Every Lake
Lake Michigamme
Thirty-two miles of shoreline where iron-mining towns meet Van Riper State Park.
- 14 ft · first step
- 27 ft
- 41 ft
- 55 ft
- 69 ft
- 82 ft · bottom
About Lake Michigamme
Lake Michigamme sits on the border of Marquette and Baraga counties in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, fed by the Peshekee River. Its name comes from the Ojibwe word mishigami, meaning big water, a fitting label for a lake covering roughly 4,188 acres. The shoreline runs about 32 miles, broken into bays and points rather than one open basin. The towns of Michigamme and Champion sit along its edges, both smaller now than they were a century ago, when the surrounding hills drew workers by the thousand.
The area grew up around iron mining. The Michigamme and Champion mines pulled ore from the hills through the late 1800s and into the 1900s, and the rail grades built to move that ore still cross the region. Van Riper State Park now occupies part of the south shore, drawing campers and anglers who fish for walleye and smallmouth bass. The lake reaches about 82 feet at its deepest, enough to hold lake trout through the summer. Cabins outnumber year-round houses along most of the shore.
- 8 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 101 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.
Lake Michigamme depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Michigamme depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 14 ft, 27 ft, 41 ft, 55 ft, 69 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 82 ft. The lake covers about 7.0 square miles, and 101 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 Michigamme 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 Michigamme 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 Michigamme.
Lake Michigamme 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 Michigamme; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Michigamme 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 82 ft
- 7.0 square miles of water
- 101 shore roads engraved, 2 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
