Every Lake
Peat Lake
Forty-four acres and a mile of shoreline, tucked in southeastern Wisconsin near the Illinois line.
- 8 ft · first step
- 16 ft
- 25 ft
- 33 ft
- 41 ft
- 49 ft · bottom
About Peat Lake
Peat Lake sits in southeastern Wisconsin, just north of the Illinois state line near Waukegan. At 44 acres it is a small lake by regional standards, with roughly a mile of shoreline ringing it. Lakes in this part of the state trace back to the retreat of the last glaciers, which left behind the kettle basins and connected wetlands typical of the Wisconsin-Illinois border country. The name points to that origin: peat deposits from long-standing bog and marsh vegetation along the margins, a common feature of small glacial lakes in the region.
For a lake its size, Peat Lake carries some real depth, with a modeled maximum near 49 feet. That places its deepest point well below the shallow, weedy margins that ring most small lakes of similar acreage, giving it a steep-sided basin rather than a shallow bowl. Lakes like this one tend to draw a narrow band of regulars rather than heavy boat traffic: nearby property owners, local anglers working panfish and bass, and residents of the small unincorporated communities that dot this stretch of the Wisconsin-Illinois border.
- 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.
Peat Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Peat Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 8 ft, 16 ft, 25 ft, 33 ft, 41 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 49 ft. The lake covers about 0.1 square miles. The shape of the bottom is the real one from published soundings, so anglers recognise their drop-offs and points.
A Peat 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 Peat 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 Peat Lake.
Peat 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 Peat Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Peat 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 49 ft
- 0.1 square miles of water
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
