Middle Eau Claire Lake vs Upper Eau Claire Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Upper Eau Claire Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Middle Eau Claire Lake. Both are in Bayfield County, Wisconsin.
Middle Eau Claire Lake and Upper Eau Claire Lake are both in Wisconsin — a same-state head-to-head where the comparison comes down to lake-specific differences in depth, watershed, and monitoring history rather than the broader state-level water-quality regime. These two sit close on their nutrient and algae readings, Middle Eau Claire Lake versus Upper Eau Claire Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With readings 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.
Middle Eau Claire Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 18.2 ft down.
Upper Eau Claire Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 18.7 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Middle Eau Claire Lake | Upper Eau Claire Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 18.2 ft | 18.7 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 12.9 µg/L | 11.9 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 66 ft | 92 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 880 acres | 1,024 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 6 | 6 |
| Trophic State | oligotrophic | oligotrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
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Verdict
Middle Eau Claire Lake and Upper Eau Claire Lake read the same on nutrients and algae overall. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Middle Eau Claire Lake: 18.2 ft, Upper Eau Claire Lake: 18.7 ft) and what you want from the lake. Middle Eau Claire Lake matches its peer on species count.
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Where to stay near Middle Eau Claire Lake and Upper Eau Claire Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Middle Eau Claire Lake and Upper Eau Claire Lake. Both lakes are pinned on the map, so you can see which stays sit nearer the one you pick. Switch to Satellite to see how close each is to the water.
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.