Every Lake
Lake Monterey
203 acres and five miles of shoreline, tucked into the farmland south of Grand Rapids.
- 6 ft · first step
- 13 ft
- 19 ft
- 25 ft
- 32 ft
- 38 ft · bottom
About Lake Monterey
Lake Monterey lies in the farmland south of Grand Rapids, Michigan, one of the smaller inland lakes scattered across the southwestern part of the state. Its basin, like most lakes in the region, was carved by glacial ice that retreated at the end of the last ice age and then filled as the ice melted. The lake covers about 203 acres and reaches a maximum depth of roughly 38 feet, shallow enough that sunlight reaches the lake bed across much of its area.
The shoreline runs close to five miles and is lined mostly by houses and cottage lots rather than open shoreline, the kind of pattern common to small residential lakes near Grand Rapids. At 203 acres it is large enough for boating and fishing but small enough to cross by kayak in under an hour. It functions as a neighborhood lake rather than a destination, circled by a mix of year-round residents and seasonal cottage owners, with traffic on the water mostly local rather than day-trippers from the city.
- 88 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 Monterey depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Monterey depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 6 ft, 13 ft, 19 ft, 25 ft, 32 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 38 ft. The lake covers about 0.4 square miles, and 88 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 Monterey 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 Monterey 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 Monterey.
Lake Monterey 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 Monterey; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Monterey 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 38 ft
- 0.4 square miles of water
- 88 shore roads engraved, 18 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
