Lake Mendota, Freshwater lake in Dane County, Wisconsin, US

Lake Mendota is a freshwater lake located in Dane County, Wisconsin. The water body features extensive shorelines and open water areas that support fishing, boating, and recreational activities throughout the seasons.

Lake Mendota formed after the Wisconsin glaciation, when retreating ice about 14,000 years ago dammed a glacial lake near present-day Middleton. Water filled the current basin, and about 10,000 years ago falling levels split one large lake into the four Madison lakes. The Ho-Chunk knew it as Wąąkšikhomįkra, and it took its present name in 1849 through surveyor Frank Hudson.

The Ho-Chunk name for the lake, Wąąkšikhomįkra, means "Where the Person Rests." The present name was adopted in 1849 on the proposal of surveyor Frank Hudson; Lyman C. Draper of the Wisconsin Historical Society suggested "Mendota" might be a Chippewa word for "large" or "great."

The city maintains five beaches on the lake, three of them staffed with lifeguards. At least 25 boat launching sites and several major marinas serve the Yahara chain of lakes. The lake freezes on an average date of December 20, opening the ice to skating, ice fishing and ice boating.

The lake serves as an ongoing research site for University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists who study freshwater ecosystems. This long-term scientific work provides insights that help protect lakes across the region and beyond.