Every Lake
Waptus Lake
No road reaches Waptus Lake — you get there on foot, deep in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.
- 5 ft · first step
- 10 ft
- 15 ft
- 20 ft
- 25 ft
- 30 ft · bottom
About Waptus Lake
Waptus Lake sits inside the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in Washington's Kittitas County, part of the Wenatchee National Forest east of the Cascade crest. The basin was carved by glaciers that once filled the surrounding valleys, and the lake is fed and drained by the Waptus River, which continues on toward the Cle Elum River. No road reaches the shoreline. Access is by trail from the Salmon la Sac area, a route that climbs through forest before dropping to the lake's northeast end.
The lake draws backpackers, anglers, and horse packers instead of motorboats, since wilderness status prohibits mechanized travel and keeps the shoreline undeveloped. A backcountry camp near the outlet serves hikers continuing farther in, including a boot path toward Spade Lake in the peaks above. Waptus is elongated along its valley floor rather than round, with the Waptus River entering at the upper end and continuing out the lower end toward the Cle Elum drainage. The water stays cold through summer, fed by snowmelt off the surrounding ridgelines.
- 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.
Waptus Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Waptus Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 5 ft, 10 ft, 15 ft, 20 ft, 25 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 30 ft. The lake covers about 0.4 square miles. The shape of the bottom is the real one from published soundings, so anglers recognise their drop-offs and points.
A Waptus 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 Waptus 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 Waptus Lake.
Waptus 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 Waptus Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Waptus 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 30 ft
- 0.4 square miles of water
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
