Every Lake
Big Bear Lake
Southern California's mountain lake, at 6,750 feet in the San Bernardinos.
- 12 ft · first step
- 24 ft
- 36 ft
- 48 ft
- 60 ft
- 72 ft · bottom
About Big Bear Lake
Big Bear Lake sits in a high valley of the San Bernardino Mountains two hours from Los Angeles, about 7 miles long and 72 feet deep behind a dam first built in 1884 to irrigate Redlands' orange groves. The name comes from the grizzlies that Benjamin Wilson's party found in the valley in 1845.
Big Bear Lake village, Fawnskin on the north shore and the ski areas of Snow Summit and Bear Mountain make it a four-season town; the Solar Observatory sits on a causeway out in the lake because the water calms the air.
- 8 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 670 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.
Big Bear Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Big Bear Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 12 ft, 24 ft, 36 ft, 48 ft, 60 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 72 ft. The lake covers about 4.2 square miles, and 670 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 Big Bear 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 Big Bear 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 Big Bear Lake.
Big Bear 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 Big Bear Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Big Bear 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 72 ft
- 4.2 square miles of water
- 670 shore roads engraved
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
