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LakeQuality

Lower Eau Claire Lake vs Middle Eau Claire Lake

Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.

Middle Eau Claire Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Lower Eau Claire Lake (A, Excellent). Both are in Bayfield County, Wisconsin.

Both Lower Eau Claire Lake and Middle Eau Claire Lake sit in Wisconsin. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any grade differences here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies grading them. The grades are close: Lower Eau Claire Lake (A) and Middle Eau Claire Lake (A) are within one letter of each other on the LakeGrade rubric. The per-parameter sub-grades below will show where the small differences actually live.

With grades this close, the choice between the two lakes turns on non-water-quality factors: depth, fish species, public access, distance from home. The per-lake pages below cover all of those.

A

Lower Eau Claire Lake

Bayfield County, Wisconsin

Good clarity, visible to about 14.1 ft.

A

Middle Eau Claire Lake

Bayfield County, Wisconsin

Crystal clear, you can see 17.3 ft down.

Side-by-Side Metrics

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

MetricLower Eau Claire LakeMiddle Eau Claire Lake
Overall GradeA (Excellent)A (Excellent)
Water Clarity14.1 ft17.3 ft
Phosphorus13 µg/L12.8 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No dataNo data
Maximum Depth--
Surface Area802 acres902 acres
Public AccessUnknownUnknown
Fish Species00
Trophic Statemesotrophicoligotrophic

Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).

Verdict

Middle Eau Claire Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Lower Eau Claire Lake's Grade A. Water clarity: 17.3 ft vs 14.1 ft. For fishing diversity, Middle Eau Claire Lake also leads with 0 species.