Every Lake
Lake Altus
Formed in 1945 when the Bureau of Reclamation dammed the North Fork Red River near Lugert, Oklahoma.
- 14 ft · first step
- 28 ft
- 42 ft
- 56 ft
- 70 ft
- 84 ft · bottom
About Lake Altus
The Bureau of Reclamation completed Altus Dam on the North Fork Red River in 1945, creating a reservoir in southwestern Oklahoma near the Quartz Mountains. The dam was built primarily to store irrigation water for farmland around the city of Altus. The original townsite of Lugert, established in the early 1900s along the river, was largely abandoned once the water rose, and the lake is often called Lake Altus-Lugert in reference to it. At full pool the reservoir covers about 5,051 acres.
Lake Altus-Lugert borders Quartz Mountain State Park, where granite hills rise directly from the shoreline instead of the flat farmland typical of the surrounding plains. Sailboats use the open water for regattas, and the lake has a regional reputation among Oklahoma anglers for striped bass, walleye, and crappie. Its shoreline runs about 24 miles, tracing the irregular edge of the granite outcrops rather than a smooth basin, and the lake sits within view of the Wichita Mountains range to the south and east.
- 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.
Lake Altus depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Altus depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 14 ft, 28 ft, 42 ft, 56 ft, 70 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 84 ft. The lake covers about 8.1 square miles. The shape of the bottom is the real one from published soundings, so anglers recognise their drop-offs and points.
A Lake Altus 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 Lake Altus 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 Lake Altus.
Lake Altus 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 Lake Altus; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Altus 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 84 ft
- 8.1 square miles of water
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
