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Middle Eau Claire Lake
Enhanced dataInteractive depth contours
Middle Eau Claire LakeBayfield County, WI
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Interactive depth contours5-foot typical interval · Sonar-derived depth (C-MAP Genesis) · Gaps interpolated · Not for navigation
Source: C-MAP Genesis community sonar (derived)high confidence · QA passed · Select a contour to inspect its mapped depthDepths decoded from C-MAP Genesis Social Map community sonar recordings (used with permission), covering 70% of the lake. Small gaps between recordings are smoothly connected; larger unrecorded areas follow the lake's depth model calibrated to the DNR-documented 66-ft maximum depth. More accurate than a pure model, but still an estimate. Not for navigation.LakeList assistant
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Fishing spots, food, lodging, marinas, and rentals around Middle Eau Claire Lake.
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Fishing forecast
Best windows for Middle Eau Claire Lake
Weather-based planning built from the National Weather Service hourly forecast near this lake.
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Checking wind, precipitation, and near-term weather windows.
Water temperature
Middle Eau Claire Lake water temperature today
Modeled surface-temperature estimate built from seasonal climate, lake depth, and live National Weather Service air temperatures near this lake.
71°FWarm
Seasonal estimate. Checking current National Weather Service air temperatures…
Comfortable summer pattern. Bass and panfish are active; early and late hours beat the midday heat.
Estimates are modeled, not measured. Actual temperatures vary with depth, wind mixing, and recent weather — verify conditions before swimming, boating, or heading onto ice.
DNR water check
Water quality quick take
From Wisconsin DNR / Citizen Lake Monitoring readings at Middle Eau Claire Lake - Deep Hole.
Sampled Jun 2026Volunteer monitoring since 1987
Very clear, low-algae water — summer clarity of 17.3 ft puts it among the clearest quarter of monitored Wisconsin lakes.
Based on July–August 2025 averages across 12 volunteer readings.39Oligotrophic5-yr summer TSI
Very clear, low-nutrient water — often deep, with limited plant growth.
Water claritySecchi disk depth
17.3 ftJul–Aug 2025 avg (8 readings)
Crystal clearImproving — up ~381% vs earlier years
Clearer than 89% of 596 monitored Wisconsin lakes with current readings.
AlgaeChlorophyll-a
1.8 µg/LJul–Aug 2025 avg (4 readings)
Very lowStable since 2018
NutrientsTotal phosphorus — fuels plant & algae growth
11 µg/LLatest single sample · 2025-09-07
LowLow phosphorus means light plant/algae growth pressure.
All readings by year · station details · methodology
Summer averages (July/August)
July/August means; counts in parentheses show how many samples went into each average.
| Year | Secchi | Chlorophyll-a | Total phosphorus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 17.3 ft (8) | 1.8 µg/L (4) | — |
| 2024 | 16.8 ft (3) | 3.0 µg/L (2) | — |
| 2023 | 206.6 ft (8) | 2.7 µg/L (3) | — |
| 2022 | 17.5 ft (7) | 2.3 µg/L (3) | — |
| 2021 | 14.5 ft (3) | 2.3 µg/L (3) | — |
| 2020 | 18.1 ft (4) | 2.0 µg/L (1) | — |
| 2019 | 20.2 ft (4) | 2.0 µg/L (2) | — |
| 2018 | 17.8 ft (4) | 2.5 µg/L (2) | — |
| 2017 | 18.4 ft (6) | 1.5 µg/L (4) | — |
| 2016 | 15.5 ft (6) | 2.0 µg/L (2) | — |
Latest individual samples: Secchi 16.8 ft (2025-09-10), chlorophyll-a 1 µg/L (2026-06-19), and total phosphorus 11 µg/L (2025-09-07).
Secchi clarity is how deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface — more feet means clearer water.
Chlorophyll-a is an algae pigment; higher values signal more algae in the water column.
Total phosphorus is a nutrient that feeds algae and aquatic plants. It is not a weed survey — depth, bottom type, water movement, and management change the actual lake experience.
Middle Eau Claire Lake - Deep HoleStation 043035 · TSI based on chlorophyll
Modeled from DNR/CLMN monitoring — not a safety or swim-condition report. Verify current conditions locally. LakeList verified 2026-07-12.Official Wisconsin information
Plan with DNR sources
LakeList links to the authoritative record so you can verify maps, rules, and current notices before leaving.
Historical DNR depth maps1 converted map sheetView DNR depth mapHistorical map · not for navigationFishing regulationsVerify current seasons, limits, and restrictionsOfficial DNR lake pageFacts, advisories, boating, and water qualityWater quality reportsMonitoring stations, clarity, and DNR reportsInvasive speciesVerified, observed, and historical AIS recordsBoating ordinancesLocal slow-no-wake and water-use restrictionsFish consumption advisoriesStatewide and waterbody-specific health guidance
Historical depth maps are not for navigation. Verify regulations and access at the official source before your trip.
Historical Wisconsin DNR maps
Middle Eau Claire Lake depth maps
1 converted map sheet. These historical surveys are not for navigation.
Navigable depth map
Middle Eau Claire Lake · sheet 1
Pan, zoom, and inspect the converted Wisconsin DNR historical map image in the browser. Historical survey — not for navigation.
Source: Wisconsin DNR · WBIC 2742100 · image navigation only; spatial alignment pending · Historical lake maps are not for navigation.
Source: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Converted for browser access with source URLs, checksums, and retrieval dates retained. Historical lake maps are not for navigation.
Wisconsin DNR fisheries survey
Fish population survey
Structured LakeList extraction from the 2025 DNR fisheries survey. Population estimates, density, and catch-rate indices use different units, methods, and scopes, so each value is presented in its original form rather than normalized against a different measure.
