Every Lake
Cross Lake
13 miles of shoreline where the Seneca River widens west of Syracuse, New York.
- 6 ft · first step
- 13 ft
- 19 ft
- 26 ft
- 32 ft
- 38 ft · bottom
About Cross Lake
Cross Lake sits on the Cayuga–Onondaga county line and is really a wide, shallow stretch of the Seneca River, held at its working level by lock and dam infrastructure that ties it into the New York State Canal System. That system links Lake Erie to the Hudson River, and Cross Lake has functioned as part of that navigable chain for over a century, carrying boat traffic between the Finger Lakes region and the Oswego and Erie corridors.
The hamlet of Bell Isle sits on a peninsula jutting into the lake, and the surrounding towns of Cato, Mentz, and Throop are mostly farm country with a ring of camps and year-round houses along the water. Anglers come for smallmouth bass, walleye, and northern pike, and the lake's canal-controlled water level keeps it navigable for small boats through the season. It draws less tourist traffic than the true Finger Lakes to its east, staying mostly a local lake for people who live within a short drive of it.
- 2 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 59 roads engraved around the shore, 13 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.
Cross Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Cross Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 6 ft, 13 ft, 19 ft, 26 ft, 32 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 38 ft. The lake covers about 3.2 square miles, and 59 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 Cross 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 Cross 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 Cross Lake.
Cross 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 Cross Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Cross 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 38 ft
- 3.2 square miles of water
- 59 shore roads engraved, 13 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
