Every Lake
Balsam Lake
1,841 acres and only 33 feet deep at its lowest point, an hour from St. Paul.
- 5 ft · first step
- 11 ft
- 16 ft
- 22 ft
- 27 ft
- 33 ft · bottom
About Balsam Lake
Balsam Lake sits in Polk County, Wisconsin, carved out by the retreat of glaciers at the end of the last ice age like most of the region's lake basins. The lake spreads across roughly 1,841 acres but reaches a maximum depth of only about 33 feet, making it wide and shallow rather than deep, a shape that warms the water faster in summer and supports weed growth along its extensive shoreline. Its basin sits within the St. Croix River watershed in northwest Wisconsin.
The village of Balsam Lake, the Polk County seat, sits on the lake's western shore and anchors the handful of small communities around its roughly 21 miles of shoreline. The lake draws a mix of year-round Polk County residents and seasonal cabin owners, many arriving from the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area a couple hours to the west. Its shallow, weedy structure makes it known locally for panfish and walleye fishing, and its size makes it a destination for boating and swimming through the summer months.
- 2 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 153 roads engraved around the shore, 16 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.
Balsam Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Balsam Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 5 ft, 11 ft, 16 ft, 22 ft, 27 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 33 ft. The lake covers about 3.0 square miles, and 153 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 Balsam 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 Balsam 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 Balsam Lake.
Balsam 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 Balsam Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Balsam 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 33 ft
- 3.0 square miles of water
- 153 shore roads engraved, 16 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
