Eau Claire Lake
Eau Claire County, Wisconsin870 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Eau Claire Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- Curly-Leaf Pondweed
- 25 ft max depth
- Public access
Eau Claire Lake in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 88 µg/L. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 870 acres.
Wisconsin DNR rates Walleye as abundant on Eau Claire Lake. DNR survey details →
Eau Claire Lake is a 870-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 25 feet. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Public access is available with 4 public boat landings. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Eau Claire County, Eau Claire Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2024-10-07. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Eau Claire Lake covers about 870 acres in Eau Claire County. It has 4 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Eau Claire Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Eau Claire Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch4 documented ramps
- Fishing5 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Eau Claire Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5R) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Eau Claire Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Eau Claire Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Eau Claire Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 2.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 88 µg/L. TSI 66.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 88µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 66 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Eau Claire Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR rates Walleye as abundant on Eau Claire Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Eau Claire Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
WI DNR Lake Profile
Authoritative data from the Wisconsin DNR LakePages. 12 stations on file (most recent sample 2024).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
25 ft
Surface area
870 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
593 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
9.1 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
892 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Lake Eau Claire - SouthwestPublic
- County Highway SDPublic
- ND CirclePublic
- Lake Eau Claire County ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Eau Claire Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Eau Claire Lake in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Eau Claire Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Eau Claire Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Wisconsin’s top lakes →
Follow Eau Claire Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Eau Claire Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2021–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening3 years
Phosphorus
Improving-3.09 µg/L/yr4 years
EPA Impairment Status
Eau Claire Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5R).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10004681 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Eau Claire County
Frequently asked questions about Eau Claire Lake
Where is Eau Claire Lake?
- Eau Claire Lake is a lake in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Eau Claire Lake?
- Eau Claire Lake in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 88 µg/L. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 870 acres.
Is Eau Claire Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Eau Claire Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5R) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Eau Claire Lake?
- Eau Claire Lake has a maximum depth of 25 feet. The lake covers 870 acres.
What fish are in Eau Claire Lake?
- Fish species found in Eau Claire Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye. Eau Claire Lake is located in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Eau Claire Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR rates Walleye as abundant on Eau Claire Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Eau Claire Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 4 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Eau Claire Lake?
- Eau Claire Lake has 4 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Eau Claire - Southwest, County Highway SD, ND Circle, Lake Eau Claire County Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Eau Claire Lake?
- Eau Claire Lake has 4 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Wisconsin's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Eau Claire Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Wisconsin
Fish species and best lakes in Eau Claire County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Wisconsin's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Chippewa River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Wisconsin's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Compare Eau Claire Lake With Nearby Lakes
Where this data comes from
41 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2021–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX41 samples · 2021–2024
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory