Every Lake
Cle Elum Lake
Cle Elum: a Yakima River valley flooded in 1933, refilled every spring since
- 15 ft · first step
- 31 ft
- 46 ft
- 61 ft
- 76 ft
- 92 ft · bottom
About Cle Elum Lake
Cle Elum Lake sits in the upper Yakima River valley on the eastern slope of the Washington Cascades, west of the town of Cle Elum. The Bureau of Reclamation raised an existing natural lake by building a dam at its outlet, completed in 1933, to store irrigation water for the Yakima River basin. The reservoir draws down significantly by late summer as water releases downstream for farms in the Kittitas and Yakima valleys, then refills with snowmelt each spring.
The lake is bordered by the Wenatchee National Forest and sees use from campers, boaters, and anglers fishing for kokanee and rainbow trout. Access points include Salmon la Sac Road, which runs along the west shore toward trailheads into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. The surrounding area is sparsely developed compared to lakes closer to Seattle, with the town of Roslyn and the city of Cle Elum serving as the nearest supply points. Its elongated, glacially carved basin runs roughly north to south, hemmed in by mountain slopes on both sides.
- 2 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 66 roads engraved around the shore, 0 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.
Cle Elum Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Cle Elum 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 6.6 square miles, and 66 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 Cle Elum 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 Cle Elum 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 Cle Elum Lake.
Cle Elum 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 Cle Elum Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Cle Elum 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
- 6.6 square miles of water
- 66 shore roads engraved
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
