Every Lake
Belleville Lake
18 miles of shoreline held back by a dam on the Huron River since 1925
- 5 ft · first step
- 11 ft
- 16 ft
- 22 ft
- 27 ft
- 32 ft · bottom
About Belleville Lake
Belleville Lake was formed when the French Landing Dam was built on the Huron River in 1925, backing up water through what is now Van Buren Township and the town of Belleville, southeast Michigan. The lake stretches in a narrow, winding shape that follows the original river channel rather than a natural basin, which is why its shoreline runs long relative to its surface area. It sits about 15 miles southeast of Ann Arbor and has long served as a local reservoir and recreation spot rather than a resort destination.
The lake is used mainly by residents of Belleville, Van Buren Township, and Sumpter Township for boating, fishing, and rowing, and it has hosted USRowing regattas on its long straight stretches of water. Homes along the shore range from older cottages built when the lake was newer to newer subdivisions that back up to the water. Because the lake follows a dammed river rather than a glacial depression, its depth is fairly uniform and shallow compared to natural Michigan lakes of similar size, and water levels are managed by the dam rather than by rainfall alone.
- 4 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 422 roads engraved around the shore, 5 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.
Belleville Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Belleville Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 5 ft, 11 ft, 16 ft, 22 ft, 27 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 32 ft. The lake covers about 1.9 square miles, and 422 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 Belleville 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 Belleville 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 Belleville Lake.
Belleville 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 Belleville Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Belleville 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 32 ft
- 1.9 square miles of water
- 422 shore roads engraved, 5 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
