Structure
The shape of the bottom itself: points, humps, channels, ledges and drop-offs. Distinct from cover, which sits on top of it.
Structure is topography. It is what a contour map shows, and it is what organises fish across a whole lake, because fish move along bottom features the way people move along roads. A creek channel running through a flat, a point extending off a bank, an underwater hump: these are the highways and the intersections.
The distinction from cover matters because they are found differently. You find structure with a map and sonar; you find cover with your eyes and by feel.
Big fish relate to structure more than small ones do. Moving from bank fishing to structure fishing is usually the step that changes the average size of what someone catches.
The best structure has cover on it. A rock point is good; a rock point with a brush pile on the end of it is where the fish are. Looking for those overlaps on a map before you leave the house is most of what separates a planned day from a random one.
Look at a contour map before you get to the lake. Points and channel bends near shallow flats are the highest-percentage places to start.
Common questions
What is the difference between structure and cover in fishing?
Structure is the shape of the bottom: points, humps, channels and drop-offs. Cover is the stuff sitting on the bottom: wood, weed, rock and docks. Fish use structure to travel and cover to hide.
Related terms
Where this comes up
The guides that use structure and show it on real gear.
Structure is one of 206 terms in the glossary.
Browse the full fishing glossary