Every Lake
Mountain Island Lake
A 1923 Catawba River dam that still supplies Charlotte's drinking water.
- 7 ft · first step
- 14 ft
- 21 ft
- 28 ft
- 35 ft
- 41 ft · bottom
About Mountain Island Lake
Mountain Island Lake formed when Duke Power finished Mountain Island Dam on the Catawba River in 1923, years before the larger dams upstream and downstream were built. The lake sits between Gaston and Mecklenburg counties, bordered by Mount Holly, Huntersville, and the northwest edge of Charlotte. It runs narrower and more river-like than its neighbor Lake Norman, following the old river channel rather than spreading into broad open water, which keeps most of its shoreline wooded and undeveloped.
The lake serves as a primary drinking water source for the Charlotte metro area, and watershed protection ordinances have kept large-scale development off most of its banks. McDowell Nature Preserve and Latta Plantation sit along its shore, drawing hikers, paddlers, and birdwatchers rather than heavy powerboat traffic. Anglers fish it for striped bass and catfish, and its reputation as a working reservoir, rather than a resort lake, shapes who spends time on it.
- 2 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 383 roads engraved around the shore, 5 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.
Mountain Island Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Mountain Island Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 7 ft, 14 ft, 21 ft, 28 ft, 35 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 41 ft. The lake covers about 3.0 square miles, and 383 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 Mountain Island 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 Mountain Island 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 Mountain Island Lake.
Mountain Island 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 Mountain Island Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Mountain Island 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 41 ft
- 3.0 square miles of water
- 383 shore roads engraved, 5 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
