About the Eau Claire Chain of Lakes in Gordon and Barnes, NW Wisconsin

About the Eau Claire Chain of Lakes in Gordon and Barnes, NW Wisconsin

The Eau Claire chain includes Lower, Middle, and Upper Eau Claire, plus a few smaller lakes of 80-200 acres that are accessible by smaller boats at most water levels.  These include Bony, Pickerel, Robinson, Birch, Schunenberg, Smith, and Sweet.  From Lower Eau Claire, the Eau Claire River flows westward, passing just south of Eau Claire Acres.  Farther downstream, it joins the Saint Croix at Gordon. 

View Eau Claire chain of Lakes in a larger map

The lakes in the Eau Claire chain tend to be deeper and clearer than most lakes in the area.  (Eau Claire, as you may have guessed, is French for “Clear Water.”)  In them, you’ll find muskies, walleye, northern pike, largemouth and smallmouth bass, crappies, bluegills, and perch.  Here are some vital statistics for the three largest lakes:

·      Lower Eau Claire:  802 acres, 7.78 miles of shoreline, maximum depth 41’, 56% greater than 20’ deep, and 4% less than 3’ deep.

·      Middle Eau Claire:  902 acres, 11 miles of shoreline, maximum depth 66’, 40% greater than 20’ deep, and 12% less than 3’ deep.

·      Upper Eau Claire:  992 acres, 9.93 miles of shoreline, maximum depth 92’, 50% greater than 20’ deep, and 4% less than 3’ deep.

More About the Area

You’ll be located in the heart Douglas and Bayfield County recreational paradise.  In addition to the Eau Claire river and chain of lakes, you’ll be close to dozens of other lakes and streams that are great for fishing, boating, paddling, and waterfowling.  You’re just minutes from the Brule, the Namekagon, and the Saint Croix Wild and Scenic Riverway.

Nearby, you’ll find trails for ATVing, snowmobiling, biking, hiking, and skiing.  The area is great for both road and mountain biking, and is home to events like the American Birkebeiner and Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival.  You’ll be surrounded by vast areas of public and paper company land that’s open to hunting, hiking, birding, and other recreation. 

You can shop for essentials in nearby Barnes, Gordon, or Solon Springs; it’s not much farther to Cable, Hayward, Drummond, or Ashland.  It’s about an hour to Superior or Duluth, and about 2 ½ - 3 hours to the Twin Cities.