Lake Mendota

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Lake Mendota
Boats headed toward south shore (downtown Madison).
Location	Wisconsin
Coordinates	43°06′N 89°25′WCoordinates: 43°06′N 89°25′W
Primary inflows	Yahara River
Primary outflows	Yahara River
Catchment area	562 km² (217 sq mi)
Basin countries	United States
Surface area	9740 acres (39 km²)
Max. depth	83 ft (25 m)
Residence time (of lake water)	4.5 years
Shore length¹	21.6 mi (34.8 km)
Surface elevation	259 m (850 ft)
Frozen	December 20 (average freezing date)
Settlements	Madison, Middleton, Shorewood Hills, Maple Bluff, Westport
¹ Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Lake Mendota is the northernmost and largest of the four lakes near Madison, Wisconsin.^[1] The shorelines of Lakes Mendota and Monona define the isthmus upon which Madison was built; the lakes are connected by the Yahara River. The Wisconsin State Capitol building and much of the state government is located in this narrow stretch of land.

The lake borders Madison on the north, east and south, Middleton on the west, Shorewood Hills on the southwest, Maple Bluff on the Northeast, and Westport on the Northwest.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison campus is situated along the southern shore of Lake Mendota. In the early 20th century, Chancey Juday and Edward A. Birge founded an influential school of limnology here, as a component of the University of Wisconsin. The university's Hoofer Sailing Club operates at Memorial Union.

Much of the shore of Lake Mendota is lined with expensive luxury homes and condominiums. Along with houses and condominiums, the banks of Lake Mendota include government protected natural areas and parks, as well as University housing, the UW Student Union and a handful of hotels and restaurants. Summers bring boaters out in force - especially on the weekends - though Lake Mendota is rarely crowded. There are several boat launching sites to choose from, for non-residents to gain access to the water. There are also two major marinas serving the lake. On a typical summer day, people will enjoy various sorts of watersports; including fishing, water-skiing, wakeboarding, tubing, canoeing, wind-surfing, kayaking,^[2] sailing, and more.^[3]^[4] During the winter, many people still utilize Lake Mendota. The average freeze date of the lake is December 20th, resulting in many sports enthusiasts ice-boating, ice-skating, ice fishing, cross country skiing, playing ice hockey and snowkiting.^[5]