Every Lake
Grand Lake
Backed up behind Pensacola Dam in 1940, on the Grand River in northeast Oklahoma.
- 21 ft · first step
- 42 ft
- 64 ft
- 85 ft
- 106 ft
- 127 ft · bottom
About Grand Lake
Grand Lake O' the Cherokees formed in 1940 when the Grand River Dam Authority closed Pensacola Dam across the Grand (Neosho) River in northeastern Oklahoma. The dam was built as a multiple-arch structure, among the longest of its type in the world at the time, and it produced hydroelectric power for a region that had little of it. The rising water covered river bottomland and small settlements, leaving a long, branching lake that follows the old river and creek channels rather than a single open basin.
The lake runs past Grove, Ketchum, Disney, Afton, and Langley, towns that grew up around marinas, bait shops, and lakefront subdivisions after the dam went in. It became known for largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing, and for a pontoon-boat and houseboat culture that draws weekenders up from Tulsa and Joplin. Its shoreline is long and irregular for its size, shaped by flooded creek arms, which spreads docks and coves across a much longer waterfront than the lake's acreage alone would suggest.
- 24 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 2,728 roads engraved around the shore, 16 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 depth chart, in wood
This is a Grand Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 21 ft, 42 ft, 64 ft, 85 ft, 106 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 127 ft. The lake covers about 41.4 square miles, and 2728 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 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 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.
Grand 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 Grand Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Grand 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 127 ft
- 41.4 square miles of water
- 2728 shore roads engraved, 16 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
