Every Lake
Medicine Lake
857 acres and nine miles of shoreline, fifteen minutes from downtown Minneapolis.
- 9 ft · first step
- 18 ft
- 27 ft
- 36 ft
- 45 ft
- 54 ft · bottom
About Medicine Lake
Medicine Lake sits in Plymouth, Minnesota, about fifteen miles northwest of downtown Minneapolis, bordered by Plymouth, New Hope, and Golden Valley. The lake covers roughly 857 acres and drains into Bassett Creek, part of the Mississippi River watershed. French Regional Park, run by Three Rivers Park District, occupies much of the eastern shore and includes a swimming beach, trails, and a sailing school. A horsepower limit on the lake keeps it to small sailboats, canoes, and windsurfers rather than large motorboats, and the sailing school has operated out of the park for decades.
An outlet structure on the south end regulates water levels flowing into Bassett Creek, part of a watershed management system used for flood control in the surrounding suburbs. Maximum depth runs to about 54 feet, with a shallow shelf near shore dropping into a deeper central basin. Ice fishing draws anglers in winter for panfish and walleye, while French Regional Park's cross-country ski trails and sledding hill bring visitors once the ice sets. Bald eagles nest along the shoreline, and an off-leash dog area sits on the northwest side of the park.
- 2 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 222 roads engraved around the shore, 6 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.
Medicine Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Medicine Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 9 ft, 18 ft, 27 ft, 36 ft, 45 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 54 ft. The lake covers about 1.4 square miles, and 222 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 Medicine Lake 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 Medicine Lake 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 Medicine Lake.
Medicine Lake 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 Medicine Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Medicine Lake 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 54 ft
- 1.4 square miles of water
- 222 shore roads engraved, 6 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
