Every Lake
Lake Owassa
A private 237-acre lake in Sussex County with four miles of shoreline and no public launch.
- 11 ft · first step
- 22 ft
- 33 ft
- 44 ft
- 55 ft
- 66 ft · bottom
About Lake Owassa
Lake Owassa sits in Frankford Township, Sussex County, in the northwestern corner of New Jersey. It is a private, dammed lake rather than a natural glacial basin, built to impound a local stream and create a fixed water level for the cottage community that grew up around its banks in the twentieth century. Access has stayed limited ever since, controlled by the Lake Owassa Association rather than the state, which is why it reads on maps as a lake few people outside the area have heard of.
The shoreline runs about four miles around 237 acres of water, ringed mostly by seasonal and year-round cottages rather than commercial docks or marinas. It draws a mix of longtime family-owned camps and bass anglers, since the lake has a local reputation among Sussex County fishermen for largemouth bass and pickerel. Nearby towns include Newton and Branchville, both small county-seat-style boroughs rather than resort towns, which keeps the lake's pace closer to a private retreat than a tourist destination.
- 20 roads engraved around the shore, 7 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.
Lake Owassa depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Owassa depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 11 ft, 22 ft, 33 ft, 44 ft, 55 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 66 ft. The lake covers about 0.4 square miles, and 20 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 Lake Owassa 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 Owassa 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 Owassa.
Lake Owassa 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 Owassa; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Owassa 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 66 ft
- 0.4 square miles of water
- 20 shore roads engraved, 7 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
