Every Lake
Lake Winnibigoshish
Dammed in 1884 to steady Mississippi River log drives, Big Winnie now ranks among Minnesota's top walleye lakes.
- 13 ft · first step
- 27 ft
- 40 ft
- 53 ft
- 67 ft
- 80 ft · bottom
About Lake Winnibigoshish
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dammed the lake's outlet in 1884, one of six reservoirs built across the Mississippi headwaters to regulate river flow for logging drives and later for navigation downstream. The dam raised water levels and widened the lake well beyond its natural shoreline, flooding wetlands in Itasca and Cass counties, Minnesota. Part of the lake lies within the Leech Lake Indian Reservation, and the Ojibwe name Winnibigoshish gets shortened locally to 'Big Winnie.' The surrounding pine and hardwood forest was designated the Chippewa National Forest in 1908.
Big Winnie ranks among the largest lakes entirely within Minnesota by surface area, its water spread wide and shallow across a basin averaging well under its 80-foot maximum depth. Walleye fishing draws the bulk of its traffic; the lake has long been rated among the state's top walleye producers, with anglers working the wind-blown mud flats and rock bars near the dam. Small communities including Bena and Deer River sit near its shore, mixing resort cabins, tribal land, and Chippewa National Forest access points. Ice fishing keeps the shoreline businesses running through winter after the boat traffic ends.
- 4 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 134 roads engraved around the shore, 2 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 Winnibigoshish depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Winnibigoshish depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 13 ft, 27 ft, 40 ft, 53 ft, 67 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 80 ft. The lake covers about 97.9 square miles, and 134 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 Winnibigoshish 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 Winnibigoshish 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 Winnibigoshish.
Lake Winnibigoshish 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 Winnibigoshish; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Winnibigoshish 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 80 ft
- 97.9 square miles of water
- 134 shore roads engraved, 2 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
