Every Lake
Bartlett Lake
Held back by a 1939 dam on the Verde River, 17 miles of desert shoreline outside Phoenix.
- 12 ft · first step
- 25 ft
- 37 ft
- 49 ft
- 62 ft
- 74 ft · bottom
About Bartlett Lake
Bartlett Lake formed when Bartlett Dam was completed on the Verde River in 1939, part of the Salt River Project's system of reservoirs serving the Phoenix area. The dam sits inside Tonto National Forest, roughly 48 miles northeast of Scottsdale, reached by a stretch of unpaved forest road. As a working reservoir, its level has swung with drought and water demand over the decades, at times dropping far enough to expose old streambeds and rock outcrops normally under water.
The lake draws boaters and anglers up from the Phoenix metro area on weekends, with largemouth and smallmouth bass the main draw for local fishing tournaments. Houseboats and pontoons anchor in rocky coves along the shoreline, which runs roughly 17 miles around the reservoir. Saguaro cactus cover the surrounding hills instead of pine, marking this as a desert lake rather than a mountain one, with Maricopa County's dry, open terrain running right down to the water.
- 17 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.
Bartlett Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Bartlett Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 12 ft, 25 ft, 37 ft, 49 ft, 62 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 74 ft. The lake covers about 1.9 square miles, and 17 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 Bartlett 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 Bartlett 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 Bartlett Lake.
Bartlett 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 Bartlett Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Bartlett 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 74 ft
- 1.9 square miles of water
- 17 shore roads engraved
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
