Every Lake
Bush Lake
Three miles of shoreline eight miles from downtown Minneapolis, deep enough for scuba certification dives.
- 5 ft · first step
- 11 ft
- 16 ft
- 21 ft
- 27 ft
- 32 ft · bottom
About Bush Lake
Bush Lake sits in Bloomington, Minnesota, inside the Hyland-Bush-Anderson Lakes Park Reserve run by Three Rivers Park District, about eight miles southwest of downtown Minneapolis. Like most lakes across the region, it formed as a glacial kettle, left behind when a buried block of ice melted after the last glaciers retreated roughly 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. The lake covers about 163 acres with roughly three miles of shoreline, ringed by wooded parkland, a public swimming beach, and trails linking it to neighboring Hyland Lake.
The lake draws families and swimmers from Bloomington and Edina alongside paddlers and certified scuba divers, who use it for open-water training dives because its depth runs deeper than most lakes in the metro area. Bush Lake Beach, on the north shore, is one of the park reserve's staffed swimming areas, with a bathhouse and a lifeguarded season each summer. Motors are restricted on the water, which keeps it quieter than larger lakes nearby that draw fishing boats and water skiers.
- 48 roads engraved around the shore, 8 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.
Bush Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Bush Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 5 ft, 11 ft, 16 ft, 21 ft, 27 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 32 ft. The lake covers about 0.3 square miles, and 48 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 Bush 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 Bush 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 Bush Lake.
Bush 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 Bush Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Bush 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
- 0.3 square miles of water
- 48 shore roads engraved, 8 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
