Bruce Carlson combines almost 70 years of observations, along with his training as a scientist, to provide a unique perspective on the natural history of an iconic north-central Minnesota lake. From ice-out in the spring, through the open water season, to the next winter, this profusely illustrated book provides a vivid picture of the seasonal changes in a lake. The account of these changes includes not only observations of what can be seen above the surface and on the land surrounding the lake, but also almost 75 underwater videos (in the electronic version that accompanies the printed book, sold separately) that depict in stunning detail the underwater landscape of a glacial lake and its inhabitants.

Much of what happens beneath the surface is unseen by most users of a lake. Underwater videos provide a unique window into that world. The author has taken and analyzed hundreds of hours of underwater videos of this lake over the past 30 years. This, plus his background as a fish biologist, has allowed him to paint a vivid picture of the complex seasonal rhythms of life that take place in any north country lake. Contains 180 color illustrations.

Bruce M. Carlson attended Gustavus Adolphus College with the intent of preparing for a career in fish biology, and worked for the Minnesota DNR as an aquatic biologist. After completing an MS degree in ichthyology at Cornell University, he undertook further graduate and medical studies at the University of Minnesota. Immediately upon receiving his MD and PhD degrees, he entered an exchange program between the Academies of Sciences of the USA and the USSR. He then joined the University of Michigan, where he served as a professor for forty years. During that time, he was Chairman of the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology and later, Director of the Institute of Gerontology. Over his career, Dr. Carlson has conducted research and lived in the USSR, Czechoslovakia, the Netherlands, Finland and New Zealand. In addition to around 200 research articles, he has written twenty books as sole author and has edited another 15 symposium volumes and translations. Since retirement in 2006, he has again become active in research on fish biology and the study of lakes. He now spends summers at the cabin on Ten Mile Lake in northern Minnesota.