Every Lake
Jim Chapman Lake
Named for the congressman who pushed the Corps of Engineers to finish Cooper Dam in 1991.
- 10 ft · first step
- 20 ft
- 31 ft
- 41 ft
- 51 ft
- 61 ft · bottom
About Jim Chapman Lake
The lake sits behind Cooper Dam on the South Sulphur River in Delta County, Texas, built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and filled by 1991. It replaced a smaller reservoir from the 1950s that had largely silted in, and the new impoundment was renamed for U.S. Representative Jim Chapman, who represented the district and backed the larger dam project through Congress. The rebuild raised the pool well above the old lake's footprint.
Cooper Lake State Park manages public access through two separate units, Doctors Creek and South Sulphur, on opposite arms of the reservoir. The surrounding shoreline is undeveloped compared to lakes closer to Dallas, drawing anglers after white bass and crappie, along with campers and boaters from Cooper and Sulphur Springs. The lake's basin follows the branching creek arms of the South Sulphur watershed rather than a single open bowl, giving it an irregular, many-fingered outline.
- 6 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 53 roads engraved around the shore, 5 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.
Jim Chapman Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Jim Chapman Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 10 ft, 20 ft, 31 ft, 41 ft, 51 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 61 ft. The lake covers about 16.0 square miles, and 53 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 Jim Chapman 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 Jim Chapman 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 Jim Chapman Lake.
Jim Chapman 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 Jim Chapman Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Jim Chapman 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 61 ft
- 16.0 square miles of water
- 53 shore roads engraved, 5 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
