Every Lake
Lake Pillsbury
Backed up behind Scott Dam on the Eel River since 1922, still undammed in name only.
- 13 ft · first step
- 25 ft
- 38 ft
- 50 ft
- 63 ft
- 75 ft · bottom
About Lake Pillsbury
Lake Pillsbury formed when the Snow Mountain Water and Power Company completed Scott Dam on the Eel River in 1922, creating a reservoir to store water and generate electricity for the Potter Valley Project downstream. The company later passed to Pacific Gas and Electric, which has operated the dam and diversion system for decades. The lake sits inside Mendocino National Forest, reached by forest roads rather than a state highway, well north of Ukiah.
Campers, boaters, and bass anglers use the lake through the warmer months, with a scatter of small resorts and forest-service campgrounds along the shoreline rather than a built-up lakefront town. Largemouth bass fishing draws much of the traffic, along with waterskiing and general camping in the surrounding pine and oak forest. In recent years PG&E has moved to surrender its license for the Potter Valley Project, putting the future of Scott Dam and the lake itself under active discussion among regulators, tribes, and local water users.
- 2 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 36 roads engraved around the shore, 2 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 Pillsbury depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Pillsbury depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 13 ft, 25 ft, 38 ft, 50 ft, 63 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 75 ft. The lake covers about 3.0 square miles, and 36 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 Pillsbury 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 Pillsbury 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 Pillsbury.
Lake Pillsbury 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 Pillsbury; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Pillsbury 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 75 ft
- 3.0 square miles of water
- 36 shore roads engraved, 2 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
