Lake Monona facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Monona |
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Lake with Monona Terrace and Madison skyline in the distance
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 Lake Monona
Location in Wisconsin
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| Location | Dane County, Wisconsin |
| Coordinates | 43°4′9″N 89°21′34″W / 43.06917°N 89.35944°W |
| Primary inflows | Yahara River, Starkweather Creek, Murphy Creek |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 3,274 acres (13 km2) |
| Average depth | 27 ft (8.2 m) |
| Max. depth | 74 ft (23 m) |
| Residence time | 1.1 years |
| Surface elevation | 845 ft (258 m) |
| Frozen | About 107 days a year |
| Settlements | Madison, Monona |
Lake Monona is a beautiful freshwater lake in Dane County, Wisconsin. It's surrounded by the cities of Madison, Wisconsin and Monona, Wisconsin. This lake is the second largest in a chain of four lakes connected by the Yahara River. The other lakes in this chain are Mendota, Kegonsa, and Waubesa.
Lake Monona is located right next to downtown Madison. Its name, 'Monona', comes from the Chippewa language and means 'beautiful'. However, the Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) people originally called it 'Tchee-ho-bo-kee-xa-te-la', which means 'Teepee Lake'.
Contents
About Lake Monona
Lake Monona is found at coordinates 43°4′9″N 89°21′34″W / 43.06917°N 89.35944°W. It covers a large area of about 3,274 acres (13.2 square kilometers). The lake is about 27 feet (8.3 meters) deep on average, but its deepest point is 74 feet (22.6 meters).
The lake holds around 28 billion US gallons (110,000,000 cubic meters) of water. Its shoreline stretches for 13 miles (21 kilometers), and about 40% of this shoreline is open to the public. The lake's water level is controlled by locks where the Yahara River flows out of Lake Mendota.
Water Sources and Freezing
Lake Monona gets its water from three main sources, called tributaries. These are the Yahara River (which flows from Lake Mendota), Starkweather Creek, and Wingra Creek.
The lake usually freezes over for about 107 days each year. This can change a bit depending on how cold the winter is. You can get onto the lake using boat ramps.
Fish and Wildlife
Lake Monona is a great place for fishing because it's home to many different kinds of fish. People enjoy trying to catch various sport fish species here.
Popular Fish Species
Some of the fish you might find in Lake Monona include:
- Bluegill
- Lake sturgeon
- Largemouth bass
- Smallmouth bass
- Muskellunge (often called muskie)
- Northern pike
- Walleye
Historical Events
Lake Monona has been part of some important historical moments.
Otis Redding's Legacy
On December 10, 1967, the famous soul singer Otis Redding was traveling to a concert in Madison. Sadly, his plane crashed into Lake Monona during a storm. Otis Redding, his manager, and four members of his backup band, The Bar-Kays, passed away in the accident. Only one person on the plane, trumpeter Ben Cauley, survived.
See also
In Spanish: Lago Monona para niños
