Every Lake
Fort Loudoun Lake
A TVA dam finished in 1943 turned the Tennessee River into 313 miles of shoreline.
- 15 ft · first step
- 29 ft
- 44 ft
- 58 ft
- 73 ft
- 88 ft · bottom
About Fort Loudoun Lake
Fort Loudoun Lake formed when the Tennessee Valley Authority completed Fort Loudoun Dam in 1943, backing up the Tennessee River east of Knoxville. The dam included the first lock TVA built mainly for navigation, letting barge traffic move upstream toward Knoxville. The lake takes its name from Fort Loudoun, a British garrison built in 1756 during the French and Indian War near present-day Vonore, roughly 30 miles southwest of the dam.
The lake runs through Knoxville, where the University of Tennessee campus sits along its bank near Neyland Stadium. Since 1962, fans have tied up boats along the shore before football games, a tradition known as the Vol Navy. Farther downstream, the lake passes Lenoir City and Farragut, towns built around marinas, bass and crappie fishing, and commuter traffic into Knoxville. Oak Ridge, established for the Manhattan Project in the 1940s, lies a short drive to the northwest.
- 24 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 16,153 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.
Fort Loudoun Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Fort Loudoun Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 15 ft, 29 ft, 44 ft, 58 ft, 73 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 88 ft. The lake covers about 43.9 square miles, and 16153 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 Fort Loudoun 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 Fort Loudoun 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 Fort Loudoun Lake.
Fort Loudoun 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 Fort Loudoun Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Fort Loudoun 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 88 ft
- 43.9 square miles of water
- 16153 shore roads engraved
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
