Mendota Freeze Contest

media release: Clean Lakes Alliance is kicking off our 15th annual Mendota Freeze Contest on Saturday, November 15th! Calling on weather watchers and ice experts of all ages, the contest asks people to guess the official ice-on date for Lake Mendota. People who guess the correct date will be entered to win a gift card to an area business.

Last winter, Lake Mendota officially froze on December 25, 2024. Just two days later, the ice opened on December 27, as temperatures climbed into the 40s. The lake refroze on January 7, 2025, and remained iced over until March 15, 2025. The official “ice-on” date is determined by the Wisconsin State Climatology Office.