Every Lake
Grand Lake–Saint Marys
Dammed 1837–1845 as a Miami and Erie Canal feeder, once the world's largest artificial lake.
- 13 ft · first step
- 26 ft
- 39 ft
- 52 ft
- 64 ft
- 77 ft · bottom
About Grand Lake–Saint Marys
Grand Lake–Saint Marys was built between 1837 and 1845 as a feeder reservoir for the Miami and Erie Canal, which carried freight between Cincinnati and Toledo. Crews dammed the St. Marys River and dug the basin largely by hand and mule-drawn scraper, flooding thousands of acres of forest and farmland across Mercer and Auglaize counties. At the time it was reported as the largest artificial lake in the world, a claim that held until larger reservoirs were built in the American West later in the same century.
The canal trade faded within a few decades, but the lake remained, bordered by the towns of Celina and St. Marys, Ohio. Its basin is broad and shallow rather than deep, with roughly 28 miles of shoreline enclosing open water that lets wind build across long fetches, drawing sailing clubs alongside small fishing and pontoon boats. Anglers work it for largemouth bass, crappie, and channel catfish, and the surrounding farmland drains straight into the lake, tying its condition to the fields around it season to season.
- 24 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 697 roads engraved around the shore, 6 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.
Grand Lake–Saint Marys depth chart, in wood
This is a Grand Lake–Saint Marys depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 13 ft, 26 ft, 39 ft, 52 ft, 64 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 77 ft. The lake covers about 19.6 square miles, and 697 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 Grand Lake–Saint Marys 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 Grand Lake–Saint Marys 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 Grand Lake–Saint Marys.
Grand Lake–Saint Marys 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 Grand Lake–Saint Marys; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Grand Lake–Saint Marys 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 77 ft
- 19.6 square miles of water
- 697 shore roads engraved, 6 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
