Every Lake
Little Seneca Lake
Built in 1985 as Washington's backup water supply when the Potomac runs low
- 8 ft · first step
- 16 ft
- 25 ft
- 33 ft
- 41 ft
- 49 ft · bottom
About Little Seneca Lake
Little Seneca Lake formed in 1985 when the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission dammed Little Seneca Creek in Montgomery County, Maryland. The reservoir sits inside Black Hill Regional Park, between the towns of Boyds and Germantown, about 25 miles northwest of Washington, D.C. It was built as an emergency water source, storing water that can be released into the Potomac River during drought to keep downstream intake plants running for the D.C. metro area.
Montgomery Parks manages the surrounding land, with trails, a visitor center, and boat launches along the shoreline. Only electric motors are allowed on the water, which keeps it popular with anglers working the coves for largemouth bass, and with paddlers in canoes and kayaks. Most visitors come from the nearby suburbs of Boyds, Germantown, and Clarksburg, drawn by the park's trail network as much as the water itself.
- 2 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 92 roads engraved around the shore, 8 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.
Little Seneca Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Little Seneca Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 8 ft, 16 ft, 25 ft, 33 ft, 41 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 49 ft. The lake covers about 0.7 square miles, and 92 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 Little Seneca 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 Little Seneca 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 Little Seneca Lake.
Little Seneca 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 Little Seneca Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Little Seneca 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 49 ft
- 0.7 square miles of water
- 92 shore roads engraved, 8 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
