Every Lake
Kaw Lake
Built in 1976 to hold back the Arkansas River's Chikaskia tributary near Ponca City.
- 19 ft · first step
- 38 ft
- 56 ft
- 75 ft
- 94 ft
- 113 ft · bottom
About Kaw Lake
Kaw Lake sits on the Arkansas River in north-central Oklahoma, formed when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed Kaw Dam in 1976. The reservoir was built primarily for flood control after repeated flooding along the Arkansas River basin, with hydropower and water supply as secondary purposes. It backs up water across Kay and Osage counties, submerging what had been river-bottom farmland and the original town site of Kaw City, which was relocated to higher ground before the reservoir filled.
The lake sits just east of Ponca City, a refining and manufacturing town that grew up around Conoco's early operations, and draws boaters, anglers, and campers from the surrounding plains where reservoirs are scarce. Its shoreline runs long and irregular, following old creek drainages and the original river channel rather than a simple basin, which spreads recreation access across dozens of coves and points. The Kaw Nation, headquartered nearby in Kaw City, holds historical and cultural ties to the area predating the dam.
- 6 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 276 roads engraved around the shore, 9 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.
Kaw Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Kaw Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 19 ft, 38 ft, 56 ft, 75 ft, 94 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 113 ft. The lake covers about 23.5 square miles, and 276 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 Kaw 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 Kaw 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 Kaw Lake.
Kaw 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 Kaw Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Kaw 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 113 ft
- 23.5 square miles of water
- 276 shore roads engraved, 9 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
