Every Lake
Lake Ballantyne
336 acres, 63 feet deep, three miles of shoreline in the farmland south of Mankato, Minnesota.
- 11 ft · first step
- 21 ft
- 32 ft
- 42 ft
- 53 ft
- 63 ft · bottom
About Lake Ballantyne
Lake Ballantyne sits in the farmland south of Mankato, Minnesota, part of the glaciated plain that spread across the southern half of the state as the last ice sheets retreated roughly 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. That retreat left behind the shallow basins and till deposits that became southern Minnesota's lake country, Lake Ballantyne among them. At 336 acres, it is a modest lake by Minnesota standards, a state with more than 10,000 named lakes, but its roughly three miles of shoreline give it more edge than many similarly sized bodies of water nearby.
With a modeled maximum depth around 63 feet, Lake Ballantyne runs deeper than the shallow, weedy lakes common across the surrounding prairie pothole country, where many basins bottom out well under 20 feet. That depth keeps the water clearer through summer and supports fish that need cooler, oxygenated water lower in the column. The shoreline is mostly private, lined by farmhouses, seasonal cabins, and a scattering of newer year-round homes, with Mankato close enough that residents and visitors from town treat it as a nearby destination for fishing and boating rather than a distant retreat.
- 21 roads engraved around the shore, 9 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.
Lake Ballantyne depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Ballantyne depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 11 ft, 21 ft, 32 ft, 42 ft, 53 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 63 ft. The lake covers about 0.6 square miles, and 21 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 Lake Ballantyne 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 Lake Ballantyne 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 Lake Ballantyne.
Lake Ballantyne 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 Lake Ballantyne; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Ballantyne 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 63 ft
- 0.6 square miles of water
- 21 shore roads engraved, 9 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
