Every Lake
Swan Lake
2,723 acres of Mississippi River bottomland, 20 miles of shoreline, across from St. Charles, Missouri
- 14 ft · first step
- 27 ft
- 41 ft
- 55 ft
- 68 ft
- 82 ft · bottom
About Swan Lake
Swan Lake sits in the Mississippi River floodplain in southwestern Illinois, a backwater lake shaped by the river's seasonal flooding rather than by a dam. Its shallow, braided bottomland lies across the river from St. Charles, Missouri, in a stretch where river towns still run barge traffic and grain elevators along the banks. The lake covers roughly 2,723 acres with about 20 miles of shoreline, much of it timbered flats and sloughs rather than open beach frontage.
Access is mostly by boat through connecting chutes and river channels, and the surrounding bottomland has long drawn waterfowl hunters and fishermen rather than vacationers. Duck blinds, jon boats, and seasonal camps outnumber cottages here, and the lake's water levels rise and fall with the Mississippi itself. Its depth is uneven across the floodplain, with pockets reaching close to 82 feet cut by old river channels, a contrast to the shallow flats that make up most of its acreage.
- 6 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 79 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.
Swan Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Swan Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 14 ft, 27 ft, 41 ft, 55 ft, 68 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 82 ft. The lake covers about 4.4 square miles, and 79 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 Swan 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 Swan 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 Swan Lake.
Swan 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 Swan Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Swan 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 82 ft
- 4.4 square miles of water
- 79 shore roads engraved, 6 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
