Every Lake
Lake Saltonstall
A drinking-water reservoir on the Farm River, fished by permit, never swum in.
- 8 ft · first step
- 15 ft
- 23 ft
- 30 ft
- 38 ft
- 45 ft · bottom
About Lake Saltonstall
Lake Saltonstall sits on the Farm River between East Haven and Branford, Connecticut, just east of New Haven. It was formed by damming the river in the early 1900s to serve as a public water supply, and it remains one today under the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority. Because it doubles as a reservoir, the lake has none of the shoreline development typical of recreational lakes — no houses on the water, no docks, no marinas, just wooded banks and a controlled shoreline managed for water quality.
Public access is limited and permit-based. The Water Authority issues day permits for shore and boat fishing, and anglers come for trout, largemouth bass, and pickerel, working the water from small boats restricted to electric motors. Swimming, wading, and gas engines are prohibited to protect the drinking supply. The result is a working reservoir known locally less for a beach-town identity and more as a quiet fishing spot serving the New Haven and Branford area, open on a schedule rather than year-round.
- 146 roads engraved around the shore, 6 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 Saltonstall depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Saltonstall depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 8 ft, 15 ft, 23 ft, 30 ft, 38 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 45 ft. The lake covers about 0.7 square miles, and 146 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 Saltonstall 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 Saltonstall 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 Saltonstall.
Lake Saltonstall 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 Saltonstall; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Saltonstall 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 45 ft
- 0.7 square miles of water
- 146 shore roads engraved, 6 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
