Birch Lake
Antrim County, Michigan326 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Birch Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 50 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Birch Lake in Antrim County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 17 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 50 ft. Surface area: 325.6 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Birch Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 50 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Birch Lake is a 326-acre lake in Antrim County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 50 feet. The lake supports 2 documented fish species including Lake herring and Ninespine stickleback. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2022-08-27. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Birch Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water17 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Deep water50 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Birch Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Birch Lake
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Birch 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 17 ft down. TSI 36.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 17ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| 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. | 36 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Birch Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
50 ft
Surface area
326 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
7 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
2.8 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
581 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Birch 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 Birch Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Birch Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Birch Lake
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Birch Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Elk Rapids WrrfElk Rapids · 1.5 mi away · NPDES MI0059296Recent violation
- Elk Rapids WwtpElk Rapids · 1.5 mi away · NPDES MIG570208
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Antrim County
Frequently asked questions about Birch Lake
Where is Birch Lake?
- Birch Lake is a lake in Antrim County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Birch Lake?
- Birch Lake in Antrim County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 17 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 50 ft. Surface area: 325.6 acres.
Is Birch Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Birch Lake?
- Birch Lake has a maximum depth of 50 feet. The lake covers 325.6 acres.
What fish are in Birch Lake?
- Fish species found in Birch Lake include Lake herring, Ninespine stickleback. Birch Lake is located in Antrim County, Michigan.
Are there boat ramps on Birch Lake?
- Birch Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Birch Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Birch Lake?
- Birch 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 Michigan's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Birch Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
6 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS6 samples · 2022
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory