Every Lake
Mitchell Lake
83 miles of shoreline behind Lay Dam, 12 miles from downtown Birmingham
- 14 ft · first step
- 29 ft
- 43 ft
- 58 ft
- 72 ft
- 86 ft · bottom
About Mitchell Lake
Mitchell Lake was formed in 1923 when Alabama Power completed Mitchell Dam on the Coosa River, one of six impoundments the company built on the river in the early 20th century to supply electricity to Birmingham and central Alabama. The dam sits downstream of Lay Lake and upstream of Jordan Lake, part of a chain of reservoirs that turned a free-flowing river into a series of connected lakes. It remains an active hydroelectric facility today.
The lake runs through Chilton, Coosa, and Elmore counties, with the town of Verbena and rural stretches of county road frontage along its banks rather than dense development. It draws bass anglers working its creek arms and rocky points, along with boaters and campers using the Alabama Power public access areas along the shoreline. Its narrow, winding channel follows the old riverbed more closely than the broader lakes upstream, giving it long fingers of water reaching into the surrounding hill country.
- 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.
Mitchell Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Mitchell Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 14 ft, 29 ft, 43 ft, 58 ft, 72 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 86 ft. The lake covers about 13.6 square miles. The shape of the bottom is the real one from published soundings, so anglers recognise their drop-offs and points.
A Mitchell 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 Mitchell 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 Mitchell Lake.
Mitchell 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 Mitchell Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Mitchell 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 86 ft
- 13.6 square miles of water
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
