Every Lake
Roosevelt Lake
Formed in 1911 when Roosevelt Dam closed the Salt River east of Mesa.
- 14 ft · first step
- 27 ft
- 41 ft
- 55 ft
- 69 ft
- 82 ft · bottom
About Roosevelt Lake
Roosevelt Lake formed when Theodore Roosevelt Dam closed the Salt River in 1911, backing up water east of Phoenix in Gila County. President Theodore Roosevelt himself dedicated the dam that year, and at the time it was the tallest masonry dam in the world. The dam was raised and reinforced in the 1990s, which enlarged the reservoir and set its current shoreline. The lake sits inside Tonto National Forest, ringed by saguaro-studded desert hills rather than pine forest.
The lake is the largest reservoir contained entirely within Arizona and a major supplier of irrigation and drinking water to the Phoenix metro area. It draws bass anglers year-round, with tournament weigh-ins held regularly out of marinas at the lake's south end, plus houseboaters and campers from Phoenix, Mesa, and Globe. Highway 188 runs along its shore, and the Apache Trail approaches from the west through the Superstition Mountains. Water levels swing widely with Salt River snowmelt and monsoon runoff, exposing wide bathtub rings in dry years.
- 2 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 85 roads engraved around the shore, 2 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.
Roosevelt Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Roosevelt Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 14 ft, 27 ft, 41 ft, 55 ft, 69 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 82 ft. The lake covers about 16.1 square miles, and 85 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 Roosevelt 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 Roosevelt 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 Roosevelt Lake.
Roosevelt 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 Roosevelt Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Roosevelt 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 82 ft
- 16.1 square miles of water
- 85 shore roads engraved, 2 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
