Where is Upper Eau Claire Lake?

Upper 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 temperature of Upper Eau Claire Lake?

Upper Eau Claire Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September, from 20 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.

How deep is Upper Eau Claire Lake?

Upper Eau Claire Lake has a maximum depth of 92 feet. The lake covers 1024 acres.

Are there boat ramps on Upper Eau Claire Lake?

Upper Eau Claire Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Upper Eau Claire Lake. Public access is listed as yes.

Can I fish at Upper Eau Claire Lake?

Upper Eau Claire Lake has 1 documented boat landing 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.

Upper Eau Claire Lake

Bayfield County, Wisconsin1,024 acresView map Directions

Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Upper Eau Claire Lake. Here is what has been measured.

Clarity

18.7 ft

Clearer than most

Secchi · sampled 2026

Phosphorus

11.9 µg/L

Less phosphorus than most

Measured by Wisconsin DNR

Water temp

~68°F

Typical for Sep · EPA WQP

Max depth

92 ft

Bathymetric survey

Area

1,024 acres

Surface area

Type

Oligotrophic

Trophic class

Oligotrophic
2 aquatic invasives
92 ft max depth
Public access

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Upper Eau Claire Lake in Bayfield County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 18.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 92 ft. Surface area: 1024 acres.

Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Upper Eau Claire Lake. DNR survey details →

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Upper Eau Claire Lake is a 1,024-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Bayfield County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 92 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 6 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 23 other monitored lakes in Bayfield County, Upper Eau Claire Lake ranks #11 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-04-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

Upper Eau Claire Lake covers about 1,000 acres in Bayfield County. It has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Upper Eau Claire Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.

What Upper Eau Claire Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Clear water18.7 ft of visibility
Boat launch1 documented ramp
Fishing6 species recorded
Deep water92 ft surveyed max depth
Big water1,024 acres

Swimming conditions

Readings only

Low 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 Upper 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.

Compare swimming lakes near Hayward →

Get alerts for Upper Eau Claire Lake →

Water quality measurements for Upper Eau Claire Lake

These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Upper Eau Claire Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.

Crystal clear, you can see 18.7 ft down. Phosphorus 11.9 µg/L. TSI 37.

Water quality readings
Measure	Reading	Where it sits
Water clarity (Secchi depth)	18.7ft	Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer.
Total phosphorus	11.9µg/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.	37	Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic

Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.

Ask about Upper Eau Claire Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

Water Temperature

Upper Eau Claire Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 78°F) and coldest in May (about 58°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

58°

May

69°

Jun

78°

Jul

73°

Aug

68°

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (58°F) to its warmest (78°F).

Typical surface water temperature by month, from 20 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Upper Eau Claire Lake water temperature breakdown →

Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)

No current satellite reading

There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Upper Eau Claire Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was moderate (38,019 cells/mL) on November 22, 2025.

Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗

DNR fisheries survey

Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Upper Eau Claire Lake.

A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Upper 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. Monitored by volunteers since 1998. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).

DNR Assessment

Reported

Trophic State Index 38 (oligotrophic) · 5-year average

Fish Species (DNR-rated)

Panfish(Common)Largemouth Bass(Common)Smallmouth Bass(Common)Northern Pike(Common)Walleye(Common)Musky(Present)

Contour map (PDF) →Full WI DNR LakePage →Water quality stations →

Lake Details

Max depth

92 ft

Surface area

1,024 acres

Public access

Yes

Listed by Wisconsin DNR

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area

80 sq mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Shoreline

10.3 mi

HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS

Elevation

1,129 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Recreation & Access

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

Upper Eau Claire LakePublic

Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps

Stays via Stay22

Stays near Upper Eau Claire Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Upper Eau Claire Lake in Bayfield 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.

Top-rated places to stay near Upper 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 Upper Eau Claire Lake’s readings

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Fish Species

Musky Panfish Largemouth Bass Smallmouth Bass Northern Pike Walleye

Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.

Fishing Upper 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.

Chinese Mystery SnailCurly-Leaf PondweedRusty Crayfish

Water Quality Trend: Worsening

Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).

Water clarity
Worsening
6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening
+2.43 µg/L/yr6 years

See year-by-year chart →

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Upper Eau Claire Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Upper Eau Claire Lake (completed 1950), built primarily for recreation; gravity-type dam, 6 ft tall.

Surface area: 1,030 ac
Normal storage: 3,000 ac-ft
Max storage: 4,000 ac-ft
Drainage area: 8 sq mi
Hazard class: Low
Owner: Lundsberg, James

All listed purposes: Recreation;Other.

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI10053 · Operator website

Nearby Lakes in Bayfield County

Birch Lake—View →Robinson Lake13.5 ft clear · Mesotrophic—View →Bony Lake19.8 ft clear · Mesotrophic—View →Sweet Lake—View →Henderson Lake—View →

Middle Eau Claire Lake18.2 ft clear · OligotrophicCompare—View →

Frequently asked questions about Upper Eau Claire Lake

Where is Upper Eau Claire Lake?: Upper 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 Upper Eau Claire Lake?: Upper Eau Claire Lake in Bayfield County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 18.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 92 ft. Surface area: 1024 acres.
Is Upper 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 Upper Eau Claire Lake?: Upper Eau Claire Lake typically sits around 68°F at the surface in September, from 20 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Upper Eau Claire Lake?: Upper Eau Claire Lake has a maximum depth of 92 feet. The lake covers 1024 acres.
What fish are in Upper Eau Claire Lake?: Fish species found in Upper Eau Claire Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Upper Eau Claire Lake is located in Bayfield County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Upper Eau Claire Lake?: Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Upper Eau Claire Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Upper 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 Upper Eau Claire Lake have blue-green algae?: There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Upper Eau Claire Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was moderate (38,019 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Wisconsin's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Upper Eau Claire Lake?: Upper Eau Claire Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Upper Eau Claire Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Upper Eau Claire Lake?: Upper Eau Claire Lake has 1 documented boat landing 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.

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Compare Upper Eau Claire Lake With Nearby Lakes

Upper Eau Claire Lake vs Middle Eau Claire Lake

Bayfield County · 18.2 ft

Upper Eau Claire Lake vs Lower Eau Claire Lake

Bayfield County · 14.1 ft

Where this data comes from

74 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 ResourcesWIDNR_WQX74 samples · 2020–2026

Analytical methods

Phosphorus by Colorimetry

Monitoring station identifiers (1)

WIDNR_WQX-043129

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

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