Every Lake
Turtle-Flambeau Flowage
Dammed in 1926 to feed downstream paper mills, its 154 miles of shoreline stayed mostly wild.
- 15 ft · first step
- 30 ft
- 45 ft
- 60 ft
- 75 ft
- 90 ft · bottom
About Turtle-Flambeau Flowage
Turtle-Flambeau Flowage was created in 1926 when the Chippewa and Flambeau Improvement Company dammed the Turtle and Flambeau Rivers in Iron County, Wisconsin, backing up water to regulate flow for paper mills downstream on the Flambeau. The flooding submerged forest and low farmland, leaving behind a reservoir studded with islands and standing timber rather than a single open basin. The dam and the land around it are still managed for flow control today, not for lakefront development.
The state later designated the flowage and its surrounding land the Turtle-Flambeau Scenic Wildlife Area, which kept private building off most of the shoreline. That undeveloped edge, combined with the flooded timber and islands, made it a nesting ground for bald eagles and a destination for muskellunge anglers who fish out of Mercer and Manitowish Waters. Access points and primitive campsites, rather than resorts, are what line the water.
- 2 shore towns named, with a star on each
- 226 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.
Turtle-Flambeau Flowage depth chart, in wood
This is a Turtle-Flambeau Flowage depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 15 ft, 30 ft, 45 ft, 60 ft, 75 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 90 ft. The lake covers about 26.1 square miles, and 226 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 Turtle-Flambeau Flowage 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 Turtle-Flambeau Flowage 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 Turtle-Flambeau Flowage.
Turtle-Flambeau Flowage 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 Turtle-Flambeau Flowage; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Turtle-Flambeau Flowage 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 90 ft
- 26.1 square miles of water
- 226 shore roads engraved, 3 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
