Every Lake
Diablo Lake
Held behind a 389-foot dam finished in 1930, turquoise from glacial rock flour in the Skagit River.
- 9 ft · first step
- 18 ft
- 27 ft
- 36 ft
- 46 ft
- 54 ft · bottom
About Diablo Lake
Diablo Lake is a reservoir on the Skagit River, formed in 1930 when Seattle City Light finished Diablo Dam, then the highest dam in the world at 389 feet. The dam sits between two others, Gorge Dam downstream and Ross Dam upstream, and the three together supply roughly a fifth of Seattle's electricity. Newhalem, a small company town built for Seattle City Light workers, lies about seven miles downstream. The lake's milky turquoise color comes from rock flour ground by nearby glaciers and carried in by mountain streams.
The lake sits inside North Cascades National Park, and the North Cascades Highway, State Route 20, runs along part of its shore, closed each winter by snow. Visitors come for kayaking and canoeing on the colored water and for the Diablo Lake Trail, which climbs above the reservoir toward views of the surrounding peaks. Few people live on the lake itself; most who see it are day hikers, paddlers, and drivers stopped at the highway overlook. Seattle City Light still runs boat tours from Diablo townsite for those who want to see the dam up close.
- 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.
Diablo Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Diablo Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 9 ft, 18 ft, 27 ft, 36 ft, 46 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 54 ft. The lake covers about 1.1 square miles. The shape of the bottom is the real one from published soundings, so anglers recognise their drop-offs and points.
A Diablo 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 Diablo 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 Diablo Lake.
Diablo 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 Diablo Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Diablo 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 54 ft
- 1.1 square miles of water
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
