Every Lake
Lake Henshaw
Impounded in 1923 on the San Luis Rey River, above Warner Springs in San Diego County.
- 11 ft · first step
- 22 ft
- 33 ft
- 44 ft
- 55 ft
- 66 ft · bottom
About Lake Henshaw
Lake Henshaw sits behind Henshaw Dam on the San Luis Rey River, in the high valley near Warner Springs in northern San Diego County. The dam was completed in 1923, backing up water for irrigation downstream toward Vista and Escondido. Vista Irrigation District has owned and operated the reservoir since 1946. The surrounding land belongs to the Mesa Grande and Warner Springs area, ranching country at roughly 2,700 feet elevation, bordered by the Cleveland National Forest and the Los Coyotes and Mesa Grande reservations.
The lake has drawn anglers from San Diego for decades, stocked over the years with largemouth bass, catfish, and crappie, with fishing access run through a lakeside store and campground. Water levels swing with drought and rainfall, and the lake has gone dry more than once, most recently in the mid-2010s before refilling. Cattle ranches and small settlements ring the shoreline rather than towns, and Highway 76 runs along its northern edge connecting Warner Springs to Santa Ysabel and Julian.
- 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 Henshaw depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Henshaw depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 11 ft, 22 ft, 33 ft, 44 ft, 55 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 66 ft. The lake covers about 1.6 square miles. The shape of the bottom is the real one from published soundings, so anglers recognise their drop-offs and points.
A Lake Henshaw 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 Henshaw 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 Henshaw.
Lake Henshaw 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 Henshaw; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Henshaw 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 66 ft
- 1.6 square miles of water
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
