Every Lake
Lake Manatee
A reservoir on the Manatee River, built to supply drinking water to two counties.
- 53 ft · first step
- 106 ft
- 160 ft
- 213 ft
- 266 ft
- 320 ft · bottom
About Lake Manatee
Lake Manatee is not a natural lake but a reservoir, formed by damming the Manatee River in Manatee County, Florida. It was built as a water-supply source, and it still functions that way today, feeding treatment plants that serve Manatee and Sarasota counties. Lake Manatee State Park sits on its southern shore, and the upper end of the lake stays undeveloped, bordered by pine flatwoods rather than houses or docks.
Because the lake exists to supply drinking water, recreation on it is limited by design: much of the surface carries a no-wake restriction, and gas motors are restricted in parts of the reservoir. Anglers fish it for largemouth bass, launching from the state park ramp off State Road 64 east of Bradenton. The western end, near the dam, sits closest to town; the eastern arm toward Duette stays rural, fed by smaller creeks draining into the Manatee River basin.
- 2 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 115 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 Manatee depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Manatee depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 53 ft, 106 ft, 160 ft, 213 ft, 266 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 320 ft. The lake covers about 2.0 square miles, and 115 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 Manatee 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 Manatee 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 Manatee.
Lake Manatee 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 Manatee; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Manatee 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 320 ft
- 2.0 square miles of water
- 115 shore roads engraved, 4 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
