Every Lake
Big Portage Lake
One of six lakes threaded together by channels to the Huron River, west of Ann Arbor.
- 5 ft · first step
- 11 ft
- 16 ft
- 22 ft
- 27 ft
- 32 ft · bottom
About Big Portage Lake
Big Portage Lake sits in Livingston County, Michigan, part of a chain of glacial lakes strung along the Huron River west of Ann Arbor. Channels connect it to Base Line Lake and the other lakes in the chain, so a boat can move between them without a trailer. The lake covers roughly 385 acres, modest by Michigan standards, with about four miles of shoreline ringing it.
The surrounding townships, including Hamburg and Pinckney, grew up around cottages and boat access points built for the chain-of-lakes crowd rather than a single resort town. Portage Lake draws pontoon and ski traffic in summer and ice fishing once it locks up in winter, with the Huron River corridor and nearby Pinckney and Waterloo state recreation areas giving it a public-land backdrop instead of dense private development on every shore.
- 22 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.
Big Portage Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Big Portage 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 0.6 square miles, and 22 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 Big Portage 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 Big Portage 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 Big Portage Lake.
Big Portage 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 Big Portage Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Big Portage 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
- 0.6 square miles of water
- 22 shore roads engraved, 5 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
