Every Lake
Big Moose Lake
1,200 acres near Utica, up to 85 feet deep, 15 miles of shoreline to trace
- 14 ft · first step
- 28 ft
- 42 ft
- 56 ft
- 70 ft
- 85 ft · bottom
About Big Moose Lake
Big Moose Lake sits in the western Adirondacks of Herkimer County, a short drive from Utica, New York. It formed as part of the Fulton Chain region shaped by glacial retreat, leaving a body of water roughly 1,200 acres with about 15 miles of irregular shoreline. The lake became widely known after the 1906 drowning of Grace Brown, a case that inspired Theodore Dreiser's novel An American Tragedy. That history still draws visitors curious about the shoreline where it happened.
Year-round, the lake serves a mix of seasonal camp owners, year-round Adirondack residents, and summer visitors who arrive for boating, fishing, and quiet water. Communities like Big Moose and Eagle Bay sit along its edges, with camps dating back over a century in some family lines. The lake's basin runs to a maximum depth of roughly 85 feet, giving it enough cold, deep water to hold lake trout alongside smallmouth bass and other panfish. Its shoreline bends around several bays and points rather than running in a simple oval, a shape that has kept boat traffic spread out rather than concentrated.
- 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.
Big Moose Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Big Moose Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 14 ft, 28 ft, 42 ft, 56 ft, 70 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 85 ft. The lake covers about 2.0 square miles. The shape of the bottom is the real one from published soundings, so anglers recognise their drop-offs and points.
A Big Moose 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 Big Moose 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 Big Moose Lake.
Big Moose 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 Big Moose Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Big Moose 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 85 ft
- 2.0 square miles of water
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
