Every Lake
Mystic Lake
A closed basin near Riverside that disappears in dry years and refills after wet winters.
- 8 ft · first step
- 16 ft
- 24 ft
- 32 ft
- 40 ft
- 48 ft · bottom
About Mystic Lake
Mystic Lake sits in the San Jacinto Valley of Riverside County, in a closed basin with no natural outlet to the sea. It is intermittent: the lakebed can stand dry for years, then fill after a heavy winter runs the San Jacinto River and nearby creeks over their banks. Long wet cycles, including El Niño winters, have brought the lake back to a scale that surprises residents of Moreno Valley and Perris, its nearest towns, who sometimes go a decade without seeing open water there.
The basin lies within the San Jacinto Wildlife Area, and when water is present it draws waterfowl and shorebirds migrating the Pacific Flyway, making it a stop for birders working Riverside County checklists. Before flood-control channels and levees reshaped the valley, the lake and its surrounding wetlands were part of the seasonal water system used by the Cahuilla and Soboba people. The lake has no fixed shoreline or reliable boat traffic; its size and presence depend entirely on rainfall in a given year.
- 30 roads engraved around the shore, 3 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.
Mystic Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Mystic Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 8 ft, 16 ft, 24 ft, 32 ft, 40 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 48 ft. The lake covers about 1.7 square miles, and 30 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 Mystic Lake 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 Mystic Lake 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 Mystic Lake.
Mystic Lake 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 Mystic Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Mystic Lake 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 48 ft
- 1.7 square miles of water
- 30 shore roads engraved, 3 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
