Every Lake
Forest Lake
The town of Forest Lake grew up around twelve miles of this shoreline, north of St. Paul.
- 7 ft · first step
- 14 ft
- 21 ft
- 28 ft
- 35 ft
- 42 ft · bottom
About Forest Lake
Forest Lake sits in Washington County, Minnesota, carved out by retreating glaciers at the end of the last ice age like most lakes across the region. It covers roughly 2,110 acres, making it one of the larger lakes in the Twin Cities metro area, with about 12 miles of shoreline broken into coves and bays rather than a single open basin. The lake gave its name to the city that eventually grew along its edge.
Positioned north of St. Paul, Forest Lake became a natural draw for boaters, anglers, and families building cabins and later year-round homes along its shore. Its size and irregular shape spread docks, marinas, and public landings around several distinct arms of the lake rather than concentrating them in one spot. The lake's maximum depth runs around 42 feet, shallow enough to warm through the summer for swimming and fishing but deep enough to hold walleye and other cold-water species through the season.
- 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.
Forest Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Forest Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 7 ft, 14 ft, 21 ft, 28 ft, 35 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 42 ft. The lake covers about 3.4 square miles. The shape of the bottom is the real one from published soundings, so anglers recognise their drop-offs and points.
A Forest 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 Forest 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 Forest Lake.
Forest 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 Forest Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Forest 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 42 ft
- 3.4 square miles of water
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
