Every Lake
Lake Samish
The Bellingham–Mount Vernon interurban once ran its shore; I-5 runs there now.
- 10 ft · first step
- 20 ft
- 31 ft
- 41 ft
- 51 ft
- 61 ft · bottom
About Lake Samish
Lake Samish sits in Whatcom County, Washington, a few miles south of Bellingham, wedged between the Chuckanut foothills and Interstate 5. It is a natural lake, not a reservoir behind a dam, fed by small streams and groundwater rather than a controlled river. Basins like it are common across the Puget lowland, left behind after the last continental ice sheet retreated from the region. The shoreline today is a mix of year-round homes and summer cabins strung along Lake Samish Road, with the small community of Samish at its south end.
For much of the twentieth century, the Bellingham–Mount Vernon interurban rail line ran along the lake's eastern edge, carrying passengers and freight before the line was abandoned; the old grade is now part of the Interurban Trail, used by hikers and cyclists. The lake is managed as a fishery, stocked with rainbow trout and holding populations of smallmouth bass and catfish. Anglers, water-skiers, and paddlers use it through the summer months, and a public boat launch sits at its south end near the old rail corridor.
- 47 roads engraved around the shore, 6 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 Samish depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Samish depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 10 ft, 20 ft, 31 ft, 41 ft, 51 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 61 ft. The lake covers about 1.2 square miles, and 47 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 Samish 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 Samish 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 Samish.
Lake Samish 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 Samish; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Samish 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 61 ft
- 1.2 square miles of water
- 47 shore roads engraved, 6 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
