Every Lake
Apache Lake
Horse Mesa Dam closed the Salt River in 1927, backing water up 16 miles of desert canyon.
- 13 ft · first step
- 26 ft
- 39 ft
- 52 ft
- 66 ft
- 79 ft · bottom
About Apache Lake
Apache Lake sits along the Salt River east of Mesa, held back by Horse Mesa Dam, which the Salt River Valley Water Users' Association finished in 1927. It was the second of three dams built in that decade to expand hydropower for the growing Phoenix area, after Mormon Flat and before Stewart Mountain. The dam stands 305 feet high and 660 feet long, a concrete thin-arch structure named for the nearby mesa where cattle thieves once hid stolen herds.
The only road along the shore is the Apache Trail, State Route 88, a narrow unpaved route that once carried stagecoaches hauling supplies to the dam builders. The small stop at Tortilla Flat sits about 16 miles west of the lake, and Roosevelt Lake lies upstream. Access has stayed rough enough that the lake draws mostly boaters willing to trailer in for bass and catfish, rather than day-trip crowds passing through on pavement.
- 2 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 9 roads engraved around the shore, 1 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.
Apache Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Apache Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 13 ft, 26 ft, 39 ft, 52 ft, 66 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 79 ft. The lake covers about 3.7 square miles, and 9 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 Apache 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 Apache 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 Apache Lake.
Apache 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 Apache Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Apache 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 79 ft
- 3.7 square miles of water
- 9 shore roads engraved, 1 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
