University of Wisconsin–Madison

Tag: spring

Madison Lakes Now Ice-Free, Open for Spring

Another year, another ice-off for Madison’s lakes. Yesterday, the Wisconsin State Climatology office – specifically Ed Hopkins (you should read this great write-up in the Wisconsin State Journal) – officially declared the surface of Lake Mendota to be more open water than solid ice – so the date of March 22nd, 2020 will go down …

Guest Post: Madison’s Lakes are Thawed for Spring

It’s no joke- the April Fool’s Day view in Madison was one of open water, retreating ice and a few brave American coots and other waterfowl already taking advantage. That’s right, our “ice-on” season is over. Lake Mendota logged 86 days of ice cover, while Lake Monona was frozen for 97 this year – both …

Fish Fry Day: Migratory Fishes Meet Social Media

If you live, well, pretty much anywhere in North America, you know that spring is springing early this year. And while that means ice-free lakes, blooming crocuses and the return of all sorts of birds, it also means that fish are getting ready to move. This spring, (starting next week, in fact) we’ll be bringing …