Littoral and Pelagic Water Temperatures and Light in Escanaba, McDermott, and Sparkling Lakes, Wisconsin USA 2023-2024

This dataset contains high-frequency temperature (°C) and light (lux) measurements from three north-temperate lakes collected during the summers of 2023 and 2024, as well as locations of sensors in each lake. HOBO (HOBO Pendant temp/light®, Onset Brands, MA) sensors recorded at hourly intervals. Measurements were collected at 0.5m and 1m depth in all lakes (McDermott, Escanaba, and Sparkling) and at select 3m sites in Sparkling Lake.

Sampling included pelagic and littoral zones. Each lake contained two pelagic sites instrumented using subsurface buoys. The number of littoral sites varied by lake and year (see Methods). At littoral sites, macrophyte presence or absence was assessed weekly, with presence defined as macrophytes occupying more than 50% of the water column. In Sparkling Lake 3m littoral sites were paired, with sensors placed inside and outside macrophyte beds less than 10m apart.

These data were used to quantify thermal habitat breadth (daily temperature range) and to compare estimates based on (1) pelagic-only measurements and (2) combined pelagic + littoral measurements, allowing evaluation of the littoral zone’s contribution to lake thermal assessments. The dataset also supports analyses of macrophyte effects on thermal habitat in littoral zones. Data collection presented in this data package represents a subset of the larger "Walleye Bright Spots" project data.