Every Lake
Lake Bullards Bar
A 1969 thin-arch dam on the North Yuba River backs up 37 miles of shoreline.
- 17 ft · first step
- 33 ft
- 50 ft
- 67 ft
- 83 ft
- 100 ft · bottom
About Lake Bullards Bar
New Bullards Bar Reservoir formed in 1969 when the Yuba County Water Agency completed New Bullards Bar Dam on the North Yuba River, a thin-arch dam built primarily for hydropower, flood control, and water supply. The dam impounds water in a steep, forested canyon in the Sierra Nevada foothills, within Tahoe National Forest, upstream of the small communities of Camptonville and Dobbins. At full pool the reservoir covers roughly 3,580 acres with about 37 miles of shoreline, most of it undeveloped granite and conifer slope rather than lakefront housing.
The reservoir is best known among houseboat renters and bass anglers, who work its many forested coves and submerged timber for largemouth and spotted bass. Its water stays cold and clear compared to lower-elevation reservoirs nearby, a byproduct of snowmelt inflow from the North Yuba watershed and limited shoreline development. Seasonal drawdown for water management exposes bands of shoreline by late summer, a visible reminder that the lake operates as working water infrastructure. Access is mostly by a handful of boat ramps and campgrounds rather than through any single lakeside town.
- 2 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 34 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.
Lake Bullards Bar depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Bullards Bar depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 17 ft, 33 ft, 50 ft, 67 ft, 83 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 100 ft. The lake covers about 6.0 square miles, and 34 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 Lake Bullards Bar 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 Bullards Bar 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 Bullards Bar.
Lake Bullards Bar 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 Bullards Bar; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Bullards Bar 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 100 ft
- 6.0 square miles of water
- 34 shore roads engraved, 1 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
