Every Lake
Patoka Lake
A 1979 Army Corps dam on the Patoka River turned into Indiana's second-largest lake.
- 16 ft · first step
- 33 ft
- 49 ft
- 66 ft
- 82 ft
- 99 ft · bottom
About Patoka Lake
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the dam on the Patoka River through the 1960s and 1970s, and the reservoir filled by 1979. It was authorized under flood control legislation to manage downstream flooding on the Patoka and Wabash rivers and to supply water to nearby communities. At roughly 8,100 acres, it became one of the largest lakes in Indiana, ranking behind only Monroe Lake in size. The surrounding land was set aside as Patoka Lake State Recreation Area, managed jointly with the Corps of Engineers.
The lake sits in Dubois and Orange counties in southern Indiana, near the towns of Birdseye, Dubois, and French Lick. It draws boaters, anglers, and campers from across the region, with marinas, rental cabins, and state park campgrounds spaced along its shoreline. The lake's outline follows the flooded valley of the Patoka River and its feeder creeks, giving it a branching, narrow-armed shape rather than one open basin. Its shoreline runs close to 100 miles, long for its surface area, a direct result of that inlet-heavy, river-valley form.
- 8 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 320 roads engraved around the shore, 2 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.
Patoka Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Patoka Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 16 ft, 33 ft, 49 ft, 66 ft, 82 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 99 ft. The lake covers about 13.8 square miles, and 320 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 Patoka 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 Patoka 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 Patoka Lake.
Patoka 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 Patoka Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Patoka 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 99 ft
- 13.8 square miles of water
- 320 shore roads engraved, 2 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
