Every Lake
J. Percy Priest Lake
Named for a congressman who died before the dam he championed filled the Stones River.
- 9 ft · first step
- 18 ft
- 27 ft
- 36 ft
- 45 ft
- 54 ft · bottom
About J. Percy Priest Lake
The lake sits behind a dam the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built across the Stones River just east of Nashville, part of a flood-control project for the Cumberland River basin. It carries the name of James Percy Priest, a Nashville-area congressman who pushed for the dam in Washington but did not live to see it finished. The reservoir spans parts of Davidson, Rutherford, and Wilson counties, wrapping around the eastern edge of the city.
Nashville's growth pushed right up to its shoreline, and towns like Hermitage, Donelson, Smyrna, and La Vergne now ring the water. Long Hunter State Park occupies a stretch of the eastern shore, and the lake draws a heavy mix of bass and crappie anglers, pontoon and ski boat traffic, and commuters who cross it on I-40. Its long, branching arms follow the flooded creek valleys of the old Stones River watershed, giving it a shape more like a river system than a single basin.
- 24 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 3,820 roads engraved around the shore, 2 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.
J. Percy Priest Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a J. Percy Priest Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 9 ft, 18 ft, 27 ft, 36 ft, 45 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 54 ft. The lake covers about 22.5 square miles, and 3820 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 J. Percy Priest 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 J. Percy Priest 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 J. Percy Priest Lake.
J. Percy Priest 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 J. Percy Priest Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. J. Percy Priest 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 54 ft
- 22.5 square miles of water
- 3820 shore roads engraved, 2 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
