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Upper Eau Claire Lake
Enhanced dataInteractive depth contours
Upper Eau Claire LakeBayfield County, WI
Contours load with map Access
Interactive depth contours10-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 88% of the lake. Small gaps between recordings are smoothly connected; larger unrecorded areas follow the lake's depth model calibrated to the DNR-documented 92-ft maximum depth. More accurate than a pure model, but still an estimate. Not for navigation.LakeList assistant
Plan your lake day
Fishing spots, food, lodging, marinas, and rentals around Upper Eau Claire Lake.
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Fishing forecast
Best windows for Upper 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
Upper 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 Upper Eau Claire Lake - Deep Hole.
Sampled Sep 2025Volunteer monitoring since 1998
Very clear, low-algae water — summer clarity of 19.8 ft puts it among the clearest tenth of monitored Wisconsin lakes.
Based on July–August 2025 averages across 9 volunteer readings.38Oligotrophic5-yr summer TSI
Very clear, low-nutrient water — often deep, with limited plant growth.
Water claritySecchi disk depth
19.8 ftJul–Aug 2025 avg (5 readings)
Crystal clearStable since 2018
Clearer than 96% of 596 monitored Wisconsin lakes with current readings.
AlgaeChlorophyll-a
1.5 µg/LJul–Aug 2025 avg (4 readings)
Very lowStable since 2018
NutrientsTotal phosphorus — fuels plant & algae growth
12 µg/LLatest single sample · 2023-08-23
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 | 19.8 ft (5) | 1.5 µg/L (4) | — |
| 2024 | 16.5 ft (2) | 2.0 µg/L (1) | — |
| 2023 | 18.8 ft (2) | 2.7 µg/L (3) | 12.0 µg/L (1) |
| 2022 | 17.8 ft (5) | 2.3 µg/L (3) | — |
| 2021 | 21.4 ft (3) | 2.0 µg/L (3) | — |
| 2020 | 20.2 ft (4) | 2.0 µg/L (2) | — |
| 2019 | 20.0 ft (6) | 2.3 µg/L (3) | — |
| 2018 | 16.6 ft (5) | 2.0 µg/L (2) | — |
| 2017 | 20.8 ft (5) | 1.3 µg/L (3) | 19.0 µg/L (1) |
| 2016 | 17.3 ft (4) | 1.0 µg/L (3) | — |
Latest individual samples: Secchi 22 ft (2025-08-29), chlorophyll-a 3 µg/L (2025-09-06), and total phosphorus 12 µg/L (2023-08-23).
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.
Upper Eau Claire Lake - Deep HoleStation 043129 · 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 maps3 converted map sheetsView 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
Upper Eau Claire Lake depth maps
3 converted map sheets. These historical surveys are not for navigation.
Navigable depth map
Upper 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 2742700 · 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.
Official fishing intelligence
Fishing reports and forecasts
LakeList matched these official resources by exact lake name and county. Report text stays with the publisher.
Forecasts describe DNR survey findings and expected opportunities; they are not real-time catch reports or a guarantee of fishing conditions.
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 contextUpper 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 and muskellunge remain survey observations because separate population estimates were completed or planned but are not printed in this sheet.
Wisconsin DNR's 2025 survey found moderate bluegill, smallmouth-bass and northern-pike fisheries, low largemouth-bass abundance, 58 rock bass, 38 walleyes and three muskellunge in the electrofishing sample.
- Bluegill growth was relatively slow; DNR concluded that more restrictive panfish regulations would not improve size structure.
- Harvest of small largemouth bass was encouraged to help maintain size structure.
- The sheet mentions an April 2025 walleye estimate and a planned 2026 muskellunge estimate but prints neither numeric result, so LakeList does not invent them.
Black crappie
1 fishIncidental catch count · p. 3
Bluegill
171 fishTotal captured · p. 11.2 inchesMinimum captured length · p. 19.2 inchesMaximum captured length · p. 1114 fish/mileSurvey CPUE · p. 1
Largemouth bass
42 fishTotal captured · p. 27.4 inchesMinimum captured length · p. 216.6 inchesMaximum captured length · p. 27 fish/mileSurvey CPUE · p. 2
Muskellunge
3 fishIncidental catch count · p. 313.2 inchesMinimum captured length · p. 318 inchesMiddle captured length · p. 338.4 inchesMaximum captured length · p. 3
Northern pike
7 fishTotal captured · p. 212 inchesMinimum captured length · p. 230.4 inchesMaximum captured length · p. 21.2 fish/mileSurvey CPUE · p. 2
Rock bass
58 fishTotal captured · p. 32.6 inchesMinimum captured length · p. 39.7 inchesMaximum captured length · p. 3
Smallmouth bass
37 fishTotal captured · p. 37 inchesMinimum captured length · p. 319.3 inchesMaximum captured length · p. 36.2 fish/mileSurvey CPUE · p. 3
Walleye
38 fishIncidental catch count · p. 37.6 inchesMinimum captured length · p. 320.3 inchesMaximum captured length · p. 3
2025 Fisheries Information Sheet: Upper Eau Claire Lake, Bayfield CountyMatched by exact wbic and name county · WBICs 2742700 · verified 2026-07-18Wisconsin DNR fisheries survey report; LakeList operator documented permission to leverage this report with source attribution.
1,024surface acres
92max depth feet
1public access points
46.3106, -91.4777latitude, longitude
Access
Public access points
Boat launchUpper Eau Claire Lake Access46.30945, -91.48857Managed by TOWNSHIPTOWN OF BARNESRamp surface: ConcreteADA-accessible feature: NoVerified 2026-07-12
Nearby
Trip-planning places
No nearby trip-planning places yet
Fishery
Notable species
Largemouth BassNorthern PikePanfishSmallmouth BassWalleyeMusky
Wisconsin DNR stocking
Fish stocking history
The latest published year is 2025, when 11,267 fish were recorded across 1 entry.
2025
WalleyeChippewa/St. Croix · Large Fingerling
11,2677.1 in average
2024
MuskellungeUpper Chippewa River · Large Fingerling
49813.3 in average
2023
WalleyeChippewa/St. Croix · Large Fingerling
10,2286.6 in average
2022
MuskellungeUpper Chippewa River · Large Fingerling
44011.9 in average
2021
WalleyeMississippi Headwaters · Large Fingerling
10,2446.1 in average
2019
WalleyeMississippi Headwaters · Large Fingerling
10,2446.5 in average
2018
MuskellungeUpper Chippewa River · Large Fingerling
54811.8 in average
2017
WalleyeMississippi Headwaters · Large Fingerling
10,2406.5 in average
2016
MuskellungeUpper Chippewa River · Large Fingerling
29811.8 in average
2015
WalleyeMississippi Headwaters · Large Fingerling
10,2447.5 in average
2014
MuskellungeUpper Chippewa River · Large Fingerling
49811.4 in average
2013
WalleyeMississippi Headwaters · Large Fingerling
9,8986.5 in average
Showing the 12 most recent records from 14 published entries.
Depth FAQ
How deep is Upper Eau Claire Lake?
Upper Eau Claire Lake is 92 feet deep at its deepest point and averages about 29 feet, according to Wisconsin DNR records.
Is there a free depth map of Upper Eau Claire Lake?
Yes. LakeList publishes a free interactive depth contour map of Upper Eau Claire Lake at a typical 10-foot interval, with an optional 3D underwater view, derived from C-MAP Genesis community sonar (derived) survey data.
Where does the Upper 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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