Every Lake
Walker Lake
A terminal desert lake with no outlet, all that's left of Ice Age Lake Lahontan.
- 40 ft · first step
- 81 ft
- 121 ft
- 161 ft
- 202 ft
- 242 ft · bottom
About Walker Lake
Walker Lake sits in a closed basin in the high desert of western Nevada, fed by the Walker River and holding no outlet to any ocean. It is a remnant of Lake Lahontan, a much larger Pleistocene lake that once covered a large part of the region before drying down to the smaller basins that remain today, including Pyramid Lake to the north. Water arrives only from snowmelt carried down from the Sierra Nevada, and every gallon that enters leaves only through evaporation.
Because it has no outlet, the lake concentrates whatever salts and minerals the river carries in, and its level and salinity have shifted for a century as upstream farms and towns draw off the Walker River before it reaches the lake. The Walker River Paiute Tribe has fished and lived along the river and lake for generations, and the reservation borders the water on its northern end. Anglers and boaters still use the lake, though the declining water level has closed off some of the shoreline access that once existed.
- 2 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 67 roads engraved around the shore, 1 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.
Walker Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Walker Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 40 ft, 81 ft, 121 ft, 161 ft, 202 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 242 ft. The lake covers about 55.2 square miles, and 67 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 Walker 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 Walker 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 Walker Lake.
Walker 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 Walker Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Walker 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 242 ft
- 55.2 square miles of water
- 67 shore roads engraved, 1 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
