Every Lake
Lake Mendota
Madison's big lake, the most studied lake in the world, with the Capitol on its isthmus.
- 14 ft · first step
- 28 ft
- 42 ft
- 55 ft
- 69 ft
- 83 ft · bottom
About Lake Mendota
Lake Mendota is the largest of Madison's four lakes, about 9,800 acres and 83 feet deep, with the University of Wisconsin on its south shore. It is probably the most studied lake on earth — the university's Center for Limnology has watched it since the 1880s, and its ice records go back to 1852.
The Memorial Union Terrace, Picnic Point, Governor's Island and the village of Maple Bluff ring the water; the Capitol dome rises from the isthmus between Mendota and Monona.
- 8 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 2,530 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 Mendota depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Mendota depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 14 ft, 28 ft, 42 ft, 55 ft, 69 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 83 ft. The lake covers about 16.2 square miles, and 2530 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 Mendota 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 Mendota 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 Mendota.
Lake Mendota 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 Mendota; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Mendota 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 83 ft
- 16.2 square miles of water
- 2530 shore roads engraved, 6 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
