Every Lake
Hinckley Reservoir
Built in 1915 to feed the Erie Canal, 23 miles of shoreline near Utica.
- 13 ft · first step
- 25 ft
- 38 ft
- 51 ft
- 63 ft
- 76 ft · bottom
About Hinckley Reservoir
Hinckley Reservoir was formed in 1915 when the state dammed the West Canada Creek near the hamlet of Hinckley in Herkimer County. The dam was built to guarantee a steady water supply for the Erie Canal's Utica-area locks and to supply drinking water to the city of Utica, about 15 miles south. Construction flooded farmland and small settlements along the creek valley. The reservoir sits at the southwestern edge of the Adirondack Park, fed by the West Canada Creek watershed draining the southern Adirondacks.
The reservoir covers about 2,570 acres with roughly 23 miles of shoreline, its long, branching shape following the flooded creek valleys rather than a single round basin. Towns along its edges include Trenton, Remsen, and Poland, and the state maintains a public campground and boat launch on its southern shore. It draws boaters, campers, and anglers from the Utica area on weekends. Below the dam, the West Canada Creek continues as a well-known trout stream, its flow regulated by releases from the reservoir.
- 6 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 130 roads engraved around the shore, 18 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.
Hinckley Reservoir depth chart, in wood
This is a Hinckley Reservoir depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 13 ft, 25 ft, 38 ft, 51 ft, 63 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 76 ft. The lake covers about 4.2 square miles, and 130 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 Hinckley Reservoir 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 Hinckley Reservoir 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 Hinckley Reservoir.
Hinckley Reservoir 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 Hinckley Reservoir; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Hinckley Reservoir 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 76 ft
- 4.2 square miles of water
- 130 shore roads engraved, 18 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
