Before the settlers arrived during the Ice Age, between 12,000 and 15,000 years ago, a huge river of ice moved slowly down from Canada through Wisconsin. Like a giant broom, the great Wisconsin Glacier swept up rocks and debris in its path, depositing it in narrow ridges along the ground. The Glacier covered much of Wisconsin, and the deposits of rock and minerals left behind in its passing—up to 300 feet thick in places—created the Kettle Moraine area. The very name Kettle Moraine is derived from the hills (moraines) and hollows (kettles) that were left behind after the glacier moved on. Many kettles filled with water as the glacier melted and formed the area lakes of today, including Lauderdale Lakes, which vary in depth from ten to sixty feet.

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After the glacier passed through the area, what is now the Lauderdale Lakes chain then consisted of a few small lakes and springs connected by small creeks. To this day, no outside water from streams or rivers enters our spring-fed lakes, with a combined surface area encompassing 841 acres of water. All the water in the lakes flows through Mill Lake to the outflow located between the Sterlingworth Store and the marina, and eastward into Honey Creek (called Mish-qua-woc by the Potawatomi tribe). Although Honey Creek is small and slow moving today, the early surveyors described it as having a rapid current. More than 150 years ago, the construction of a dam at the outflow of the creek was the initial step in raising the water levels of the lakes.