Every Lake
Wilson Reservoir
A Saline River dam finished in 1964 backs up water clear enough to see 20 feet down.
- 17 ft · first step
- 34 ft
- 52 ft
- 69 ft
- 86 ft
- 103 ft · bottom
About Wilson Reservoir
The Army Corps of Engineers dammed the Saline River in Russell County, Kansas, completing the project in 1964 for flood control and municipal water supply. The reservoir filled in the years after, covering land in the Smoky Hills region between the small towns of Wilson and Sylvan Grove. Both towns kept their names on the map, and Wilson still holds an annual Czech festival tied to the area's 19th-century settlers, even as the lake became the bigger draw for people passing through on Interstate 70.
The Ninnescah Sailing Center on the west shore hosts regattas that bring sailors in from outside the state, a rarity for a landlocked reservoir this far into Kansas. Anglers come for walleye and striped bass; both a state-record walleye and a state-record striper have been pulled from these waters. On the north shore, Dakota sandstone pillars in the Rocktown Natural Area rise 15 to 30 feet above the shoreline, a formation left over from the same rock that caps the ridges across the surrounding hills.
- 97 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.
Wilson Reservoir depth chart, in wood
This is a Wilson Reservoir depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 17 ft, 34 ft, 52 ft, 69 ft, 86 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 103 ft. The lake covers about 13.9 square miles, and 97 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 Wilson 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 Wilson 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 Wilson Reservoir.
Wilson 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 Wilson Reservoir; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Wilson 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 103 ft
- 13.9 square miles of water
- 97 shore roads engraved, 13 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
