Every Lake
Lake James
Sixteen miles of shoreline carved by a retreating glacier, next door to Pokagon State Park.
- 10 ft · first step
- 20 ft
- 30 ft
- 41 ft
- 51 ft
- 61 ft · bottom
About Lake James
Lake James sits in Steuben County, Indiana, just outside Angola, formed by the retreat of glacial ice at the end of the last ice age. It borders Pokagon State Park, one of Indiana's oldest state parks, and its basin is part of the wider Angola lake district that draws visitors from across the Midwest and neighboring southern Michigan. The lake's edges are mostly private cottages and year-round homes, with public access through the state park boat launch.
The lake covers roughly 1,357 acres, with about 16 miles of shoreline shaped by several connected bays and points rather than a single open basin. It's used for pontooning, water skiing, and ice fishing in winter, and Pokagon's toboggan run draws sledders to its shore every season the lake freezes. Families who've held cottages here for generations mix with newer weekenders from Fort Wayne and southern Michigan.
- 4 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 280 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.
Lake James depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake James depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 10 ft, 20 ft, 30 ft, 41 ft, 51 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 61 ft. The lake covers about 2.3 square miles, and 280 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 James 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 James 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 James.
Lake James 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 James; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake James 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 61 ft
- 2.3 square miles of water
- 280 shore roads engraved, 6 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
