Not sure if you still need info on this, I have not been online for a while and just saw this post. Back when I was deciding on a chip to buy I labored over the same problem, which chip to get. I was unsure whether to buy the gold or the hotmaps. I ended up getting the hotmaps premium and am very happy with it, the eastern basin does have high definition so you can see a lot. I did contact navionics about the chips and here is his reply, I'm pretty sure my chip shows a us/canada line on it.

Thank you for your inquiry. The HotMaps Premium East provides the U.S. Lake Erie coverage that you see listed in the OH listing. It also provides all of the lakes in the listing. The Gold marine charts are marine charts are for coastal waters and Great Lakes. While the marine charts are designed primarily for navigation, the HotMaps are designed as fishing maps. I have attached screen shots of Lake Erie from both types of charts. The 1XG is the US Gold marine chart, with an M.S.R.P. of $199.00. The PREM-E6 is the HotMaps Premium, with an M.S.R.P. of $149.00. If you need both Canadian & US coverage from the Gold, that chart (2XG) has an M.S.R.P. of $249.00. I hope that you find them helpful.
You do not indicate which GPS plotter that you are using. The plotter and chart must be compatible. There is information available about GPS plotter compatibility on our website, http://www.navionics.com/Default.asp, at the following link: http://www.navionics.com/LakeCompati..._HMPremium.asp.
If you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to ask.


Quote Originally Posted by captainjoe View Post
I contacted Lowrance and asked them the question about the US / Canada boarder vanishing when I zoom in. They stated "Since you are not going to be using this HDS-5 in any Salt Water or Ocean
waters, then you would want to purchase either the Hot Maps Premium or Hot Maps
Platinum. The Premium will provide a detailed 2D map and the Platinum will
provide the 2D plus a 3D map as well"
Is anyone using any of these maps? What do you think? Are you satisfied with them?

Fishon51- The only thing that i heard was the last time the lake didn't freeze the fishing was not good that year. I hope that information is incorrect.