Every Lake
Sakatah Lake
A widening of the Cannon River, mapped at 11 feet deep across 1,176 acres.
- 2 ft · first step
- 4 ft
- 6 ft
- 8 ft
- 10 ft
- 11 ft · bottom
About Sakatah Lake
Sakatah Lake lies along the Cannon River in southern Minnesota, a natural widening of the river rather than a dammed reservoir. The surrounding terrain was shaped by glacial retreat, leaving the shallow basins and low hills typical of the Cannon River valley. Faribault, a few miles away, grew up around the river and its mills in the 1850s. The lake became part of a chain of small waterways linking nearby towns, used first for transportation and milling, later for cabins and recreation as families from Faribault and the surrounding farms settled along its shore.
At about 1,176 acres and shallow throughout, Sakatah Lake warms quickly in summer and holds panfish and walleye that draw anglers from Faribault and the rest of Rice County. The Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail, a converted rail line, runs along the lake on its route between Faribault and Mankato, bringing cyclists and hikers past the water. Homes and cabins line much of its roughly 11 miles of shoreline, and the lake freezes solid enough most winters for ice fishing shanties to appear on the surface.
- 2 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 108 roads engraved around the shore, 11 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.
Sakatah Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Sakatah Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 2 ft, 4 ft, 6 ft, 8 ft, 10 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 11 ft. The lake covers about 1.9 square miles, and 108 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 Sakatah 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 Sakatah 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 Sakatah Lake.
Sakatah 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 Sakatah Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Sakatah 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 11 ft
- 1.9 square miles of water
- 108 shore roads engraved, 11 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
