Every Lake
Lake Red Rock
89 feet deep where the Des Moines River backs up behind a 1969 dam
- 15 ft · first step
- 29 ft
- 44 ft
- 59 ft
- 74 ft
- 89 ft · bottom
About Lake Red Rock
The Army Corps of Engineers finished Red Rock Dam in 1969, closing off the Des Moines River in Marion County and backing water up past Pella and Runnells. The reservoir was built primarily for flood control, and its pool level swings more than most lakes in the state depending on how much rain the watershed has taken that season. At full capacity it becomes Iowa's largest lake by surface area, though the shoreline reshapes itself year to year as the Corps manages outflow through the dam.
Pella, settled by Dutch immigrants in 1847, sits near the lake's eastern arm and still runs its tulip festival every spring. Anglers work the lake for walleye and saugeye, species the Iowa DNR has stocked into the reservoir since it filled, and the long, flooded river channel gives the lake a narrow, winding shape rather than a round basin. Des Moines sits about 40 miles northwest, close enough that weekend boat traffic out of the metro is a regular presence on the water.
- 4 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 368 roads engraved around the shore, 18 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 Red Rock depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Red Rock depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 15 ft, 29 ft, 44 ft, 59 ft, 74 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 89 ft. The lake covers about 23.5 square miles, and 368 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 Red Rock 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 Red Rock 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 Red Rock.
Lake Red Rock 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 Red Rock; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Red Rock 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 89 ft
- 23.5 square miles of water
- 368 shore roads engraved, 18 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
