Birch Lake vs Harris Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Harris Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Birch Lake. Both are in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
Both Birch Lake and Harris Lake sit in Wisconsin. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any differences in the readings here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies sampling them. These two sit close on their nutrient and algae readings, Birch Lake versus Harris Lake. The deciding factors for a recreational visitor are likely physical (depth, access, fish species) rather than water-quality differences.
With readings this close, the choice between the two lakes turns on non-water-quality factors: depth, fish species, public access, distance from home. The per-lake pages below cover all of those.
Birch Lake
Murky, only visible to about 6.5 ft.
Harris Lake
Crystal clear, you can see 14.9 ft down.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Birch Lake | Harris Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | 6.5 ft | 14.9 ft Better |
| Phosphorus | 16.3 µg/L | 12.5 µg/L Better |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | No data |
| Maximum Depth | 45 ft | 57 ft Better |
| Surface Area | 506 acres | 534 acres |
| Public Access | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Species | 6 | 6 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | oligotrophic |
A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.
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Verdict
Birch Lake and Harris Lake read the same on nutrients and algae overall. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Birch Lake: 6.5 ft, Harris Lake: 14.9 ft) and what you want from the lake. Birch Lake matches its peer on species count.
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Where to stay near Birch Lake and Harris Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Birch Lake and Harris Lake. Both lakes are pinned on the map, so you can see which stays sit nearer the one you pick. Switch to Satellite to see how close each is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Birch Lake and Harris Lake
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.