Every Lake
Lake Waco
A 1930 dam on the Bosque River, rebuilt in 1965 to more than double its reach.
- 13 ft · first step
- 26 ft
- 38 ft
- 51 ft
- 64 ft
- 77 ft · bottom
About Lake Waco
Lake Waco sits on the Bosque River in McLennan County, Texas, formed by a dam completed in 1930 to supply water to the city of Waco. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers rebuilt the dam a mile downstream in 1965, raising the water level and roughly doubling the lake's surface area. In 2003 the Corps raised the conservation pool again, by about seven feet, to expand the water supply, a project that required creating the Lake Waco Wetlands as mitigation for the habitat it flooded.
The lake borders the city of Waco and Baylor University, whose rowing team trains from a boathouse on its shore. Marinas, campgrounds, and public parks line the shore, drawing sailors, water skiers, and bass anglers from across central Texas. Smaller communities such as Speegleville and China Spring sit along its western arms, mixing lake houses with working ranchland. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department stocks the lake and manages it as one of the region's principal bass fisheries.
- 8 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 798 roads engraved around the shore, 9 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 Waco depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Waco depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 13 ft, 26 ft, 38 ft, 51 ft, 64 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 77 ft. The lake covers about 9.0 square miles, and 798 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 Waco 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 Waco 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 Waco.
Lake Waco 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 Waco; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Waco 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 77 ft
- 9.0 square miles of water
- 798 shore roads engraved, 9 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
