Every Lake
Lake Kentucky
Kentucky Dam closed the Tennessee River in 1944 and backed up 142,018 acres near Paducah.
- 13 ft · first step
- 25 ft
- 38 ft
- 50 ft
- 63 ft
- 75 ft · bottom
About Lake Kentucky
Kentucky Lake was formed when the Tennessee Valley Authority completed Kentucky Dam in 1944, impounding the Tennessee River near its mouth on the Ohio. Construction began in 1938 as part of the broader TVA system of dams built for flood control, hydroelectric power, and river navigation across the Tennessee Valley. The dam sits a few miles from Paducah, Kentucky, and the reservoir it created stretches for miles upstream into western Kentucky and Tennessee.
The town of Gilbertsville sits near the dam, and Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park anchors much of the shoreline recreation. The lake is bordered on its eastern side by Land Between the Lakes, the strip of forested land separating it from neighboring Lake Barkley. Bass tournaments, marinas, and houseboat rentals are common along its shore, and Paducah, at the confluence with the Ohio River, serves as the nearest sizable city for supplies and access.
- 24 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 713 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 Kentucky depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Kentucky depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 13 ft, 25 ft, 38 ft, 50 ft, 63 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 75 ft. The lake covers about 247.6 square miles, and 713 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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky.
Lake Kentucky 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 Kentucky; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Kentucky 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 75 ft
- 247.6 square miles of water
- 713 shore roads engraved
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
