Every Lake
Sylvan Lake
1,169 acres tucked against Pontiac, roughly 57 feet down at its deepest point.
- 10 ft · first step
- 19 ft
- 29 ft
- 38 ft
- 48 ft
- 57 ft · bottom
About Sylvan Lake
Sylvan Lake sits in Oakland County, Michigan, just west of Pontiac, part of the dense cluster of glacial lakes that fills this stretch of southeastern Michigan. The lake gave its name to the small city built around its shoreline, incorporated out of the surrounding township as lake-cottage lots gradually filled in with year-round homes through the twentieth century. Like its neighbors Cass Lake and Pontiac Lake nearby, it formed as retreating glaciers left behind kettle basins and moraine, the same process that shaped most of the region's lakes.
The shoreline runs about ten miles around roughly 1,169 acres of water, drawing the mix of boaters, anglers, and swimmers typical of Oakland County's lake communities within easy reach of Detroit's northern suburbs. Homes ring nearly the entire perimeter, a pattern set decades ago as Pontiac's growth pushed weekend cottages into full-time residences. At about 57 feet at its deepest, the lake is modest by regional standards but deep enough to hold cold-water fish populations and support boating traffic through the summer months.
- 398 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.
Sylvan Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Sylvan Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 10 ft, 19 ft, 29 ft, 38 ft, 48 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 57 ft. The lake covers about 1.9 square miles, and 398 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 Sylvan 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 Sylvan 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 Sylvan Lake.
Sylvan 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 Sylvan Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Sylvan 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 57 ft
- 1.9 square miles of water
- 398 shore roads engraved, 13 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
