Every Lake
American Lake
Carved by the Puget lobe, then flanked by an Army post that opened in 1917.
- 6 ft · first step
- 11 ft
- 17 ft
- 22 ft
- 28 ft
- 33 ft · bottom
About American Lake
American Lake sits in Pierce County, Washington, southwest of Tacoma, between the cities of Lakewood and DuPont. The lake formed as the Puget lobe of the Cordilleran ice sheet retreated at the end of the last glacial period, leaving behind a chain of kettle and scour lakes across the South Sound lowlands. American Lake covers roughly 1,013 acres with about nine miles of shoreline, fed largely by groundwater and shallow compared to some of its glacial neighbors, with a modeled maximum depth near 33 feet.
The lake's eastern and southern shores border Joint Base Lewis-McChord, a merger of Fort Lewis, an Army post established in 1917 as Camp Lewis, and McChord Field, an Air Force base activated in 1940. American Lake Veterans Golf Course, built for disabled veterans, sits on its north shore. Away from the base, the lake draws water skiers and anglers from Lakewood and the surrounding suburbs, with kokanee and rainbow trout among the stocked fish, and a public boat launch on its western side.
- 4 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 443 roads engraved around the shore, 18 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.
American Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a American Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 6 ft, 11 ft, 17 ft, 22 ft, 28 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 33 ft. The lake covers about 1.7 square miles, and 443 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 American 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 American 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 American Lake.
American 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 American Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. American 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 33 ft
- 1.7 square miles of water
- 443 shore roads engraved, 18 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
