Every Lake
Lake Minnewaska
Minnewaska is Dakota for "good water," the 13th-largest lake in Minnesota.
- 6 ft · first step
- 12 ft
- 18 ft
- 24 ft
- 30 ft
- 36 ft · bottom
About Lake Minnewaska
Lake Minnewaska sits in Pope County, Minnesota, formed by the retreat of glaciers at the end of the last ice age, roughly 10,000 years ago. Its name comes from the Dakota words "mini," meaning water, and "waste," meaning good — Minnewaska, "good water." At about 7,771 acres, it ranks among Minnesota's largest lakes, the 13th-largest in the state. The city of Glenwood sits at its east end; Starbuck, platted along the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1882, sits at its west end, about 19 miles of shoreline connecting the two.
Lake Minnewaska is known locally for muskellunge, with fish over 40 inches caught most seasons, plus walleye and other gamefish tracked by the Minnesota DNR's Glenwood fisheries office. Boat traffic runs between public accesses near Glenwood on the east end and Hobo Park in Starbuck on the west end, where pontoons, fishing guides, and family cabins have circulated for generations. Starbuck took its name and its start from the Northern Pacific Railroad, platted as a village in 1882; during the Depression, hobos riding that same rail line stopped in Starbuck in large numbers, giving Hobo Park its name. The lake anchors Pope County's lake district in west-central Minnesota.
- 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 Minnewaska depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Minnewaska depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 6 ft, 12 ft, 18 ft, 24 ft, 30 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 36 ft. The lake covers about 12.3 square miles. The shape of the bottom is the real one from published soundings, so anglers recognise their drop-offs and points.
A Lake Minnewaska 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 Minnewaska 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 Minnewaska.
Lake Minnewaska 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 Minnewaska; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Minnewaska 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 36 ft
- 12.3 square miles of water
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
