Every Lake
Graham Lake
A dammed stretch of the Union River, eight miles from Bar Harbor's causeway
- 10 ft · first step
- 20 ft
- 30 ft
- 40 ft
- 50 ft
- 60 ft · bottom
About Graham Lake
Graham Lake formed in 1916 when the Bangor Hydro-Electric Company built a dam on the Union River near Ellsworth, Maine, flooding a chain of smaller ponds and wetlands into a single reservoir. The dam still regulates flow downstream toward Ellsworth Falls, and water levels on the lake are drawn down periodically for hydroelectric operations, which has historically exposed mudflats along parts of the shoreline in late season.
The lake sits inland from Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Island, drawing anglers after smallmouth bass and landlocked salmon, along with paddlers and waterfowl hunters who use the marshy coves at the north end near Aurora and Amherst. Its shoreline is long and irregular relative to its size, shaped by the flooded river valley and the tributary streams that feed it, giving it more inlets and backwaters than a lake of similar acreage typically has.
- 8 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 247 roads engraved around the shore, 2 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.
Graham Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Graham Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 10 ft, 20 ft, 30 ft, 40 ft, 50 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 60 ft. The lake covers about 14.9 square miles, and 247 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 Graham 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 Graham 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 Graham Lake.
Graham 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 Graham Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Graham 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 60 ft
- 14.9 square miles of water
- 247 shore roads engraved, 2 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
