Birch Lake vs Pike Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Pike Lake has a higher water quality grade (A, Excellent) than Birch Lake (C, Fair). Both are in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
C
Birch Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota
Murky, only visible to about 3.9 ft.
A
Pike Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota
Crystal clear, you can see 18 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Birch Lake | Pike Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | A (Excellent) |
| Water Clarity | 3.9 ft | 18 ft |
| Phosphorus | 21 µg/L | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 25 ft | 60 ft |
| Surface Area | 7.1K acres | 488.26 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 10 | 9 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | oligotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Pike Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade A versus Birch Lake's Grade C. Water clarity: 18 ft vs 3.9 ft. For more fish-species variety, Birch Lake edges ahead with 10 documented species.