Every Lake
Fern Ridge Lake
Built in 1941 to catch flood water off the Long Tom River near Eugene.
- 8 ft · first step
- 16 ft
- 25 ft
- 33 ft
- 41 ft
- 49 ft · bottom
About Fern Ridge Lake
Fern Ridge Lake sits on the Long Tom River west of Eugene, Oregon, formed when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finished an earthen dam near Elmira in 1941. The project was built for flood control in the Willamette Valley, holding back winter runoff so towns downstream wouldn't flood every spring. The dam and reservoir are still run by the Corps today, one of thirteen flood-control lakes it operates in the Willamette basin.
The lake sits between Veneta and Elmira and draws people from Eugene for sailing, water-skiing, and small-boat racing on its open, wind-exposed water. Because it's a flood pool rather than a natural basin, the water is broad and shallow across most of its area, warming quickly in summer and drawing down well below full pool by fall. The surrounding wetlands, managed as the Fern Ridge Wildlife Area, are a stop for waterfowl on the Pacific Flyway and draw birdwatchers most of the year.
- 215 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.
Fern Ridge Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Fern Ridge Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 8 ft, 16 ft, 25 ft, 33 ft, 41 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 49 ft. The lake covers about 10.5 square miles, and 215 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 Fern Ridge 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 Fern Ridge 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 Fern Ridge Lake.
Fern Ridge 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 Fern Ridge Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Fern Ridge 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 49 ft
- 10.5 square miles of water
- 215 shore roads engraved, 18 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
