Every Lake
Lake Minnetonka
Minneapolis's own lake district: sixteen named bays and 125 miles of shoreline.
- 19 ft · first step
- 38 ft
- 56 ft
- 75 ft
- 94 ft
- 113 ft · bottom
About Lake Minnetonka
Lake Minnetonka lies just west of Minneapolis, a sprawling 14,500-acre lake of bays, channels and islands with about 125 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 113 feet in Crystal Bay. The name is Dakota for 'big water'. Thirteen cities touch it, Wayzata and Excelsior among them.
In the 1880s it was a national resort with grand hotels served by rail and steamboat; the restored streetcar boat Minnehaha still runs between Wayzata and Excelsior. Today it is the Twin Cities' summer address, with Big Island, Lord Fletcher's dock and the Wayzata depot as the landmarks everyone knows.
- 24 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 1,765 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.
Lake Minnetonka depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Minnetonka depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 19 ft, 38 ft, 56 ft, 75 ft, 94 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 113 ft. The lake covers about 12.6 square miles, and 1765 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 Minnetonka 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 Minnetonka 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 Minnetonka.
Lake Minnetonka 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 Minnetonka; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Minnetonka 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 113 ft
- 12.6 square miles of water
- 1765 shore roads engraved, 1 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
