Every Lake
Rock Lake
Divers have described cone-shaped stone mounds on its floor since the early 1900s, never fully explained.
- 7 ft · first step
- 13 ft
- 20 ft
- 26 ft
- 33 ft
- 40 ft · bottom
About Rock Lake
Rock Lake sits in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, about 25 miles east of Madison, carved out by glacial retreat at the end of the last ice age. The town of Lake Mills sits on its northeast shore, and the lake is spring-fed, draining eventually toward the Rock River. It has long drawn swimmers, sailors, and anglers from the Madison area, with public access points including Korth Park and Sandy Beach spaced along its roughly nine miles of shoreline.
Since the early 1900s, local fishermen and divers have reported cone-shaped stone mounds resting on the lake bottom, some described as taller than a person, which prompted decades of amateur and academic investigation into whether they were natural glacial deposits or built structures. No excavation has settled the question, and the mounds remain a subject of local debate and occasional dive expeditions. The lake today is known both for that unresolved story and for its clear water and steady recreational boating traffic.
- 88 roads engraved around the shore, 3 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.
Rock Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Rock Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 7 ft, 13 ft, 20 ft, 26 ft, 33 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 40 ft. The lake covers about 2.1 square miles, and 88 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 Rock 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 Rock 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 Rock Lake.
Rock 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 Rock Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Rock 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 40 ft
- 2.1 square miles of water
- 88 shore roads engraved, 3 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
