Every Lake
Lake Templene
Floyd Templin dammed the Prairie River in the early 1970s to build 786 acres of shoreline lots.
- 5 ft · first step
- 10 ft
- 15 ft
- 20 ft
- 25 ft
- 30 ft · bottom
About Lake Templene
Lake Templene did not exist before the early 1970s. Floyd Templin organized a group of investors to dam the Prairie River in Nottawa Township, St. Joseph County, flooding farmland to create a lake around which house lots could be sold. The result covers roughly 786 acres with about 16 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth near 30 feet, shallow enough that weed growth and water clarity are recurring topics at property owner meetings. The lake sits a short drive south of Kalamazoo, closer to Sturgis and White Pigeon than to any larger city.
The Lake Templene Property Owners Association manages the lake today, and nearly the entire shoreline is lined with private homes rather than public parkland. Fishing tournaments became popular enough to draw complaints from residents about boat traffic and noise, and the Nottawa Township Board of Trustees eventually capped tournaments at 25 per year and required a public boat launch. Bass and panfish draw most of the anglers. Because the lake is entirely artificial and dam-controlled, water levels are managed rather than natural, which shapes how residents talk about the lake compared to the glacial lakes more common elsewhere in southern Michigan.
- 2 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 85 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.
Lake Templene depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Templene depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 5 ft, 10 ft, 15 ft, 20 ft, 25 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 30 ft. The lake covers about 1.4 square miles, and 85 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 Templene 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 Templene 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 Templene.
Lake Templene 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 Templene; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Templene 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 30 ft
- 1.4 square miles of water
- 85 shore roads engraved, 5 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
