Every Lake
Jefferson Lake
44 acres near Paterson, sounded to 54 feet, never bigger than a neighborhood
- 9 ft · first step
- 18 ft
- 27 ft
- 36 ft
- 45 ft
- 54 ft · bottom
About Jefferson Lake
Jefferson Lake sits in the lake country northwest of Paterson, New Jersey, a region shaped by nineteenth-century mill dams and later subdivided into small lakeside communities. Like many lakes in this part of Passaic and Morris counties, it is small and shallow by comparison to its larger neighbors such as Lake Hopatcong, its 44 acres ringed mostly by houses rather than open shoreline. The lake reads less as a natural landmark than as a local one, known mainly to residents and to anglers working the smaller lakes off the beaten path.
At roughly a mile of shoreline, Jefferson Lake is compact enough to cross by kayak in minutes but deep enough in its central basin, around 54 feet by modeled estimate, to hold cooler water through summer. The surrounding towns grew as bedroom communities for Paterson and the broader New York metro area, and the lake functions accordingly: a place for residents to fish, paddle, or keep a small dock rather than a destination lake drawing outside traffic. Its size and setting put it firmly in the category of neighborhood lake, one of dozens scattered across northern New Jersey's hill country.
- 5 roads engraved around the shore, 2 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.
Jefferson Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Jefferson Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 9 ft, 18 ft, 27 ft, 36 ft, 45 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 54 ft. The lake covers about 0.1 square miles, and 5 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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson Lake.
Jefferson 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 Jefferson Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Jefferson 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 54 ft
- 0.1 square miles of water
- 5 shore roads engraved, 2 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
