Every Lake
Lake Hickory
A 1927 dam across the Catawba River turned river bends into 53 miles of shoreline.
- 11 ft · first step
- 21 ft
- 32 ft
- 42 ft
- 53 ft
- 63 ft · bottom
About Lake Hickory
Lake Hickory was formed in 1927 when Duke Power dammed the Catawba River east of the city of Hickory, North Carolina, part of a chain of reservoirs the company built along the river through the 1920s to generate hydroelectric power. The dam backed water up over the original river channel and surrounding bottomland in Catawba County, submerging farmland and low pasture that had lined the Catawba for generations before the lake existed.
Because it follows an old river course rather than a flooded valley basin, the lake is long and winding, covering about 3,267 acres but tracing roughly 53 miles of shoreline. It borders Hickory, Catawba, and Startown, and draws a mix of local anglers, water skiers, and lakefront homeowners rather than large-scale tourism. Hickory itself grew up as a furniture-manufacturing city, and the lake has long served as its close-by recreational outlet.
- 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.
Lake Hickory depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Hickory depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 11 ft, 21 ft, 32 ft, 42 ft, 53 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 63 ft. The lake covers about 5.7 square miles. The shape of the bottom is the real one from published soundings, so anglers recognise their drop-offs and points.
A Lake Hickory 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 Lake Hickory 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 Lake Hickory.
Lake Hickory 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 Lake Hickory; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Hickory 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 63 ft
- 5.7 square miles of water
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
