This dataset contains fractional abundances of the 15 commonly-measured branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (brGDGT) lipids in 43 lake surface sediments. It also contains 5 air temperature variables (mean annual temperature (MAT); mean air temperature of months above freezing (MAF); warmest month temperature (WMT); mean summer temperature (MST); summer warmth index (SWI)), mean lake water conductivity, pH, and dissolved oxygen, and minimum dissolved oxygen. Finally, it contains basic lake parameters, including coordinates, maximum lake water depth, and approximate surface area.