Lake Monona

Summer Afternoon, originally uploaded by jw_creations.

This body of water of water known as Lake Monona is a freshwater drainage lake in Dane County, Wisconsin. It is the second largest in a chain of four lakes along the Yahara River (the other lakes being Mendota, Kegonsa, and Waubesa) in the area, and forms the south shore of the isthmus on which downtown Madison lies. The name 'Monona' is a Chippewa word believed to mean 'beautiful', although the lake was originally named by the Winnebago 'Teepee Lake'.

Lake Monona covers 3,274 acres and has a mean depth of 27 feet and a maximum depth of 64 feet. On average the lake holds about 28 billon gallons of water and is fed by three tributaries (small rivers or streams); the Yahara River, Starkweather Creek, and Murphy Creek. Monona is also home to many fish species including bluegill, lake sturgeon, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, muskie, northern pike, and walleye.

Interesting also is that Otis Redding and a few crewmembers ("Sitting on the Dock of the Bay") died when his plane crashed in Lake Monona on December 10, 1967 during a storm en route to a concert in Madison.