Bruce M. Carlson 
Beneath The Surface 
A Natural History of a Fisherman’s Lake

Each summer millions experience the beauty of America’s lakes—the whirl of sights and sounds as boats cut through the water and birds call to each other from surrounding trees. Now biologist and ichthyologist Bruce M. Carlson takes nature lovers to the side of the lake that few will experience firsthand—a dynamic world where fish feed and spawn, loons dive deep to snap up perch, and light disappears one wavelength at a time before reaching the ink-blue bottom.


With clear-eyed and engaging prose, Beneath the Surface explores the inner workings of Ten Mile Lake in Cass County, Minnesota. And from this intimate study, complemented by elegantly detailed illustrations in pencil, ink, and watercolor, we learn how the physical characteristics of a lake affect the plants and animals within it and how the various forms of life inhabiting a lake interact.


Carlson explores how the dynamics of a lake shift from day to night and from season to season. He outlines the effects of a storm on the wildlife below and reveals what the loon’s four main types of calls communicate. He explains the impressive intricacies of a beaver’s lodge design. And through special chapters that reveal the rhythms and constraints of various species of fish, Carlson shows anglers how to hone techniques to heighten fishing success.

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Bruce Granquist specializes in ecological illustrations and cartography.