Every Lake
Sugarloaf Lake
358 acres, 49 feet down, five miles of shoreline west of Ann Arbor.
- 8 ft · first step
- 16 ft
- 24 ft
- 32 ft
- 40 ft
- 49 ft · bottom
About Sugarloaf Lake
Sugarloaf Lake sits in Washtenaw County, roughly 15 miles west of Ann Arbor, between the villages of Chelsea and Manchester. Like most lakes in the region, its basin was carved by glacial ice sheets that retreated from southern Michigan around 14,000 years ago, leaving behind the kettle and moraine terrain typical of the area. The lake covers about 358 acres, small enough to circle by boat in an afternoon, and its shoreline is lined mostly with year-round homes and cottages built up through the 20th century.
The lake draws Washtenaw County anglers who fish for bass, bluegill, and panfish, and a public access site allows boat launching. Its maximum depth runs about 49 feet, giving fish a cooler pocket to retreat to in summer even though much of the lake stays shallow near shore. People on the water tend to be families and retirees from the Ann Arbor and Jackson corridor, plus weekend visitors from Chelsea and Manchester, using the lake for swimming, kayaking, and quiet fishing rather than heavy powerboat traffic.
- 9 roads engraved around the shore, 4 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.
Sugarloaf Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Sugarloaf Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 8 ft, 16 ft, 24 ft, 32 ft, 40 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 49 ft. The lake covers about 0.6 square miles, and 9 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 Sugarloaf 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 Sugarloaf 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 Sugarloaf Lake.
Sugarloaf 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 Sugarloaf Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Sugarloaf 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 49 ft
- 0.6 square miles of water
- 9 shore roads engraved, 4 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
