Lower Eau Claire Lake
Bayfield County, Wisconsin · WBIC 2741600
This lake has fishing rules that differ from the standard ones for its area. Check the official rules before you fish. Official regulations
Size
802 acres
Max depth
41 ft
DNR lake type
Complex, Two Story
Water clarity
13.2 ft
Clear, measured Jul 2026
A deep lake type that can hold a cold layer below the warm surface in summer. This describes the lake type in general, not this lake in particular.
Outline
Numbered dots are boat landings; tap one for directions. The list below has the same numbers. Drawn from the DNR's 24K hydrography (surveyed 1984), so the shape is approximate and a landing can sit a little off the shore. Open the DNR lake map.
Water clarity
13.2 ft Secchi depthClear
Last measured Jul 31, 2026. 339 readings on record, 1988 to 2026.
Typical summer clarity (June to September): 15.4 ft, clear, from 146 readings (2012 to 2026).
Secchi depth is how far down a white disk stays visible. A bigger number means clearer water. Clear means a Secchi depth of 10 feet or more, moderate 5 to 10 feet, low under 5 feet.
Wisconsin DNR water monitoring (volunteer and staff), via the Water Quality Portal; station LOWER EAU CLAIRE LAKE - DEEP HOLE. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Water temperature
Last measured Jul 31, 2026, too long ago to show as the current temperature.
A typical year Modeled estimate
- Ice goes outabout Apr 24 (Apr 17 to Apr 29)
- Surface reaches 48°Fabout May 7 (May 2 to May 14)
- Surface reaches 64°Fabout Jun 6 (May 31 to Jun 8)
- June surface68°F, usually 66 to 70°F
- July surface75°F, usually 73 to 77°F
- August surface73°F, usually 72 to 75°F
Mixes regularly through the summer instead of forming a warm top layer.
A computer model of this lake's typical weather and water, built from 15 years, 2005 to 2019. Ranges show the middle half of years. The model was not calibrated against measured temperatures for this lake. It is an estimate, not a measurement.
Measured: Wisconsin DNR via the Water Quality Portal (checked Oct 23, 2026). Modeled: U.S. Geological Survey lake temperature data release (doi:10.5066/P9CA6XP8).
Today at the lake
Forecast: National Weather Service (no endorsement implied). Sunrise, sunset and moon phase are calculated. The moon phase can be a day off.
Stocking history
- Walleyelast stocked 2025 (large fingerling); stocked in 6 years since 2010
- Muskellungelast stocked 2024 (large fingerling); stocked in 6 years since 2010
Stocking shows what was added to the lake, not what is in it now.
Wisconsin DNR annual fish stocking summary. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Fish recorded near this lake
- Black Bullhead Ameiurus melas2004; 1 record
- Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus1966 to 2007; 7 records
- Blackchin Shiner Notropis heterodon2004; 1 record
- Blacknose Shiner Notropis heterolepis2003; 1 record
- Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus1950 to 2007; 12 records
- Bluntnose Minnow Pimephales notatus2003 to 2004; 3 records
- Brook Silverside Labidesthes sicculus2003 to 2004; 3 records
- Brown Bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus1983 to 2004; 2 records
- Cisco Coregonus artedi1972; 1 record
- Common Shiner Luxilus cornutus1983 to 2004; 2 records
- Fathead Minnow Pimephales promelas2003; 1 record
- Golden Redhorse Moxostoma erythrurum2003 to 2004; 2 records
- Golden Shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas2003; 1 record
- Green Sunfish Lepomis cyanellus1966; 1 record
- Iowa Darter Etheostoma exile2003 to 2004; 2 records
- Johnny Darter Etheostoma nigrum2003; 2 records
- Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides1950 to 2007; 16 records
- Logperch Percina caprodes2003 to 2004; 3 records
- Mimic Shiner Notropis volucellus2003 to 2004; 3 records
- Muskellunge Esox masquinongy1950 to 2008; 15 records
- Northern Pike Esox lucius1950 to 2008; 18 records
- Pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus1983 to 2007; 4 records
- Rock Bass Ambloplites rupestris1950 to 2007; 12 records
- Shorthead Redhorse Moxostoma macrolepidotum2007; 1 record
- Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu1950 to 2008; 18 records
- Spottail Shiner Notropis hudsonius1983 to 2004; 5 records
- Walleye Sander vitreus1950 to 2008; 24 records
- Warmouth Lepomis gulosus2003 to 2007; 2 records
- White Sucker Catostomus commersonii2003 to 2007; 5 records
- Yellow Bullhead Ameiurus natalis2004 to 2007; 2 records
- Yellow Perch Perca flavescens1966 to 2007; 9 records
Recorded in open fish survey and museum records (GBIF). A record shows a fish was found near this lake in that year, not that it is there now, and says nothing about how many. Most coordinates are rounded to about 1 km, so a record is attached only when one lake is the clear match.
Open fish survey and museum records from GBIF; datasets are listed on the sources page. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Boat landings
- 1Mooney Dam Park Boat Landing (listed under Douglas County)Boat ramp · Concrete surface · County
Directions
Wisconsin DNR public boat access sites. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
More lakes in Bayfield County
- Cranberry Lake0.6 miles away
- Mimi Lake1.8 miles away
- Middle Eau Claire Lake2.1 miles away
- Devils Lake3.1 miles away
- Idlewild Lake3.8 miles away
- Bony Lake3.8 miles away
Where this comes from
- Size, depth and lake typeWisconsin DNR lake classifications, checked Oct 23, 2026
- OutlineWisconsin DNR 24K hydrography, checked Oct 23, 2026
- Stocking historyWisconsin DNR annual fish stocking summary, checked Oct 23, 2026
- Regulations linkWisconsin DNR fishing regulations (linked, not restated), checked Oct 23, 2026
- Boat landingsWisconsin DNR public boat access sites, checked Oct 23, 2026
- Water clarityWisconsin DNR water monitoring, via the Water Quality Portal, checked Oct 23, 2026
- Typical-year temperatureU.S. Geological Survey lake temperature model (modeled estimate), checked Oct 23, 2026
- Fish recordedOpen fish survey and museum records, via GBIF, checked Oct 23, 2026
- VHS statusWisconsin DNR VHS status by watershed, checked Oct 24, 2026
- Depth map linkWisconsin DNR lake maps list, checked Oct 24, 2026
See data sources for what each source covers, and about for how the numbers are matched to lakes.
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