Every Lake
Lake Buchanan
The first and largest of the Texas Highland Lakes.
- 21 ft · first step
- 43 ft
- 64 ft
- 86 ft
- 107 ft
- 128 ft · bottom
About Lake Buchanan
Lake Buchanan was completed in 1939 when the Lower Colorado River Authority finished Buchanan Dam on the Colorado River west of Burnet, the first and largest of the seven Highland Lakes. It covers about 22,333 acres with a maximum depth of 132 feet. The dam was originally called Hamilton Dam, then renamed for Congressman James P. Buchanan, who secured its federal funding; the town of Bluffton was moved five miles west to make way for the rising water.
- 10 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 630 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.
Lake Buchanan depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Buchanan depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 21 ft, 43 ft, 64 ft, 86 ft, 107 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 128 ft. The lake covers about 32.2 square miles, and 630 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 Lake Buchanan 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 Lake Buchanan 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 Lake Buchanan.
Lake Buchanan 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 Lake Buchanan; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Buchanan 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 128 ft
- 32.2 square miles of water
- 630 shore roads engraved, 2 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
