Every Lake
Pyramid Lake
A pyramid-shaped rock stood on Piru Creek until Pyramid Dam flooded the canyon in 1973.
- 16 ft · first step
- 32 ft
- 49 ft
- 65 ft
- 81 ft
- 97 ft · bottom
About Pyramid Lake
Pyramid Lake sits on Piru Creek in the Angeles National Forest, formed when Pyramid Dam was completed in 1973 as part of the California Aqueduct system. The dam and reservoir are operated by the California Department of Water Resources, storing water moved south through the State Water Project before it continues toward the Los Angeles basin. The lake takes its name from a pyramid-shaped rock formation that rose above the creek bed and was partly submerged once the reservoir filled.
The lake sits along Interstate 5 at the top of the Grapevine grade, making it a stop for drivers crossing between the Central Valley and Los Angeles. It draws boaters, water-skiers, and anglers fishing for trout, striped bass, and catfish, with a marina and campgrounds run through the Forest Service. Its narrow, canyon-bound shape follows the original creek channel rather than a broad natural basin, so the shoreline winds tightly around steep hillsides instead of opening into flat bays.
- 11 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.
Pyramid Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Pyramid Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 16 ft, 32 ft, 49 ft, 65 ft, 81 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 97 ft. The lake covers about 1.8 square miles, and 11 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 Pyramid 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 Pyramid 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 Pyramid Lake.
Pyramid 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 Pyramid Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Pyramid 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 97 ft
- 1.8 square miles of water
- 11 shore roads engraved, 1 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
