Every Lake
Lake Thompson
A slough in Kingsbury County flooded through the 1990s until it became South Dakota's largest lake.
- 11 ft · first step
- 21 ft
- 32 ft
- 42 ft
- 53 ft
- 64 ft · bottom
About Lake Thompson
Lake Thompson sits in Kingsbury County, South Dakota, roughly 25 miles west of Brookings. For decades it was a shallow prairie slough, farmed and grazed in dry years. Starting in the 1990s, a stretch of wetter-than-average years raised the water table across the region, and the low ground began to fill. Cropland, section-line roads, and a handful of farmsteads went under water. By the 2000s the basin had grown into the largest lake in South Dakota by surface area, a status it still holds.
The lake has no natural outlet, so the state eventually built a controlled spillway to keep the water level from climbing further and threatening nearby roads and land. Shallow and wind-exposed, it produces walleye, perch, and northern pike, and draws anglers from De Smet, Lake Preston, and Brookings for open-water and ice fishing alike. Public boat ramps ring the shoreline, and the surrounding land is flat cropland typical of the eastern South Dakota prairie. Duck and pheasant hunters use the margins in fall.
- 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 Thompson depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Thompson depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 11 ft, 21 ft, 32 ft, 42 ft, 53 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 64 ft. The lake covers about 19.2 square miles. The shape of the bottom is the real one from published soundings, so anglers recognise their drop-offs and points.
A Lake Thompson 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 Thompson 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 Thompson.
Lake Thompson 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 Thompson; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Thompson 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 64 ft
- 19.2 square miles of water
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
