Every Lake
Dale Hollow Lake
World-record smallmouth bass, 11 lb 15 oz, came out of this water in 1955.
- 14 ft · first step
- 29 ft
- 43 ft
- 57 ft
- 72 ft
- 86 ft · bottom
About Dale Hollow Lake
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finished Dale Hollow Dam in 1943, damming the Obey River a few miles above where it joins the Cumberland. The project was built for flood control and hydropower, part of a wave of Cumberland River dams started in the 1930s and 1940s. The resulting lake spread across the state line, submerging farmland and old river bottoms in north-central Tennessee and south-central Kentucky. Celina, Tennessee, sits near the lower end of the lake, close to where the dam holds back the water.
Dale Hollow built its reputation on smallmouth bass. David Hayes caught an 11-pound, 15-ounce smallmouth here in 1955, a record that still stands in most tallies decades later, and the lake still draws anglers chasing that fish every spring. The water runs clear enough for scuba divers to explore old creek channels and building foundations left from before the flooding. Houseboats anchor in the coves through summer, and the shoreline stays largely undeveloped compared to lakes closer to Nashville, with long stretches of forest instead of continuous housing.
- 24 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 1,364 roads engraved around the shore, 0 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.
Dale Hollow Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Dale Hollow Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 14 ft, 29 ft, 43 ft, 57 ft, 72 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 86 ft. The lake covers about 38.4 square miles, and 1364 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 Dale Hollow 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 Dale Hollow 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 Dale Hollow Lake.
Dale Hollow 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 Dale Hollow Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Dale Hollow 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 86 ft
- 38.4 square miles of water
- 1364 shore roads engraved
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
