Every Lake
El Dorado Lake
Built in 1981 by damming the Walnut River east of Wichita, Kansas.
- 13 ft · first step
- 27 ft
- 40 ft
- 54 ft
- 67 ft
- 80 ft · bottom
About El Dorado Lake
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dammed the Walnut River east of El Dorado, Kansas, completing the reservoir in 1981 to control flooding downstream toward Wichita. The lake sits in Butler County, about 30 miles northeast of Wichita, and covers roughly 7,480 acres behind the earthen dam. El Dorado State Park, one of the largest state parks in Kansas, opened along its shoreline soon after, drawing campers and boaters from across the Wichita metro area. The surrounding land had been cattle ranches and wheat fields before the Corps bought it out for the project.
The reservoir's shoreline runs about 48 miles, cut into coves and points where the old Walnut River channel and its tributaries once ran through pasture. Maximum depth reaches about 80 feet near the dam, though most of the lake stays shallower over old cropland and creek bottoms. Sailors from the Wichita area race here regularly, taking advantage of open water and steady prairie wind, and the lake is stocked with walleye and striped bass. Butler County's oil-field towns and Wichita's aircraft workers make up much of the weekend traffic.
- 2 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 87 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.
El Dorado Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a El Dorado Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 13 ft, 27 ft, 40 ft, 54 ft, 67 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 80 ft. The lake covers about 12.2 square miles, and 87 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 El Dorado 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 El Dorado 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 El Dorado Lake.
El Dorado 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 El Dorado Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. El Dorado 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 80 ft
- 12.2 square miles of water
- 87 shore roads engraved, 6 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
