Every Lake
Lake of the Woods
259 acres, three miles of shoreline, tucked inland from Benton Harbor.
- 10 ft · first step
- 20 ft
- 31 ft
- 41 ft
- 51 ft
- 61 ft · bottom
About Lake of the Woods
Lake of the Woods sits inland from Benton Harbor in Berrien County, in the southwestern corner of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Like most of the small lakes scattered across this part of the state, it formed as a kettle lake left behind when the last glacier retreated from the region roughly 14,000 years ago. The surrounding land settled into orchard and farm country through the 1800s and 1900s, with Benton Harbor developing as a shipping point for the region's fruit before the lake itself became a residential draw.
Today the lake is ringed mostly by year-round and seasonal homes rather than public parkland, with a shoreline just under three miles long enclosing about 259 acres of water. Its modeled depth tops out around 61 feet, making it deep enough to hold a stable cold-water zone through summer while staying small enough to circle by car in a few minutes. Fishing families and retirees from the Benton Harbor and St. Joseph area make up much of the year-round presence on its banks.
- 28 roads engraved around the shore, 13 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 of the Woods depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake of the Woods depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 10 ft, 20 ft, 31 ft, 41 ft, 51 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 61 ft. The lake covers about 0.4 square miles, and 28 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 of the Woods 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 of the Woods 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 of the Woods.
Lake of the Woods 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 of the Woods; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake of the Woods 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 61 ft
- 0.4 square miles of water
- 28 shore roads engraved, 13 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
