Every Lake
Lake Merwin
Cowlitz River backed up behind a 313-foot dam since 1931, near Longview.
- 8 ft · first step
- 15 ft
- 23 ft
- 31 ft
- 39 ft
- 47 ft · bottom
About Lake Merwin
Lake Merwin was formed in 1931 when Pacific Power and Light completed Merwin Dam on the Cowlitz River, the first of three hydroelectric dams built on the river over the following three decades. The dam sits roughly 20 miles upstream from Longview and Woodland, in Clark and Cowlitz counties. The lake stretches about 14 miles behind the dam through forested, hilly terrain typical of southwest Washington's lower Cascade foothills.
The lake is used for fishing, particularly for kokanee and stocked trout, and draws boaters and campers from the Portland-Vancouver area given its drive time of under an hour. Its shoreline includes county parks and campgrounds such as Speelyai Bay and Cresap Bay, run by the Clark Public Utilities and PacifiCorp for public recreation. The dam remains part of a three-dam Cowlitz River hydroelectric system, with Yale Lake and Swift Reservoir further upstream.
- 4 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 40 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.
Lake Merwin depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Merwin depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 8 ft, 15 ft, 23 ft, 31 ft, 39 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 47 ft. The lake covers about 5.7 square miles, and 40 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 Merwin 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 Merwin 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 Merwin.
Lake Merwin 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 Merwin; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Merwin 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 47 ft
- 5.7 square miles of water
- 40 shore roads engraved
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
