Every Lake
Burntside Lake
More than 100 islands and 71 miles of shoreline packed into 11 square miles near Ely, Minnesota.
- 30 ft · first step
- 61 ft
- 91 ft
- 122 ft
- 152 ft
- 183 ft · bottom
About Burntside Lake
Burntside Lake sits in St. Louis County, Minnesota, a few miles west of Ely, carved into some of the oldest exposed bedrock in North America. Glaciers of the Rainy Lobe scoured the granite and greenstone basin during the last ice age, leaving a lake bed pocked with more than 100 islands and a shoreline that runs roughly 71 miles despite the lake covering under 11 square miles. The water is fed largely by groundwater and precipitation rather than a major river system, which keeps it unusually clear.
Ely, a few miles east, has been the outfitting town for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness since the wilderness was formally protected, and Burntside sits just outside the BWCAW boundary, reachable by road. Burntside Lodge, built in 1913 on the lake's south shore, is a National Historic Landmark and one of the few resorts from that era still operating in the region. The lake draws a mix of year-round residents, summer cabin families, and anglers who work its rocky basin for walleye and lake trout, along with canoeists staging trips north into the wilderness.
- 4 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 97 roads engraved around the shore, 1 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.
Burntside Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Burntside Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 30 ft, 61 ft, 91 ft, 122 ft, 152 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 183 ft. The lake covers about 11.9 square miles, and 97 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 Burntside 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 Burntside 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 Burntside Lake.
Burntside 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 Burntside Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Burntside 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 183 ft
- 11.9 square miles of water
- 97 shore roads engraved, 1 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
