Rephonic
Artwork for Lake Effect
Milwaukee
Wisconsin
Data Centers
Ice
Facial Recognition Technology
Milwaukee County
Climate Change
Milwaukee Public Library
Mental Health
Flooding
Milwaukee Public Schools
National Weather Service
Wisconsin Policy Forum
Affordable Housing
Immigration
Great Lakes
Black History Month
Vel Phillips
Gun Violence
Choosing Love

Lake Effect is your connection to the community. We bring you conversations about the people, places and organizations that shape Milwaukee.

PublishesDailyEpisodes363Founded16 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Society & Culture

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Lake Effect

Latest Episodes

Part three of The Milwaukee Socialists examines how Mayor Daniel Hoan reshaped the city. A new novel from a Wisconsin author explores what comes after climate disasters. We chat with comedian Paula Poundstone.

How the federal immigration crackdown is impacting children who attend Head Start. Milwaukee Film’s Pride Month programming. A Milwaukee-made platform that can improve how food trucks operate.

We speak with the author of, "It's All Local." A UWM student reacts to the university's pause on consolidating its multicultural centers. We examine how El Salvador has aided the U.S.' mass deportation efforts. Plus, meet a local man in the running f... more

We'll tell you about the Heal the Hood block party. We'll get an update on the beagles rescued from Ridglan Farms. We'll tell you about Milwaukee's first Socialist mayor. Plus, we'll learn about birding for all abilities.

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

This American Life
This American LifeThis American Life
The Daily
The DailyThe New York Times

Recent Guests

Emily D.
Wisconsin resident in recovery
WEDEC interviewee
Episode: Thursday 5/28/26: Eating disorder recovery, Chirp Chat, Bubbler Talk
Dr. Robin Welk-Richards
Founder and executive director of WEDEC
Wisconsin Eating Disorder Education and Community Foundation
Episode: Thursday 5/28/26: Eating disorder recovery, Chirp Chat, Bubbler Talk
Audrey Nowakowski
Lake Effect contributor; Astronomy journalist
WUWM
Episode: Wednesday 5/27/26: Online extremism and San Diego, The Milwaukee Socialists part two, Artemis II
Ames McGuinness
Historian
Milwaukee historical studies
Episode: Wednesday 5/27/26: Online extremism and San Diego, The Milwaukee Socialists part two, Artemis II
John Dysinger
History teacher
Milwaukee Public Schools (historical reference)
Episode: Wednesday 5/27/26: Online extremism and San Diego, The Milwaukee Socialists part two, Artemis II
Anisa Bagasra
Associate Professor of Psychology, Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw State University
Episode: Wednesday 5/27/26: Online extremism and San Diego, The Milwaukee Socialists part two, Artemis II
Ricardo Nguyen
Community Engagement Manager
Milwaukee County Office of Equity
Episode: Wednesday 5/27/26: Online extremism and San Diego, The Milwaukee Socialists part two, Artemis II
Ajumu Butler
Founder
Hill to Hood MKE
Episode: Wednesday 5/27/26: Online extremism and San Diego, The Milwaukee Socialists part two, Artemis II
Joey Stewart
Director of the documentary What's the Story? Wishbone
Novel Tales
Episode: Tuesday 5/26/26: JIMENA, Ridglan Farms update, What's the Story Wishbone?

Hosts

Audrey Nowakowski
Host of Lake Effect
Joy Powers
Host of Lake Effect
Sam Woods
Lake Effect Reporter/Host for Economic Check-In
Jimmy Gutierrez
Co-host/Producer

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 22 ratings
  • Cool

    Podcast Addict
    5
    chrisabraham
    4 years ago

Top Society & Culture Podcasts

The Ezra Klein Show
The Ezra Klein ShowNew York Times Opinion
Stuff You Should Know
Stuff You Should KnowiHeartPodcasts
This American Life
This American LifeThis American Life
Behind the Bastards
Behind the BastardsCool Zone Media and iHeartPodcasts
Elton John Impact Awards
Elton John Impact AwardsiHeartRadio and P&G
The Viall Files
The Viall FilesNick Viall

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Thursday 5/28/26: Eating disorder recovery, Chirp Chat, Bubbler Talk
Q: What are some first steps you'd recommend?
Dr. Welk-Richards and Emily discuss taking initial steps toward help, emphasizing reaching out to trusted professionals and talking to someone supportive, while acknowledging the fear and shame that can accompany seeking help; they also highlight WEDEC as a resource and the importance of not waiting for the “perfect” moment to ask for assistance.
Tuesday 5/26/26: JIMENA, Ridglan Farms update, What's the Story Wishbone?
Q: What are the key goals of Jimena in framing Jewish identity for audiences in the US?
Jimena aims to illuminate the diverse experiences of Mizrahi and Sephardic Jews, explain historical displacement, and foster a broader, more nuanced public understanding of Jewish identity beyond Ashkenazi traditions.
Tuesday 5/19/26: The cultural significance of returning sturgeon, games and Indigeneity, Act 31
Q: How did the return of sturgeon influence Indigenous communities and local conservation efforts?
The return symbolized resilience and a reconnection to traditional homelands, with elders and community members describing the sturgeon as teachers and messengers that foster reciprocity and healing through cultural practices like lacrosse.
Tuesday 4/28/26: Teen takeovers, ASL interpreter documentary, Shake Rag Alley, helping local restaurants
Q: What inspired you to focus on Amber Galloway and this subject in your documentary?
The filmmakers describe a convergence of inspiration around Amber's trailblazing work in making music accessible, combined with a personal connection to her family and the Deaf community, which offered a powerful lens on how art and accessibility intersect.
Thursday 4/30/26: How to Evict Your Landlord part three, piping plovers, Midwest Gaming Classic
Q: What is receivership and how does it work in Milwaukee's housing disputes?
Receivership starts when a party asks the court to appoint a receiver; the court then selects someone to manage the property and report back, with monthly or periodic check-ins and oversight to address code violations and nuisance issues.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Lake Effect

What is Lake Effect about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This program stitches together local governance, community stories, and regional culture through a Milwaukee lens. Episodes commonly weave investigative reporting with service-area expertise—covering housing policy and tenant rights, public safety and privacy, education funding, environmental concerns, and regional history. A hallmark is translating complex local issues into accessible, human-centered conversations, often pairing policy dialogue with on-the-ground perspectives from residents, organizers, and subject-matter experts. Noteworthy is its recurring emphasis on civic process, public media's role in watchdog reporting, and a strong commitment to community memory—sometimes anchored by archival segments or feature profiles that conne... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Lake Effect?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Lake Effect. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Lake Effect and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Lake Effect get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Lake Effect, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Lake Effect?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Lake Effect, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Lake Effect have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Lake Effect has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Lake Effect?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Lake Effect:

1. Fresh Air
2. This American Life
3. The Daily
4. Throughline
5. It's Been a Minute

How many episodes of Lake Effect are there?

Lake Effect launched 16 years ago and published 363 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Lake Effect?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Lake Effect?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Lake Effect from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Lake Effect?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Lake Effect. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Lake Effect?

Recent guests on Lake Effect include:

1. Emily D.
2. Dr. Robin Welk-Richards
3. Audrey Nowakowski
4. Ames McGuinness
5. John Dysinger
6. Anisa Bagasra
7. Ricardo Nguyen
8. Ajumu Butler

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days