Every Lake
Merrill Lake
A lava flow off Marble Mountain dammed the valley; today it's fly-fishing only.
- 9 ft · first step
- 17 ft
- 26 ft
- 35 ft
- 43 ft
- 52 ft · bottom
About Merrill Lake
Merrill Lake lies on the southwest flank of Mount St. Helens in Cowlitz County, Washington, near the small community of Cougar. It formed when an old lava flow off Marble Mountain blocked the valley of what is now Outlet Creek, backing water up into a narrow, elongated basin about four miles around. The lake sits in second-growth forest and is fed mostly by springs and small tributary creeks rather than a major river.
Washington Fish and Wildlife manages Merrill Lake as a selective-gear, fly-fishing-only water, stocked with cutthroat trout and fished mostly from float tubes and small boats rather than run with big motors. Eco Park Resort operates a campground and cabins on the shore, drawing anglers along with visitors headed up the road toward Ape Cave and the Lava Canyon trail. Longview is the nearest town of any size; closer in, the area is second-growth timber and national forest land with little other development.
- 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.
Merrill Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Merrill Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 9 ft, 17 ft, 26 ft, 35 ft, 43 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 52 ft. The lake covers about 0.5 square miles. The shape of the bottom is the real one from published soundings, so anglers recognise their drop-offs and points.
A Merrill 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 Merrill 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 Merrill Lake.
Merrill 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 Merrill Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Merrill 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 52 ft
- 0.5 square miles of water
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
