Every Lake
Williams Lake
502 acres and 9 miles of shoreline a few miles north of Pontiac, Michigan.
- 8 ft · first step
- 16 ft
- 24 ft
- 32 ft
- 40 ft
- 48 ft · bottom
About Williams Lake
Williams Lake sits in Waterford Township, Oakland County, in the glacially carved lake belt just north of Pontiac, Michigan. Its basin is one of hundreds left behind after the last ice sheet retreated from southeast Michigan. The lake covers roughly 502 acres and has about 9 miles of shoreline, with a modeled maximum depth near 48 feet. Suburban neighborhoods ring most of the water, a mix of year-round homes and lake cottages built up through the 20th century as Pontiac grew into an auto manufacturing center nearby.
The lake draws boaters, anglers, and swimmers from the Detroit metro area, close enough for an after-work trip. Fishing pressure targets bass, bluegill, and northern pike, typical of southeast Michigan's glacial lakes. A public access site lets non-residents launch boats, so summer weekend traffic comes from beyond the shoreline homes. Ice shanties appear most winters once the surface locks up. Williams Lake Road, running along the western edge, is the main route locals use to reach the water.
- 231 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.
Williams Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Williams 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 48 ft. The lake covers about 0.9 square miles, and 231 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 Williams 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 Williams 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 Williams Lake.
Williams 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 Williams Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Williams 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 48 ft
- 0.9 square miles of water
- 231 shore roads engraved, 18 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
