Every Lake
Trout Lake
Fifty-three miles of shoreline and 107 feet of cold water outside Ely, Minnesota.
- 18 ft · first step
- 36 ft
- 54 ft
- 72 ft
- 89 ft
- 107 ft · bottom
About Trout Lake
Trout Lake sits in St. Louis County near Ely, Minnesota, on the edge of the Superior National Forest. Its basin was shaped by glaciers that retreated from the region roughly 10,000 years ago, leaving behind the string of deep, cold lakes typical of the area. At about 7,324 acres, the lake is large enough that its 53 miles of shoreline wrap around numerous bays and points, with modeled depths reaching around 107 feet in its deepest basin.
Ely grew up as an iron mining and logging town on the Vermilion Range before becoming known as a gateway to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Trout Lake, close by, draws anglers after its namesake fish — lake trout hold on here because the water stays cold and deep through summer, unlike most lakes in the surrounding country. Cabins and resorts sit along stretches of shore, and the lake sees local guides, weekend paddlers, and fishing families who return season after season.
- 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.
Trout Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Trout Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 18 ft, 36 ft, 54 ft, 72 ft, 89 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 107 ft. The lake covers about 12.2 square miles. The shape of the bottom is the real one from published soundings, so anglers recognise their drop-offs and points.
A Trout 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 Trout 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 Trout Lake.
Trout 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 Trout Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Trout 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 107 ft
- 12.2 square miles of water
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
