Every Lake
Lake Aloha
A reservoir behind a dam, drained each winter to bare granite, refilled every summer in the Sierra.
- 9 ft · first step
- 19 ft
- 28 ft
- 37 ft
- 47 ft
- 56 ft · bottom
About Lake Aloha
Lake Aloha sits in the Desolation Wilderness of the Sierra Nevada, in El Dorado County, California, below Pyramid Peak and Mount Price. The lake occupies a glacially scoured granite basin and was enlarged by a dam built by the El Dorado Irrigation District to store water for downstream irrigation and power. Each fall the reservoir is drawn down for the winter, exposing a rock-strewn basin dotted with small islands; it fills again with snowmelt by early summer. The Pacific Crest Trail runs along its western shore, one of the most heavily used sections of trail in Desolation Wilderness.
Access is on foot only, typically from the Echo Lake trailhead near South Lake Tahoe, a hike of several miles into wilderness with no road to the shore. The lake draws backpackers, day hikers, and anglers who fish for trout in its waters, with camping allowed under a wilderness permit. Its basin spreads across roughly 633 acres with about six miles of irregular, island-broken shoreline, though it is shallow for its size, with a modeled maximum depth near 56 feet. The surrounding granite peaks and lack of road access keep visitor numbers well below nearby Lake Tahoe.
- 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.
Lake Aloha depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Aloha depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 9 ft, 19 ft, 28 ft, 37 ft, 47 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 56 ft. The lake covers about 1.0 square miles. The shape of the bottom is the real one from published soundings, so anglers recognise their drop-offs and points.
A Lake Aloha 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 Lake Aloha 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 Lake Aloha.
Lake Aloha 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 Lake Aloha; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Aloha 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 56 ft
- 1.0 square miles of water
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
