Every Lake
Geist Reservoir
An Indianapolis water-supply reservoir that flooded a small German farm town in 1943.
- 8 ft · first step
- 17 ft
- 25 ft
- 34 ft
- 42 ft
- 51 ft · bottom
About Geist Reservoir
Geist Reservoir was built by the Indianapolis Water Company, damming Fall Creek northeast of downtown Indianapolis in 1943 to secure the growing city's drinking supply, a project that flooded the small settlement of Germantown and forced its residents to relocate. The reservoir covers about 1,900 acres across Marion, Hamilton and Hancock counties and is mostly shallow, only about 10 feet deep outside the 48-foot hole near the dam. Once purely a utility lake, it now carries heavy residential development along its shore in the Fishers and Indianapolis suburbs, along with water skiing and fishing traffic.
- 4 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 1,335 roads engraved around the shore, 16 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.
Geist Reservoir depth chart, in wood
This is a Geist Reservoir depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 8 ft, 17 ft, 25 ft, 34 ft, 42 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 51 ft. The lake covers about 2.4 square miles, and 1335 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 Geist Reservoir 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 Geist Reservoir 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 Geist Reservoir.
Geist Reservoir 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 Geist Reservoir; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Geist Reservoir 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 51 ft
- 2.4 square miles of water
- 1335 shore roads engraved, 16 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
