Every Lake
Lake Apopka
In 1947, a hurricane ended Lake Apopka's run as Florida's top bass lake.
- 3 ft · first step
- 6 ft
- 9 ft
- 11 ft
- 14 ft
- 17 ft · bottom
About Lake Apopka
Lake Apopka sits at the head of the Harris Chain of Lakes in central Florida, its south shore touching Winter Garden, Oakland, and Montverde, its north shore bordered by the old farming settlement of Zellwood. At roughly 30,470 acres it ranks as one of the largest lakes wholly inside Florida, though it stays shallow throughout, reaching only about seventeen feet at its deepest. Through the 1930s and into the 1940s it was marketed nationally as a bass-fishing destination, with fishing camps lining the shoreline and tournament anglers arriving by train from out of state.
A 1947 hurricane stirred the lake bottom and triggered an algae bloom that never fully cleared, ending Apopka's run as a fishing destination. Farmers had already drained wetland along the north shore into muck farms growing corn and vegetables, and for decades pumped nutrient-heavy water back into the lake, adding to the decline. Starting in the 1990s, the state of Florida began buying out those farms, converting the former farmland into the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive and North Shore restoration area, now used by birdwatchers and cyclists from Orange and Lake counties.
- 18 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 2,630 roads engraved around the shore, 4 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 Apopka depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Apopka depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 3 ft, 6 ft, 9 ft, 11 ft, 14 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 17 ft. The lake covers about 48.0 square miles, and 2630 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 Apopka 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 Apopka 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 Apopka.
Lake Apopka 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 Apopka; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Apopka 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 17 ft
- 48.0 square miles of water
- 2630 shore roads engraved, 4 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
