Every Lake
Stison Lake
136 acres of glacial water four miles around, minutes from Pontiac
- 5 ft · first step
- 11 ft
- 16 ft
- 22 ft
- 27 ft
- 32 ft · bottom
About Stison Lake
Stison Lake sits in the glacial lake country of southeastern Michigan, in terrain shaped by retreating ice sheets that left behind the region's dense cluster of kettle lakes roughly 12,000 years ago. Like its neighbors, the lake occupies a basin carved by buried ice blocks rather than a river valley, which explains its irregular shoreline and lack of a major inlet or outlet stream. Development along its banks followed the mid-20th-century pattern common to lakes near Pontiac: modest cottages built first as summer retreats, later converted to year-round homes as the Detroit metro area expanded outward.
The lake covers about 136 acres with roughly four miles of shoreline, small enough to cross by boat in minutes but large enough to support a resident fishing population. Anglers work it for panfish and bass, and the shallow-to-moderate depth profile, topping out near 32 feet, keeps the water warming quickly in spring and supporting weed growth that draws both fish and the people who fish for them. Its residents are largely year-round homeowners rather than a transient rental crowd, giving the lake a settled, familiar character typical of Oakland County's smaller waters.
- 51 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.
Stison Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Stison Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 5 ft, 11 ft, 16 ft, 22 ft, 27 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 32 ft. The lake covers about 0.2 square miles, and 51 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 Stison Lake 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 Stison Lake 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 Stison Lake.
Stison Lake 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 Stison Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Stison Lake 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 32 ft
- 0.2 square miles of water
- 51 shore roads engraved, 18 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
