Every Lake
Melton Hill Lake
TVA finished the dam on the Clinch River in 1963 and kept the pool nearly level ever since.
- 15 ft · first step
- 31 ft
- 46 ft
- 61 ft
- 76 ft
- 92 ft · bottom
About Melton Hill Lake
Melton Hill Lake formed in 1963, when the Tennessee Valley Authority closed Melton Hill Dam across the Clinch River a few miles upstream from its confluence with the Tennessee. The dam sits near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, the city built during World War II for the Manhattan Project and still home to Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Unlike most TVA reservoirs built for flood control, Melton Hill was designed to run at minimum drawdown, holding a nearly constant water level through the year rather than dropping several feet each winter.
That steady pool made the lake a base for competitive rowing, drawing scholastic and club crews to train and race on its long, straight stretches. The surrounding shoreline mixes Oak Ridge and Knox County waterfront with public access points and marinas used for bass fishing and water skiing. Anglers fish it for largemouth and smallmouth bass, crappie, and catfish, while the consistent water level distinguishes it from the more seasonal reservoirs elsewhere on the Tennessee River system.
- 24 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 4,722 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.
Melton Hill Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Melton Hill Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 15 ft, 31 ft, 46 ft, 61 ft, 76 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 92 ft. The lake covers about 7.6 square miles, and 4722 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 Melton Hill 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 Melton Hill 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 Melton Hill Lake.
Melton Hill 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 Melton Hill Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Melton Hill 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 92 ft
- 7.6 square miles of water
- 4722 shore roads engraved, 2 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
