Every Lake
Rathbun Lake
90 miles of shoreline on a river the Army Corps dammed in 1970
- 13 ft · first step
- 25 ft
- 38 ft
- 51 ft
- 64 ft
- 76 ft · bottom
About Rathbun Lake
Rathbun Lake sits on the Chariton River in Appanoose County, Iowa, formed when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed Rathbun Dam in 1970. The reservoir was built for flood control and water supply, and it remains the largest lake by volume in the state. Its basin covers roughly 12,500 acres, with a shoreline that winds for about 90 miles through low hills and river-bottom farmland southeast of Ottumwa.
The lake is known for walleye, catfish, and crappie, and it hosts the Rathbun Fish Hatchery, the largest state-run hatchery in Iowa. Small towns like Moravia and Centerville sit along its edges, and the surrounding area draws anglers, campers, and boaters from across southern Iowa. Because it was built rather than glacially carved, its arms and coves follow the old Chariton River valley and its tributary creeks rather than a single open basin.
- 10 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 424 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.
Rathbun Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Rathbun Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 13 ft, 25 ft, 38 ft, 51 ft, 64 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 76 ft. The lake covers about 20.7 square miles, and 424 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 Rathbun 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 Rathbun 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 Rathbun Lake.
Rathbun 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 Rathbun Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Rathbun 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 76 ft
- 20.7 square miles of water
- 424 shore roads engraved, 18 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
