Every Lake
Tustumena Lake
Alaska's largest Kenai Peninsula lake, fed by a glacier, known for winds that flip boats without warning.
- 123 ft · first step
- 246 ft
- 369 ft
- 492 ft
- 615 ft
- 738 ft · bottom
About Tustumena Lake
Tustumena Lake sits at the edge of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, fed at its western end by meltwater and silt from the Tustumena Glacier. At roughly 73,000 acres it is the largest lake on the peninsula, stretching about 25 miles between the glacier and the outlet that feeds the Kasilof River. Its basin was carved and later dammed by glacial ice, leaving a long, narrow trench bordered by the Kenai Mountains to the south and lower spruce forest to the north.
The lake sits in Dena'ina territory, and the Kasilof drainage below it has long supported sockeye salmon runs that draw both subsistence and sport fishing. A public-use cabin stands near the glacier at the lake's head, but most of the shoreline is roadless, reached only by floatplane or a long boat run from the Kasilof River landing. Tustumena is best known among Alaska boaters for sudden, violent downslope winds called williwaws, which can turn open water dangerous within minutes and have been blamed for multiple fatal capsizings over the decades.
- 1 roads engraved around the shore, 0 of them labeled
- 6 depth layers, each step engraved with its depth in feet
- Compass rose, title block with coordinates, max depth and area; keyhole hanger on the back
Turn it in your hands
Live 3D of the actual cut files — drag to orbit, pinch to zoom. Every road you see is engraved on the real thing.
Viewer not showing? Open it full screen.
Tustumena Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Tustumena Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 123 ft, 246 ft, 369 ft, 492 ft, 615 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 738 ft. The lake covers about 115.3 square miles, and 1 shore roads are engraved around it. The shape of the bottom is the real one from published soundings, so anglers recognise their drop-offs and points.
A Tustumena Lake map for the wall — or a gift
Most of these go to a cabin wall, a lake house entry, or a home office; a lot are gifts — the family that has been on Tustumena Lake for three generations, the retirement move, the first boat. The 12-inch is the desk-and-shelf size; the 24- and 30-inch boards read across a room. Add a line under the title and star your place on the shore, and it becomes the map of your Tustumena Lake.
Tustumena Lake map — the details
How big is the map?
Four sizes: 12, 17, 24 and 30 inches on the long side, from $149. Every size is cut from the same depth data of Tustumena Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Tustumena Lake is cut layer by layer from published bathymetric soundings — each layer of birch is a depth contour, so the shape of the bottom is the real one, not decorative.
Can I add my own place on it?
Yes. At checkout you can add a line under the title (a family name, a cabin name, a year) and star the spot on the shore that matters to you.
How long does it take?
Made to order in Waterford, Pennsylvania and shipped in 7–10 days; shipping is free in the lower 48.
Can you make a lake that isn't listed?
Any lake in the United States — we hold depth data for 104,419 of them. Search for yours; if it isn't built yet we build it when you order.
- 6 depth layers down to 738 ft
- 115.3 square miles of water
- 1 shore roads engraved
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
