Every Lake
Lake Elizabeth
A natural sag pond formed along the San Andreas Fault, near Lake Hughes and Lancaster.
- 3 ft · first step
- 7 ft
- 10 ft
- 13 ft
- 17 ft
- 20 ft · bottom
About Lake Elizabeth
Lake Elizabeth sits in the Angeles National Forest in northern Los Angeles County, near the small community of Lake Hughes and within reach of Lancaster in the Antelope Valley. Unlike most California reservoirs, it was not created by a dam. It occupies a sag pond, a natural depression formed where movement along the San Andreas Fault dropped a section of ground and trapped water in the basin. The fault trace runs directly through the surrounding canyon country.
Because it has no dam controlling its level, the lake has historically risen and fallen with rainfall and drought, at times shrinking well below its fuller extent. It draws local anglers and campers from the surrounding Antelope Valley and northern Los Angeles County communities rather than distant tourists, and sits alongside county park land used for picnicking and day trips off Highway 138. Its shape follows the fault-bounded basin rather than a flooded river valley.
- 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 Elizabeth depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Elizabeth depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 3 ft, 7 ft, 10 ft, 13 ft, 17 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 20 ft. The lake covers about 0.3 square miles. The shape of the bottom is the real one from published soundings, so anglers recognise their drop-offs and points.
A Lake Elizabeth 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 Elizabeth 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 Elizabeth.
Lake Elizabeth 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 Elizabeth; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Elizabeth 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 20 ft
- 0.3 square miles of water
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
