Glacial Lake Wisconsin

Glacial Lake Wisconsin was a large, temporary body of water formed around 20,000 years ago during the last Ice Age as glaciers covered much of North America. When the glaciers melted, meltwater pooled in a depression between the glaciers and the surrounding landscape, creating this expansive lake. It stretched across central Wisconsin and was several feet deep, covering thousands of square miles. Over time, the lake drained as glaciers continued to melt and the land's shape changed, leaving behind features like fertile plains, the Wisconsin River, and other geological formations that influence the region today.