Introduction to Lakes Online

Course Overview

Introduction to Lakes Online is designed for interested individuals, decision makers, local leaders, resource professionals, and lakefront property owners interested in gaining knowledge about inland lakes and connecting with others who have a similar interest. In this introductory course, participants increase their knowledge and understanding of the following six topics:

Lake ecology
Watersheds
Shorelines
Aquatic plant management
Michigan water law
Community involvement

Course instructors include Bindu Bhakta, Kelsey Bockelman, Erick Elgin, Paige Filice, Dr. Jeremy Hartsock, Julia Kirkwood (EGLE), Dr. Jo Latimore, Brad Neumann, Mary Reilly, and Dr. Lois Wolfson (retired).

This award-winning six-week course is offered once a year typically in January and consistently draws strong interest. Since its launch in 2014, more than 2,800 people have participated, with 98% saying they would recommend it to a friend or colleague. For many, Introduction to Lakes Online is their first experience with an online course—and it’s designed to be user-friendly. The course features a simple, easy-to-navigate website, clear instructional videos, and weekly reminder emails, all of which contribute to high participant satisfaction.

Testimonials From Past Participants

• “Not only were the topics that covered fantastic and well done, the course set-up was phenomenal! I wish other online classes were as clear as this one."
• “On a scale of 1-10 I definitely give the course 11. I thought I had pretty good knowledge of lake ecology and practices, but realized that I needed to know so much more. Thank you for such an incredible course.”
• “Your program is absolutely first-rate! … You broadened my understanding and enhanced my commitment to this area immensely.”

Questions? Contact Paige Filice at filicepa@msu.edu.

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Course Information

Course Format

Offered once a year, typically in January. Registration for the 2026 course is now closed. Sign up for course alerts when registration opens in the fall.
Six-week online class taught via prerecorded video lectures
Three live Ask-an-Expert webinars
Course units: lake ecology, watersheds, shorelines, aquatic plant management, Michigan water law, and community involvement
Access to units is provided on a week-by-week, unit-by-unit basis with each new unit opening on Tuesdays at 8:00 AM eastern. Access to units will be based on completion of the previous unit’s quiz. The quizzes are made up of 10 multiple choice and true/false questions.
Once a unit is available to view, it remains open.

What to expect

Every week a new unit exploring an inland lake topic will be released on our website. Participants will explore course topics through video lectures and activities such as readings and interactive websites. Many units also include a discussion forum, prompting participants to interact with others and the instructional team. For those looking to dive deeper into a topic, we also provide numerous additional resources. Each unit takes approximately 2 hours to complete. In order to view proceeding units, you must receive an 80% or higher on the previous unit quiz. You can retake quizzes an unlimited number of times.

Ask-an-Expert webinars
Every other week we offer optional one hour Ask-an-Expert webinars specific to topics in the course. These are hosted by the instructional team and outside experts including staff from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The panel of experts address questions submitted via a Q&A box live during the webinar.

2026 Course Schedule
The open date signifies when the unit will be viewable. You are not required to login on the open date. In order to view proceeding units, you must receive an 80% or higher on the previous unit quiz. You can retake quizzes an unlimited number of times.

Open Date	Course Topic	Description
1/20	Getting Started	Explore the Introduction to Lakes course website and introduce yourself to the class and instructors via discussion forums
1/27	Unit 1: Lake Ecology	An introduction to lake ecosystems and the exploration of basic lake functions
2/3	Unit 2: Watersheds	Primer on the water cycle, hydrologic features of a watershed, and land use impacts to lake water quality
2/10	Unit 3: Shorelines	Review of shoreline features and functions in inland lake ecosystems and best practices to protect water quality and lake habitat
2/17	Unit 4: Aquatic plants	Introduction to plant identification, short and long-term management techniques, and regulations regarding aquatic vegetation in Michigan lakes
2/24	Unit 5: Water Law	Summary of federal, state, and local laws regarding riparian rights, navigability, and permitting on inland lakes in Michigan
3/3	Unit 6: Community Involvement	Review of institutions involved in lake management, coordinating with other lake groups, and components of a lake management plan
3/27	Certificate/CEU Deadline	To receive a Certificate of Completion or Continuing Education Credits all course requirements must be met by this date
Ask-an-Expert Webinars
2/11 Noon to 1 p.m. (eastern)	Webinar #1	Lake Ecology and Watersheds
2/25 Noon to 1 p.m. (eastern)	Webinar #2	Shorelines and Aquatic Plants
3/11 Noon to 1 p.m. (eastern)	Webinar #3	Water Law and Community Involvement

2026 course syllabus and schedule

Continuing Education Credits/Hours Available
The January 2026 course has been approved for 16 Michigan Dept. of Agriculture and Rural Development Pesticide recertification credits (8 Commercial Core & 8 category 5 [aquatic]). Continuing education hours are also offered in the following MSU Extension courses: Master Citizen Planner, Master Gardener, and Master Naturalist. Everyone who completes Introduction to Lakes Online in 2026 is eligible to receive a free one-year membership to the Michigan Lakes and Streams Association.

Cost
The course is $115/person. Current individual members of the Michigan Lakes and Streams Association are eligible to receive a $95 reimbursement upon successful completion of the January 2026 course. This reimbursement is only applicable to first time participants of the course.