinker  With a drop shot you mostly want a taut line fished vertically right in the face of the fish or on a sloped line with sinker anchoring it, or penduluming back to you in an ever deepening arc. That's a drop shot technique catching on here, a way to sample many depth ranges on a cast until you determine the biting depth by counting the sinker down.

Jim