Eau Claire River

About Eau Claire River

This Eau Claire River runs 27 miles through Eau Claire County, from the Bridge Creek country down through Lincoln toward the city and the Chippewa. The survey puts 774 acres of surface and 89 miles of bank on it. Wisconsin has more than one river by this name; this is the one in the Chippewa basin.

Three public accesses are on record, and all three are carry-in: the Eau Claire Lake county park access, the canoe portage and fishing access, and Harstad County Park.

The state classifies walleye here as natural reproduction only and lake sturgeon as naturally reproducing — both meaning the populations are managed as self-sustaining. Musky are the other way round, classified as stocking-dependent with reproduction unknown. Smallmouth habitat spans wadable cool water through non-wadable coarse substrate.

Check the current DNR regulations for the reach being fished.

Written from Wisconsin DNR hydrography and fisheries data. State water ID WBIC 2125600.

How the state manages it

• musky · Reproduction UNK, stocking occurs (Cat. 0)
• smallmouth · Non-Wadable Coarse Substrate; Non-Wadable Fine Substrate; Wadable Cool Water; Wadable Warm Water
• sturgeon · Naturally Reproducing - ANSRI
• walleye · Natural Reproduction Only

Wisconsin DNR fisheries designations. These describe how the water is managed, not what is in it on any given day.

Fishing license

Wisconsin sells them online. Buy one from the state. We don’t know whether you need one — that depends on your age, where you live, the water, and what your guide’s own license covers.