Every Lake
Silver Lake
A milldam lake in Mankato where trumpeter swans winter on water a power plant keeps from freezing.
- 5 ft · first step
- 9 ft
- 14 ft
- 19 ft
- 24 ft
- 28 ft · bottom
About Silver Lake
Silver Lake sits inside the city limits of Mankato, Minnesota, formed by a dam near the confluence of the Minnesota and Blue Earth rivers. The lake covers roughly 588 acres and reaches a maximum depth near 28 feet, with about six miles of shoreline. Sibley Park borders its western edge, and the campus of Minnesota State University, Mankato lies just to the south. A paved trail follows much of the shoreline, linking nearby neighborhoods and park land.
Silver Lake is known regionally for trumpeter swans that stay through winter rather than migrating south. Warm water discharge from a nearby power plant has historically kept part of the lake from freezing over, giving the birds open water when the rest of the region ices up. Local volunteers have tracked and fed the wintering flock for years, and the sight of swans on open water ringed by ice draws visitors each January. In warmer months the lake is used for fishing and small watercraft.
- 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.
Silver Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Silver Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 5 ft, 9 ft, 14 ft, 19 ft, 24 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 28 ft. The lake covers about 1.0 square miles. The shape of the bottom is the real one from published soundings, so anglers recognise their drop-offs and points.
A Silver 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 Silver 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 Silver Lake.
Silver 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 Silver Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Silver 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 28 ft
- 1.0 square miles of water
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
