Indiana Lakes Management Society

08/31/2026

“All Algae Are Bad”

❌ MYTH: If you see algae in a lake, something is wrong.

✅ FACT: Algae are a natural—and important—part of lake ecosystems!

Microscopic algae, or phytoplankton, form the base of the aquatic food web. They provide food for tiny organisms that are then eaten by fish and other aquatic life.

The concern comes when certain algae grow excessively or when potentially harmful cyanobacteria become dominant.

🔬 The goal isn't an algae-free lake. It's a balanced lake ecosystem.

💬 Have you ever wondered what species of algae are actually living in your lake?

08/29/2026

Stewardship Saturday: Give Your Shoreline a Little Room to Grow!

That strip of grass right along the water’s edge might be doing more work than you realize, especially when you don’t mow it.

Leaving even a small buffer of taller grasses, native plants, and flowers along the shoreline can help:

🌧️ Slow and filter stormwater runoff
🟤 Trap sediment before it reaches the lake
💧 Reduce nutrients entering the water
🌿 Stabilize shoreline soils
🐸 Provide habitat for frogs, insects, birds, and other wildlife

You don’t have to completely redesign your shoreline to make a difference. Start small! Choose one section and simply mow it less often or allow native vegetation to become established.

Think of it as giving your lake a little breathing room.

Stewardship Challenge: Do you have a natural buffer, rain garden, native planting, or other lake-friendly project at your property? Share a photo in the comments, we’d love to see what Indiana lake stewards are doing!

08/28/2026

💧 LAKE FACT FRIDAY

Did you know the deepest water in a lake isn’t always the coldest place fish want to be?

During summer, many Indiana lakes become stratified, forming distinct layers of warmer and cooler water.

You might think fish would simply head to the deepest, coolest water to escape the summer heat, but there’s a catch (see what we did there)👀

💨 They need oxygen, too!

As summer progresses, deep water can become depleted of dissolved oxygen. When that happens, fish may become squeezed into a narrower zone where the water is cool enough AND has enough oxygen to support them.

Scientists sometimes call this a temperature-oxygen squeeze.

That means the best fish habitat isn't necessarily the deepest water, it's where the right combination of temperature, oxygen, food, and cover comes together.

🎣 So, if the fish suddenly seem to have disappeared from your favorite spot this summer...they may have simply found a more comfortable neighborhood!

Have you noticed your fishing spots changing as summer progresses?

08/28/2026

CASE SOLVED: ✅ B. Loss of shoreline and shallow-water habitat.

Frogs depend on the transition between land and water for breeding, feeding, shelter, and protection. Removing native shoreline vegetation or altering shallow wetlands can reduce the habitat they need.

🐸 A healthy shoreline isn't just good for water quality—it supports an entire community of wildlife.

08/27/2026

🎓 ILMS STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS ARE NOW AVAILABLE!

The Indiana Lakes Management Society is pleased to offer at least three $500 scholarships for the 2026–2027 academic year.

These scholarships support undergraduate and graduate students pursuing studies related to:

🌊 Aquatic ecosystems
🌱 Environmental science
💧 Watershed management
🐟 Fisheries and natural resources
🔬 Biology and chemistry
🏞️ Related environmental fields

In addition to financial assistance, scholarship recipients will receive an ILMS membership and support to attend the 2027 ILMS Annual Conference, March 24–25 at Pokagon State Park!

Application deadline: October 9, 2026
Apply here: https://forms.gle/ge64wxCjiPRnNYXh6

Please share this opportunity with a student who is passionate about Indiana’s lakes, watersheds, and natural resources!

08/27/2026

🕵️ LAKE DETECTIVE THURSDAY

CASE FILE #006: The Case of the Missing Frogs 🐸
🟡 Difficulty: Field Investigator

THE MYSTERY

Last summer, frogs could be heard calling all along a lake’s shoreline.

This year? It’s strangely quiet.

🔎 THE CLUES

Some shoreline vegetation has been removed.
More of the shoreline is now closely mowed.
Shallow wet areas along the shore have disappeared.
Fewer frogs are being spotted.

What might explain the disappearing frogs?

A. Frogs don't like lakes anymore.
B. Loss of shoreline and shallow-water habitat.
C. The lake has too many fish.
D. Frogs only return every other year.

👇 What’s your theory? Leave your answer in the comments!

08/26/2026

💧 Water Quality Word Wednesday: DIMICTIC

Here's one that can stump even seasoned lake lovers!

A dimictic lake is a lake that typically undergoes complete mixing twice each year. usually during spring and fall.

During summer, differences in water temperature can create thermal stratification. During winter, ice-covered lakes may develop inverse stratification.

Then, as temperature and density conditions change in spring and fall, the water column can mix again.

"Di" = two. "Mictic" = mixing.

Many temperate lakes, including lakes in our region, can exhibit this seasonal mixing pattern.

08/26/2026

Answer Reveal

✅ C. Common Loon

Loons are incredible divers and can stay underwater for more than a minute while chasing fish. Although they're less common in Indiana than farther north, they migrate through the state each year.

08/25/2026

No Two Lakes Are Exactly Alike

Deep or shallow. Clear or naturally stained. Plant-filled or mostly open water. Spring-fed, groundwater-fed, or connected to a river or stream.

Every lake has its own personality.

Its shape, depth, watershed, geology, plants, fish, wildlife, and even the way water moves through it all help make that lake unique.

And that's part of what makes learning about lakes so interesting.

The more you get to know your lake, the more you start noticing the little things, where the fish tend to gather, which plants appear each summer, where the water is clearest, when the first signs of fall show up, or how the lake responds after a big rain.

So today, we're curious:

What is something that makes YOUR lake unique?

Tell us the lake and what you love—or find interesting—about it in the comments!

📸 Bonus points for a lake photo!

08/25/2026

🎥 Now Available to Everyone!

Missed our July webinar, “The Problem with Boat Wakes”? The recording is now available for anyone to watch whether you’re an ILMS member or not! You can find it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3r4-zPboXRM

Presented by Melissa DeSimone, Executive Director of the Michigan Lakes and Streams Association, this webinar explores how boat wakes can affect lakes, shorelines, and aquatic ecosystems.

ILMS is committed to providing educational resources on important lake management topics. Members can attend all ILMS webinars for free and access recordings from our library of past programs.

Not a member yet or need to renew? Individual memberships are only $25!

Join ILMS: https://indianalakes.org/Join/Members-Only

Watch “The Problem with Boat Wakes” using the link shared with this post.

Support our mission, connect with others who care about lake and watershed management, and be part of a community making a real impact.