Every Lake
Great Falls Lake
A 1916 hydroelectric dam on the Caney Fork River backed water into this Cumberland Plateau gorge.
- 8 ft · first step
- 16 ft
- 25 ft
- 33 ft
- 41 ft
- 49 ft · bottom
About Great Falls Lake
Great Falls Dam went up in 1916 on the Caney Fork River, built by the Tennessee Electric Power Company to run turbines rather than hold back floodwater. The Tennessee Valley Authority folded the dam and its powerhouse into the federal system in 1939. The reservoir backs up through a narrow gorge cut into the Cumberland Plateau, with rock walls rising close on both sides in the stretch nearest the dam.
Rock Island State Park sits just below the dam, where waterfalls formed by the powerhouse discharge draw campers and paddlers throughout the summer. Anglers fish the lake for walleye, sauger, and smallmouth bass, working water that runs deep and narrow through the gorge rather than wide and open. The lake sees less boat traffic than Tennessee's larger reservoirs, drawing people from the small towns of the central Cumberland Plateau rather than a big-city crowd.
- 16 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 183 roads engraved around the shore, 4 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.
Great Falls Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Great Falls 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 2.0 square miles, and 183 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 Great Falls 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 Great Falls 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 Great Falls Lake.
Great Falls 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 Great Falls Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Great Falls 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
- 2.0 square miles of water
- 183 shore roads engraved, 4 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
