Every Lake
Lake Bavaria
75 feet deep on just 158 acres, west of Minneapolis in Carver County, Minnesota.
- 13 ft · first step
- 25 ft
- 38 ft
- 50 ft
- 63 ft
- 75 ft · bottom
About Lake Bavaria
Lake Bavaria sits in Carver County, Minnesota, west of Minneapolis near the towns of Chanhassen and Victoria. Like most lakes in this part of the state, its basin was carved by glacial ice sheets that retreated roughly 10,000 to 12,000 years ago, leaving behind depressions that filled with meltwater across the Minnesota River valley region. At 158 acres, Bavaria is modest in surface area, but its maximum depth of about 75 feet is unusual for a lake its size, giving it a steep-sided basin rather than the broad shallow profile common to nearby prairie lakes.
Bavaria's roughly two miles of shoreline are lined mostly with private homes rather than resorts or campgrounds, typical of the small lakes scattered through Carver County's exurbs. Chanhassen and Victoria, the two closest towns, sit within the outer ring of Twin Cities suburbs, and most people who use the lake live nearby rather than traveling in for it. Anglers fish it for panfish and bass, working the drop-offs where a basin unusually deep for a 158-acre lake falls away close to shore. It functions less as a destination lake than as a neighborhood amenity for the households along its shore.
- 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 Bavaria depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Bavaria depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 13 ft, 25 ft, 38 ft, 50 ft, 63 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 75 ft. The lake covers about 0.3 square miles. The shape of the bottom is the real one from published soundings, so anglers recognise their drop-offs and points.
A Lake Bavaria 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 Bavaria 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 Bavaria.
Lake Bavaria 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 Bavaria; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Bavaria 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 75 ft
- 0.3 square miles of water
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
