Rephonic
Artwork for Lake Effect
Milwaukee
Wisconsin
Data Centers
Milwaukee Public Schools
Milwaukee Public Library
ICE
Wisconsin Policy Forum
Affordable Housing
Facial Recognition Technology
Artificial Intelligence
Milwaukee County
Bubbler Talk
Black History Month
Mental Health
Fat Body Hotties
Milwaukee Socialists
Edmund Fitzgerald
Bad Bunny
Gun Violence
Immigration

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

PublishesDailyEpisodes395Founded16 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Society & Culture

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Lake Effect

Latest Episodes

Everything you need to know ahead of Wisconsin’s partisan primary next month. The world’s first armless pilot shares what inspired her to take to the skies. Tips on how to safely observe and care for caterpillars and butterflies in your backyard.

How living in Wisconsin ranks among other states. A project happening on Milwaukee’s lakefront and how you can weigh in. We meet aspiring pro-wrestlers who attend a Milwaukee area pro-wrestling school.

Health impacts the wildfire smoke and what precautions to take. How going hungry can impact children. Tips on how to safely observe and care for caterpillars and butterflies in your backyard.

The financial impact last summer’s historic flooding in the Milwaukee area. We meet the world’s first armless pilot. We look ahead to this weekend’s BLK Girl Fest.

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.

Bubbler Talk
Bubbler TalkWUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR
Reveal
RevealThe Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX

Recent Guests

Michael Gutierrez
Family member interviewed
Private individual
Episode: Wednesday 7/22/26: Health and wildfire smoke, hunger and children, caring for caterpillars
Catherine Cokel
Education reporter
WUWM
Episode: Wednesday 7/22/26: Health and wildfire smoke, hunger and children, caring for caterpillars
PJ Leish
Extension entomologist
UW-Madison
Episode: Wednesday 7/22/26: Health and wildfire smoke, hunger and children, caring for caterpillars
Carolina Monsivais
Assistant professor
University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley
Episode: Wednesday 7/22/26: Health and wildfire smoke, hunger and children, caring for caterpillars
Takia Bennett
Founder of Black Girl Space
Black Girl Space
Episode: Tuesday 7/21/26: Financials of flooding, world's first armless pilot, BLK Girl Fest
Jessica Cox
World's first licensed armless pilot
Air Venture/EAA involvement
Episode: Tuesday 7/21/26: Financials of flooding, world's first armless pilot, BLK Girl Fest
Samantha Cortez
Birth to 3 Program Coordinator for Milwaukee County
Milwaukee County
Episode: Monday 7/20/26: Prepare for the August primary, ABCD, summer metalworking camp
Crystal Vang
Birth to 3 Liaison, Milwaukee County
Milwaukee County
Episode: Monday 7/20/26: Prepare for the August primary, ABCD, summer metalworking camp
Dr. Welk Richards
Founder and executive director of WEDEC
Wisconsin Eating Disorder Education and Community Foundation (WEDEC)
Episode: Friday 7/10/26: WEDEC, ticks, neighborhood posters, Chirp Chat

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

Stuff You Should Know
Stuff You Should KnowiHeartPodcasts
Sword and Scale
Sword and ScaleSword and Scale
This American Life
This American LifeThis American Life
Behind the Bastards
Behind the BastardsCool Zone Media and iHeartPodcasts
Determined Society with Shawn French | Adversity & Mindset
Determined Society with Shawn French | Adversity & MindsetShawn French | Adversity & Determination Expert
The Ezra Klein Show
The Ezra Klein ShowNew York Times Opinion
I've Had It
I've Had ItJennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan
Freakonomics Radio
Freakonomics RadioFreakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Thursday 7/9/26: 'Keys to Homeownership' and housing affordability
Q: So we're talking about the homes and the need that they're filling. But for someone who's a teacher or early educator out there, how do they qualify?
Educators can apply at housingplan.org/ece, must go through homebuyer counseling and obtain a pre-approval letter around $95k-$100k; most receive down payment assistance and then work with an Axe coach to navigate loan terms and the purchase.
Wednesday 7/1/26: Overstaffing in Wisconsin schools, Immigration and America 250, Midtown Center development
Q: What does your research suggest about how enrollment declines are impacting our workforce shortage and the quality of our schools going forward?
Enrollment declines reduce per-pupil revenue, pressuring district budgets, while staffing grows in essential support areas; the long-term effect may require creative solutions beyond simply hiring more staff, including efficiency, consolidation, and alternative approaches to meeting student needs.
Wednesday 7/1/26: Overstaffing in Wisconsin schools, Immigration and America 250, Midtown Center development
Q: But our enrollment tide in Wisconsin is turning, and your research found that schools in our state are now kind of overstaffed. Can you talk about what that means?
The data show a 9% drop in student numbers alongside a 7% increase in staff, which suggests districts are hiring to address rising student needs, particularly in special education and other support roles, but it also raises concerns about financial sustainability as enrollment declines continue.
Friday 7/10/26: WEDEC, ticks, neighborhood posters, Chirp Chat
Q: What steps should someone take if they suspect they or a loved one has an eating disorder?
Seek professional help, reach out to WEDEC or trusted friends, and acknowledge the issue as a first step toward recovery, as stigma often hinders seeking help.
Friday 7/10/26: WEDEC, ticks, neighborhood posters, Chirp Chat
Q: What are some early warning signs of eating disorders that listeners should watch for?
Subtle signs include social withdrawal, increased isolation, and early indicators like dental enamel erosion from purging; more dramatic signs include noticeable weight changes and clothing to hide body changes.

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. Bubbler Talk
2. Reveal
3. The NPR Politics Podcast
4. Throughline
5. Today, Explained

How many episodes of Lake Effect are there?

Lake Effect launched 16 years ago and published 395 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. Michael Gutierrez
2. Catherine Cokel
3. PJ Leish
4. Carolina Monsivais
5. Takia Bennett
6. Jessica Cox
7. Samantha Cortez
8. Crystal Vang

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