Lower Eau Claire Lake
Bayfield County, Wisconsin784 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Lower Eau Claire Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- 3 aquatic invasives
- 41 ft max depth
Lower Eau Claire Lake in Bayfield County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Maximum depth: 41 ft. Surface area: 784 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Lower Eau Claire Lake. DNR survey details →
Lower Eau Claire Lake is a 784-acre mesotrophic lake in Bayfield County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 41 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 6 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Compared to the 23 other monitored lakes in Bayfield County, Lower Eau Claire Lake ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-05-06. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Lower Eau Claire Lake covers about 780 acres in Bayfield County. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Lower Eau Claire Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Lower Eau Claire Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water14.1 ft of visibility
- Fishing6 species recorded
- Deep water41 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lower 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 Lower Eau Claire Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Lower Eau Claire Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 14.1 ft. Phosphorus 13 µg/L. TSI 40.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 14.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 13µg/L | Good 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. | 40 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Lower Eau Claire Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lower Eau Claire Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 76°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°F) and coldest in May (about 55°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (55°F) to its warmest (78°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 12 field readings (2024–2026) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lower Eau Claire Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Lower Eau Claire Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (48,753 cells/mL) on April 11, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Lower Eau Claire Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Lower Eau Claire Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. 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. 2 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
DNR Reports & Resources
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Lower Eau Claire Lake covering fish populations, stocking, water quality, and management. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- 2025Eau Claire, Middle spring shocking survey, 2025Spring Shocking Survey · WI DNR · 2025 (PDF)
- 2025Eau Claire, Upper spring shocking survey, 2025Spring Shocking Survey · WI DNR · 2025 (PDF)
- 2017Upper Eau Claire comprehensive fisheries survey, 2017Comprehensive Survey · WI DNR · 2017 (PDF)
- 2014Middle Eau Claire comprehensive fisheries survey, 2014Comprehensive Survey · WI DNR · 2014 (PDF)
Lake Details
Max depth
41 ft
Surface area
784 acres
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lower Eau Claire Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Lower Eau Claire Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Lower Eau Claire Lake
- → Lower Eau Claire Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Lower Eau Claire Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Lower Eau Claire Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Lower Eau Claire Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
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: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.25 µg/L/yr6 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lower Eau Claire Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lower Eau Claire Lake (completed 1938), built primarily for recreation on the EAU CLAIRE; gravity-type dam, 12 ft tall and 60 ft long.
- Surface area
- 802 ac
- Normal storage
- 3,100 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 7,100 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 109 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Douglas County
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI01074 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Bayfield County
Frequently asked questions about Lower Eau Claire Lake
Where is Lower Eau Claire Lake?
- Lower Eau Claire Lake is a lake in Bayfield County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lower Eau Claire Lake?
- Lower Eau Claire Lake in Bayfield County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 14.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 13 µg/L. Maximum depth: 41 ft. Surface area: 784 acres.
Is Lower Eau Claire Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Lower Eau Claire Lake?
- Lower Eau Claire Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August, from 12 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2026). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Lower Eau Claire Lake?
- Lower Eau Claire Lake has a maximum depth of 41 feet. The lake covers 784 acres.
What fish are in Lower Eau Claire Lake?
- Fish species found in Lower Eau Claire Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Lower Eau Claire Lake is located in Bayfield County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Lower Eau Claire Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Lower Eau Claire Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Lower Eau Claire Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Does Lower Eau Claire Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Lower Eau Claire Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (48,753 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Wisconsin's current advisory before swimming.
Explore Lower Eau Claire Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
105 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX105 samples · 2020–2026
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes