Every Lake
Elephant Butte Lake
A volcanic rock shaped like an elephant gave a 1916 dam its name, and the lake its own.
- 26 ft · first step
- 52 ft
- 79 ft
- 105 ft
- 131 ft
- 157 ft · bottom
About Elephant Butte Lake
Elephant Butte Lake formed after the completion of Elephant Butte Dam in 1916, which impounds the Rio Grande in southern New Mexico. At the time of its construction, the dam was one of the largest irrigation dams in the world, built primarily to store water for farmers downstream in the Rio Grande valley. The lake takes its name from a large volcanic rock formation near the dam, an eroded remnant of an ancient lava flow that early settlers thought resembled an elephant.
The town of Truth or Consequences sits near the lake's north end, renamed from Hot Springs in 1950 after a radio quiz show. Elephant Butte Lake State Park surrounds much of the shoreline and draws boaters, anglers, and campers from across the state; it is regularly counted among New Mexico's most visited state parks. Fishing on the lake centers on striped bass, largemouth bass, walleye, and catfish. Because the lake serves as an irrigation reservoir, its water level and surface area shift considerably from year to year depending on snowpack and drought conditions upstream.
- 569 roads engraved around the shore, 0 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.
Elephant Butte Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Elephant Butte Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 26 ft, 52 ft, 79 ft, 105 ft, 131 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 157 ft. The lake covers about 45.1 square miles, and 569 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 Elephant Butte 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 Elephant Butte 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 Elephant Butte Lake.
Elephant Butte 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 Elephant Butte Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Elephant Butte 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 157 ft
- 45.1 square miles of water
- 569 shore roads engraved
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
