University of Wisconsin–Madison

Thank You for Supporting CFL Students!

Thank you so much to everyone who supported us during last week’s “Day of the Badger” event. We raised nearly $78,000- far surpassing our goal and allowing us to fund 10 summer research positions! Students will benefit directly through hands-on experiences studying the waters of Wisconsin. Many CFL students continue to pursue further education and …

Support CFL Students during “Day of the Badger” 2026

It’s that time of year again- rain is falling, flowers are blooming, and it’s UW-Madison’s “Day of the Badger.” This annual fundraising campaign is your chance to support the Center for Limnology. Your generosity during this event directly funds student research fellowships both at Hasler Lab in Madison and up north at Trout Lake Station. …

Want to catch more fish? Keep your line in the water and eyes off your screen

Angling technology has gotten increasingly powerful in recent years. Newly developed forward-facing sonar (FFS) units now give anglers the ability to pinpoint the location and watch the behavior of fish in real time, a seemingly massive advantage. This has led to considerable concerns that new technology could provide an unfair advantage to anglers, making overfishing …

CFL Education on Frozen Lakes Spans Wisconsin

During the winter, many Wisconsinites share in the joys of a frozen lake or other waterbody. Ice fishing, ice skating, skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling are all popular types of frozen fun. The Center for Limnology also deeply enjoys this season, continuing research under the ice and leading educational activities on top of it. Each February, …

Sailing Away from the CFL

by Adam Hinterthuer – It is surreal to be typing these words but – after 15 years – I am saying farewell to the Center for Limnology. In that time, I’ve had the great privilege to help share the stories about – and behind – the world-class science being done from this small, but mighty, …

CFL Student Wins Award for Bringing Her Research Down to Earth

Earlier this winter, Center for Limnology graduate student, Sophia Skoglund, stepped up to a scaled-down version of NASA’s “Hyperwall” presentation screen in a cavernous room of the New Orleans Convention Center. Skoglund was there to tell attendees of the American Geophysical Union’s annual conference about her work bringing satellite data down to earth – or, …

Where Does Lake Mendota’s 2025 Freeze Date Rank in the 170-Year Record?

It’s official! Just as we were waking up from ringing in the New Year, the Wisconsin State Climatology Office declared January 1, 2026 as the date that Lake Mendota officially froze for the 2025/26 winter season. Here at the CFL it’s hard to feel like winter has truly begun until the last of Madison’s lakes …

Be Careful on Frozen Lakes – Especially During “Shoulder Season”

Yesterday evening as sunset was casting a rosy pink band of light across the frozen surface of Lake Monona near Olbrich Park, two people skated across its newly frozen surface. This morning, a semi-frozen Lake Mendota offered flocks of Canada geese, mallards and mergansers rippling open waters to swim in punctuated by long stretches of …

Alumni @ Work: See What Some Recent CFL Grads Were Up To in 2025!

Earlier this fall, we asked some of the Center for Limnology’s alumni from the last several years to send us updates on what they were working on these days. A couple of those updates ended up in our annual newsletter (which you can read here), but we got so many updates, we didn’t have room …