Every Lake
Contoocook Lake
Jaffrey glacial pond, source of the Contoocook River, at the foot of Mount Monadnock.
- 7 ft · first step
- 14 ft
- 21 ft
- 28 ft
- 35 ft
- 42 ft · bottom
About Contoocook Lake
Contoocook Lake sits in Jaffrey, New Hampshire, at the foot of Mount Monadnock, and marks the source of the Contoocook River, which runs north to join the Merrimack. The lake covers roughly 390 acres with about 7 miles of shoreline. Its basin was carved by glacial retreat at the end of the last ice age, leaving the sandy bottom and uneven shoreline common to ponds in the Monadnock region. Jaffrey itself grew up around farming and small water-powered mills before drawing summer visitors in the late 1800s.
Cottages and camps ring the shore today alongside year-round homes clustered near Jaffrey center. Anglers fish it for bass and pickerel, and canoeists and swimmers use it through the summer, a quieter counterpart to the hiking traffic on nearby Monadnock. At a modeled maximum depth of about 42 feet, the lake warms through the season while staying deep enough to hold fish. Its shape reflects the glacial depression it fills, broader near the village end and tapering toward the outlet that becomes the Contoocook River.
- 85 roads engraved around the shore, 14 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.
Contoocook Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Contoocook 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 42 ft. The lake covers about 0.7 square miles, and 85 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 Contoocook 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 Contoocook 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 Contoocook Lake.
Contoocook 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 Contoocook Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Contoocook 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 42 ft
- 0.7 square miles of water
- 85 shore roads engraved, 14 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
