Every Lake
Schmidt Lake
230 acres, six miles of shoreline, and a modeled depth topping out near 30 feet.
- 5 ft · first step
- 10 ft
- 15 ft
- 20 ft
- 25 ft
- 30 ft · bottom
About Schmidt Lake
Like most lakes in this part of Minnesota, Schmidt Lake sits in a basin carved out as the last glaciers retreated roughly 10,000 years ago, leaving the low, water-filled depressions that dot Hennepin County today. At about 230 acres with roughly six miles of shoreline, it's a mid-sized lake by metro standards — small enough to see across, large enough to support a full loop of homes and docks. Modeled depth data puts its deepest point near 30 feet, shallow enough that light reaches the bottom across most of its surface.
The lake sits northwest of Minneapolis, close enough for a day trip but outside the city's dense core, in a stretch of Hennepin County built up with single-family homes rather than resorts or campgrounds. Docks and small boats line the shore more than public parkland does, and traffic on the water tends toward fishing boats and pontoons rather than wake-sport crowds. It functions as a neighborhood lake more than a destination one — known locally, used daily by the people who live around it, rather than drawing visitors from elsewhere.
- 6 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.
Schmidt Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Schmidt Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 5 ft, 10 ft, 15 ft, 20 ft, 25 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 30 ft. The lake covers about 0.4 square miles, and 6 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 Schmidt 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 Schmidt 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 Schmidt Lake.
Schmidt 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 Schmidt Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Schmidt 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 30 ft
- 0.4 square miles of water
- 6 shore roads engraved, 2 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
