Every Lake
Summersville Lake
West Virginia's largest lake, formed when the Army Corps closed the Gauley River in 1966.
- 11 ft · first step
- 23 ft
- 34 ft
- 45 ft
- 57 ft
- 68 ft · bottom
About Summersville Lake
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built Summersville Dam across the Gauley River as a flood-control project, finishing construction in 1966. President Lyndon Johnson traveled to Nicholas County that September to dedicate the dam and the lake behind it. At roughly 390 feet high, it ranks among the tallest dams east of the Mississippi. The lake sits near the town of Summersville and within driving distance of Beckley, in the hill country of south-central West Virginia.
Below the dam, the Gauley River drops through a gorge that draws whitewater rafters each fall when the Corps releases water for flood-control drawdown. On the lake itself, the draw is different: sandstone cliffs rim parts of the shoreline, and clear water has made it a regional spot for scuba certification classes and rock climbing. Boaters and anglers from Nicholas, Fayette, and Raleigh counties use the lake for bass and walleye fishing through the warmer months.
- 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.
Summersville Lake depth chart, in wood
This is a Summersville Lake depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 11 ft, 23 ft, 34 ft, 45 ft, 57 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 68 ft. The lake covers about 2.1 square miles. The shape of the bottom is the real one from published soundings, so anglers recognise their drop-offs and points.
A Summersville 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 Summersville 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 Summersville Lake.
Summersville 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 Summersville Lake; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Summersville 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 68 ft
- 2.1 square miles of water
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
