Every Lake
Lake Chapin
One dam, three miles of shoreline, and a lake that shouldn't exist without it
- 5 ft · first step
- 10 ft
- 15 ft
- 19 ft
- 24 ft
- 29 ft · bottom
About Lake Chapin
Lake Chapin sits on the St. Joseph River near Berrien Springs, Michigan, formed by the Indiana and Michigan Electric Company's Berrien Springs Dam, completed in 1908 for hydroelectric power. The dam backed up the river into a long, narrow impoundment that follows the original river channel rather than a natural basin, which is why the lake reads more like a wide river than a kettle lake. It remains in operation, now owned by American Electric Power, generating power while also holding back the reservoir that carries its name.
Development along Lake Chapin clusters near Berrien Springs and reaches toward Benton Harbor to the west, with homes and docks following the river's bends rather than a uniform shoreline. Because the lake is a run-of-river impoundment, current from the St. Joseph River is more noticeable than on a typical inland lake, which shapes how people use it for boating and fishing. Anglers work it for bass, catfish, and panfish drawn to the river structure, and the surrounding stretch is part of Berrien County's cluster of river towns tied to the dam system built in the early 1900s.
- 4 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 119 roads engraved around the shore, 18 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 Chapin depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Chapin depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 5 ft, 10 ft, 15 ft, 19 ft, 24 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 29 ft. The lake covers about 0.8 square miles, and 119 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 Chapin 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 Chapin 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 Chapin.
Lake Chapin 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 Chapin; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Chapin 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 29 ft
- 0.8 square miles of water
- 119 shore roads engraved, 18 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
