Every Lake
Lake Shafer
A hydroelectric reservoir on the Tippecanoe River, with an amusement park on its shore since 1926.
- 6 ft · first step
- 12 ft
- 19 ft
- 25 ft
- 31 ft
- 37 ft · bottom
About Lake Shafer
Lake Shafer is a reservoir on the Tippecanoe River in White County, Indiana, created when the Norway Dam was built north of Monticello in the early 1920s to generate hydroelectric power. A second dam downstream at Oakdale backed up the same river into the adjoining Lake Freeman, giving the Tippecanoe two connected reservoirs a few miles apart. Monticello sits on the southern end of Lake Shafer and has served as the lake's main town since the dam went in.
Indiana Beach, an amusement park and resort, opened on the Monticello shore of Lake Shafer in 1926 and has drawn visitors to the lake for generations, pairing midway rides with a boardwalk on the water. Away from the park, the lake carries steady boat and pontoon traffic through the summer, with lakefront cottages and docks lining much of its shoreline. Its narrow, winding shape follows the original river channel more closely than a natural lake basin would.
- 6 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 316 roads engraved around the shore, 13 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 Shafer depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Shafer depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 6 ft, 12 ft, 19 ft, 25 ft, 31 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 37 ft. The lake covers about 1.3 square miles, and 316 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 Shafer 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 Shafer 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 Shafer.
Lake Shafer 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 Shafer; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Shafer 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 37 ft
- 1.3 square miles of water
- 316 shore roads engraved, 13 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