Survey indicatorsValues keep their source unit and method; unlike measures are not scaled or compared.
Management contextMiddle Eau Claire Lake late-spring electrofishing results. Panfish and nongame metrics apply to 1.5 all-species miles; gamefish metrics use six total miles. Walleye remain survey bycatch because DNR identifies a separate April population estimate as the better status indicator.
Wisconsin DNR's 2025 survey found very abundant, slow-growing bluegill; increased largemouth-bass and northern-pike indices; low-abundance but large smallmouth bass; good black-crappie size; and a modest walleye electrofishing sample.
- The 20-fish bluegill aging subsample averaged 8.9 years and represented the slowest documented growth in Douglas and Bayfield counties.
- DNR encouraged harvest of smaller largemouth bass and northern pike to help maintain size structure.
- A separate April 2025 walleye population estimate, not presented numerically in this sheet, is the better indicator of population status; LakeList does not invent it from the electrofishing sample.
Black crappie
10 fishTotal captured · p. 210.2 inchesMinimum captured length · p. 211.9 inchesMaximum captured length · p. 26.7 fish/mileElectrofishing CPUE · p. 2
Bluegill
270 fishTotal captured · p. 12 inchesMinimum captured length · p. 18.5 inchesMaximum captured length · p. 1180 fish/mileElectrofishing CPUE · p. 1
Largemouth bass
144 fishTotal captured · p. 26.7 inchesMinimum captured length · p. 220 inchesMaximum captured length · p. 224 fish/mileElectrofishing CPUE · p. 2
Muskellunge
1 fishIncidental catch count · p. 413.6 inchesCaptured fish length · p. 4
Northern pike
24 fishTotal captured · p. 314.8 inchesMinimum captured length · p. 334.3 inchesMaximum captured length · p. 34 fish/mileElectrofishing CPUE · p. 3
Pumpkinseed / sunfish hybrid
7 fishTotal captured · p. 44.3 inchesMinimum captured length · p. 48.3 inchesMaximum captured length · p. 4
Rock bass
9 fishTotal captured · p. 45.5 inchesMinimum captured length · p. 49.5 inchesMaximum captured length · p. 4
Smallmouth bass
12 fishTotal captured · p. 311.2 inchesMinimum captured length · p. 320.8 inchesMaximum captured length · p. 32 fish/mileElectrofishing CPUE · p. 3
Walleye
14 fishIncidental catch count · p. 49.1 inchesMinimum captured length · p. 422.4 inchesMaximum captured length · p. 42.3 fish/mileElectrofishing CPUE · p. 4
Yellow perch
4 fishIncidental catch count · p. 45 inchesAll captured fish shorter than · p. 4
2025 Fisheries Information Sheet: Middle Eau Claire Lake, Bayfield CountyMatched by exact wbic and name county · WBICs 2742100 · verified 2026-07-18Wisconsin DNR fisheries survey report; LakeList operator documented permission to leverage this report with source attribution.
880surface acres
66max depth feet
1public access points
46.2955, -91.5214latitude, longitude
Access
Public access points
Boat launchMiddle Eau Claire Lake Access46.28442, -91.50865Managed by STATE(DNR)TOWN OF BARNESRamp surface: ConcreteADA-accessible feature: YesVerified 2026-07-12
Nearby
Trip-planning places
No nearby trip-planning places yet
Fishery
Notable species
Largemouth BassNorthern PikePanfishWalleyeMuskySmallmouth Bass
Wisconsin DNR stocking
Fish stocking history
The latest published year is 2024, when 422 fish were recorded across 1 entry.
2024
MuskellungeUpper Chippewa River · Large Fingerling
42213.0 in average
2023
WalleyeMississippi Headwaters · Large Fingerling
5,3627.2 in average
2022
MuskellungeUpper Chippewa River · Large Fingerling
48413.8 in average
2022
WalleyeMississippi Headwaters · Fry
2202.0 in average
2021
WalleyeMississippi Headwaters · Large Fingerling
8,7926.8 in average
2020
WalleyeMississippi Headwaters · Large Fingerling
8,5424.8 in average
2018
MuskellungeUpper Chippewa River · Large Fingerling
50312.1 in average
2016
MuskellungeUpper Chippewa River · Large Fingerling
32611.8 in average
2014
MuskellungeUpper Chippewa River · Large Fingerling
45111.0 in average
2013
WalleyeUnspecified · Large Fingerling
7,7005.0 in average
2012
MuskellungeUpper Chippewa River · Large Fingerling
45112.7 in average
2010
MuskellungeUpper Chippewa River · Large Fingerling
45111.7 in average
Depth FAQ
How deep is Middle Eau Claire Lake?
Middle Eau Claire Lake is 66 feet deep at its deepest point and averages about 17 feet, according to Wisconsin DNR records.
Is there a free depth map of Middle Eau Claire Lake?
Yes. LakeList publishes a free interactive depth contour map of Middle Eau Claire Lake at a typical 5-foot interval, with an optional 3D underwater view, derived from C-MAP Genesis community sonar (derived) survey data.
Where does the Middle Eau Claire Lake depth map come from?
The interactive depth contours are derived from C-MAP Genesis community sonar (derived). Each contour set passes a visual QA review against the source document before it is published. The depths are derived from community sonar recordings (C-MAP Genesis Social Map, used with permission), with gaps between recordings interpolated; not for navigation.
Trust and freshness
Where this lake data comes from
Wisconsin DNR Lake Mapsname, coordinates, county, source identifiers
LakeList record updated 2026-07-14
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