by Anna Mueller – I have grown up in the Madison lakes – jumping into Mendota and Wingra every summer without a second thought, doing polar plunges late in the fall, fishing with my brother. …
Learn Your Lakes
The Phantom Midge Returns: A Lake Mendota Mystery on Ice
Before ice season melts completely away on Madison’s lakes, we wanted to share some really cool photos that local ice angler, Jim Kusuda, took when he was fishing in 70 feet of water on Lake …
Fan Mail and A Few Thoughts About Science’s Role in Society
A few weeks ago, a letter arrived in our mailbox here at Hasler Lab from a reader of this blog. It was … not the most positive message. In fact, it stopped just short of …
Recent News A Stark Reminder That No Ice Is 100% Safe
Last Saturday, with temperatures hovering in the mid-teens, an experienced ice-angler died when his ATV broke through the ice on Lake Waubesa. A few days prior, a woman walking her dog fell through the ice …
Beyond The Bloom: Report Finds Some Surprising Fates in “Life Cycle” of Algal Toxins
Harmful algal blooms often seem to spring up out of nowhere, forcing public health officials scrambling to issue water quality advisories, while people headed out to recreate on a lake, river or reservoir are met …
Where Does Lake Mendota’s 2022 Christmas Freeze Fall in Historic Ice Records?
For fans of ice fishing, ice skating, cross-country skiing and just enjoying a winter walk, this holiday season was especially timely. One year ago today, Lake Mendota was still making waves and waiting on its …
A Tale of Two Fishes: Study Maps the Future of Trout Populations in Wisconsin
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: [Madison, WI] – Climate change is being felt across the world in many different ways. Atlantic hurricanes intensify. Western droughts deepen. And, here in Wisconsin, the future of fishing gets more uncertain. …
Study: Big Rains Bring Big Algae Blooms … Eventually
By Adam Hinterthuer In the lake-rich regions of the world, algae blooms are a growing problem. Not only are the floating green scums a nuisance for anyone hoping to enjoy the water, they can turn …
Study of “Annual Life Cycle” in Wisconsin Lakes Finds Unpredictable Fate “Up North,” While Southern Waters Routinely Run Out of Air
A new study has found that, despite relatively similar climate conditions, there is a big difference in how lakes in northern and southern Wisconsin are responding to a warmer, wetter world. Using data collected on …
Beneath the Surface, Long-Term Lake Monitoring Reveals the Drama of a Food Web in Flux
Seen from shore, it doesn’t look like a lot is going on in Trout Lake in northern Wisconsin. Aside from windy days that shove waves against its mostly wooded shoreline, the lake presents, more often …