Lake Mendota

Lake Mendota
Location	Wisconsin
Coordinates	43°06′N 89°25′WCoordinates: 43°06′N 89°25′W
Basin countries	United States
Surface area	9740 acres (39 km²)
Max depth	83 ft (25 m)
Shore length1	21.6 mi (34 km)
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Lake Mendota is the northernmost and largest of the four lakes near Madison, Wisconsin. 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 University of Wisconsin-Madison campus is situated along the southern shore of Lake Mendota.

Much of the shore of Lake Mendota is lined with expensive luxury homes and condominiums. Those homeowners are taxed quite heavily for the opportunity to live there. Even the smallest home or condominium costs a great deal of money, versus homes of the same size just across the street. 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, sailing, and more. During the winter, many people still utilize Lake Mendota. The cold weather usually freezes the lake by late December, resulting in many sports enthusiasts ice-boating, ice-skating, ice-fishing, cross country skiing, playing ice hockey, and participating in many of the newer "extreme" sports.

• Average freeze date December 20

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