Every Lake
Lake Barkley
The Army Corps closed the gates on the Cumberland River in 1966 and made 259 miles of shoreline.
- 21 ft · first step
- 42 ft
- 64 ft
- 85 ft
- 106 ft
- 128 ft · bottom
About Lake Barkley
Lake Barkley formed when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finished Barkley Dam on the Cumberland River in 1966, backing water up through western Kentucky into Tennessee. It runs parallel to Kentucky Lake, separated by a narrow strip of land known as Land Between the Lakes, and the two reservoirs are connected by a canal near Grand Rivers. The dam sits close to where the Cumberland meets the Ohio River, not far from Paducah.
Towns like Cadiz, Kuttawa, and Grand Rivers grew up around marinas and campgrounds on its shoreline, and the lake draws anglers after crappie, largemouth bass, and catfish. Barkley Lodge and the surrounding state resort park anchor much of the tourism on the Kentucky side. The reservoir covers roughly 63,000 acres with about 259 miles of shoreline, giving it a long, branching shape that follows the old river channel and its feeder creeks rather than a single open basin.
- 24 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 322 roads engraved around the shore, 0 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 Barkley depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Barkley depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 21 ft, 42 ft, 64 ft, 85 ft, 106 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 128 ft. The lake covers about 110.3 square miles, and 322 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 Barkley 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 Barkley 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 Barkley.
Lake Barkley 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 Barkley; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Barkley 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 128 ft
- 110.3 square miles of water
- 322 shore roads engraved
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
