Every Lake
Tainter Lake
A logging company dammed the Red Cedar River and got a lake shaped like a river instead
- 6 ft · first step
- 12 ft
- 18 ft
- 24 ft
- 30 ft
- 36 ft · bottom
About Tainter Lake
Tainter Lake sits on the Red Cedar River in Dunn County, Wisconsin, a few miles upstream from Menomonie and about twenty miles from Eau Claire. It was formed when a dam was built across the river to power sawmill operations for Knapp, Stout and Company, once one of the largest lumber firms in the country, headquartered in Menomonie. The dam backed water up along the river's original channel, which is why the lake reads long and narrow on a map instead of round.
The lumber era gave way to a mix of year-round homes and seasonal cabins along the shoreline, with Menomonie serving as the nearest town and home to the University of Wisconsin-Stout. The lake is used for walleye and muskie fishing, pontoon and ski boating, and paddling in the narrower upstream sections where the current from the Red Cedar is still noticeable. Its eight miles of shoreline follow the old river valley rather than a glacial basin, giving it more bends and coves than a typical Wisconsin lake its size.
- 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.
Tainter Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Tainter Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 6 ft, 12 ft, 18 ft, 24 ft, 30 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 36 ft. The lake covers about 1.4 square miles. The shape of the bottom is the real one from published soundings, so anglers recognise their drop-offs and points.
A Tainter 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 Tainter 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 Tainter Lake.
Tainter 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 Tainter Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Tainter 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 36 ft
- 1.4 square miles of water
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
