Every Lake
Lake Wingra
Three miles from the Wisconsin Capitol, a spring-fed lake shallow enough to freeze solid every winter.
- 8 ft · first step
- 15 ft
- 23 ft
- 31 ft
- 39 ft
- 46 ft · bottom
About Lake Wingra
Lake Wingra sits on the south side of Madison, Wisconsin, bordered by the University of Wisconsin Arboretum and Vilas Park. Its basin was shaped by glacial meltwater at the end of the last ice age, part of the same drainage system as the four Yahara lakes that run through the city. Wingra Creek carries its outflow east into the Yahara River, linking it to Lake Monona. The lake's name comes from a Ho-Chunk word, reflecting the Ho-Chunk Nation's long presence in the Four Lakes region before Madison was platted in 1836.
Wingra is shallow and spring-fed, with a maximum modeled depth of about 46 feet, while much of the lake runs far shallower, which leaves it prone to heavy weed growth and full ice cover most winters. Edgewood College sits on its northern shore, and the Wingra Park boathouse rents canoes and rowboats to residents and university students. The Arboretum's restored prairies and woods line the southern edge, drawing walkers and researchers more than boaters, since the lake carries a no-wake restriction. At about 316 acres, it ranks among the smaller lakes in the Yahara chain.
- 43 roads engraved around the shore, 4 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 Wingra depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Wingra depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 8 ft, 15 ft, 23 ft, 31 ft, 39 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 46 ft. The lake covers about 0.5 square miles, and 43 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 Wingra 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 Wingra 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 Wingra.
Lake Wingra 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 Wingra; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Wingra 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 46 ft
- 0.5 square miles of water
- 43 shore roads engraved, 4 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
