Upper Eau Claire Lake
Bayfield County, Wisconsin · WBIC 2742700
This lake has fishing rules that differ from the standard ones for its area. Check the official rules before you fish. Official regulations
Size
996 acres
Max depth
92 ft
DNR lake type
Complex, Two Story
Water clarity
21.8 ft
Clear, measured Jun 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 1990), so the shape is approximate and a landing can sit a little off the shore. Open the DNR lake map.
Water clarity
21.8 ft Secchi depthClear
Last measured Jun 22, 2026. 251 readings on record, 1986 to 2026.
Typical summer clarity (June to September): 18 ft, clear, from 79 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 Upper Eau Claire Lake - Deep Hole. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Water temperature
Last measured Jun 22, 2026, too long ago to show as the current temperature.
A typical year Modeled estimate
- Ice goes outabout Apr 26 (Apr 16 to Apr 29)
- Surface reaches 48°Fabout May 12 (May 8 to May 18)
- Surface reaches 64°Fabout Jun 1 (May 30 to Jun 7)
- June surface68°F, usually 66 to 70°F
- July surface75°F, usually 74 to 76°F
- August surface72°F, usually 71 to 74°F
Forms a warm top layer around May 19, lasting about 152 days.
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 7 years since 2010
- Muskellungelast stocked 2024 (large fingerling); stocked in 7 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 melas1970; 2 records
- Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus1970 to 2004; 7 records
- Blackchin Shiner Notropis heterodon2002 to 2004; 3 records
- Blacknose Shiner Notropis heterolepis2002 to 2004; 4 records
- Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus1961 to 2004; 18 records
- Bluntnose Minnow Pimephales notatus2002 to 2004; 8 records
- Brook Stickleback Culaea inconstans2002; 1 record
- Central Mudminnow Umbra limi2004; 2 records
- Cisco Coregonus artedi2001; 1 record
- Common Shiner Luxilus cornutus2004; 1 record
- Golden Shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas1970 to 2004; 4 records
- Iowa Darter Etheostoma exile2002 to 2004; 3 records
- Johnny Darter Etheostoma nigrum2002 to 2004; 3 records
- Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides1961 to 2006; 24 records
- Logperch Percina caprodes2002; 2 records
- Mimic Shiner Notropis volucellus2002 to 2004; 4 records
- Muskellunge Esox masquinongy1961 to 2006; 11 records
- Ninespine Stickleback Pungitius pungitius2004; 1 record
- Northern Hog Sucker Hypentelium nigricans1969; 1 record
- Northern Pike Esox lucius1961 to 2006; 22 records
- Pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus1961 to 2004; 12 records
- Rock Bass Ambloplites rupestris1961 to 2004; 16 records
- Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu1961 to 2006; 17 records
- Spottail Shiner Notropis hudsonius2002 to 2004; 3 records
- Tadpole Madtom Noturus gyrinus2004; 1 record
- Walleye Sander vitreus1961 to 2006; 22 records
- White Sucker Catostomus commersonii1969 to 2004; 8 records
- Yellow Bullhead Ameiurus natalis2002 to 2004; 3 records
- Yellow Perch Perca flavescens1969 to 2004; 18 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
- 1Upper Eau Claire Lake AccessBoat ramp · Concrete surface · Township
Directions
Wisconsin DNR public boat access sites. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
More lakes in Bayfield County
- Birch Lake0.9 miles away
- Devils Lake1.2 miles away
- Bony Lake1.4 miles away
- Robinson Lake1.5 miles away
- Smith Lake1.6 miles away
- Shunenberg Lake1.8 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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