Every Lake
Audubon Lake
Split off from Lake Sakakawea by the Snake Creek embankment in 1963.
- 17 ft · first step
- 34 ft
- 51 ft
- 68 ft
- 85 ft
- 102 ft · bottom
About Audubon Lake
Audubon Lake was formed in 1963 when the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation built the Snake Creek embankment and pumping plant, cutting off a bay of the newly created Lake Sakakawea on the Missouri River. The project was part of the Garrison Diversion Unit, designed to move Missouri River water east for irrigation and municipal supply across central North Dakota. The embankment left Audubon as its own basin, still connected to Sakakawea by a pumping and siphon system rather than open water.
The towns of Riverdale and Coleharbor sit along its shoreline in McLean County, North Dakota, both built up around the Garrison Dam construction workforce in the 1950s and 60s. The lake has long drawn walleye and northern pike anglers, with public boat ramps maintained on both the Riverdale and Coleharbor sides. Its shape follows the old river bay it was cut from, giving it a long, narrow basin rather than the broad open water of Sakakawea next door.
- 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.
Audubon Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Audubon Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 17 ft, 34 ft, 51 ft, 68 ft, 85 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 102 ft. The lake covers about 25.7 square miles. The shape of the bottom is the real one from published soundings, so anglers recognise their drop-offs and points.
A Audubon 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 Audubon 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 Audubon Lake.
Audubon 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 Audubon Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Audubon 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 102 ft
- 25.7 square miles of water
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
