Birch Lake
Lake County, Minnesota7,554 acresView mapDirections
No nutrient or algae sampling on record from Minnesota PCA for this lake.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 26 ft max depth
- Public access
Birch Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 26.2 ft. Surface area: 7554 acres.
Birch Lake is a 7,554-acre lake in Lake County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 26 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Birch Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Camping1 public campground nearby
- Big water7,554 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingNot rated
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Birch Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, salinity / chlorides. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Birch Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR 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 Minnesota PCA 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.
No clarity data. TSI undefined.
Ask about Birch Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
26.2 ft
Surface area
7,554 acres
Shoreline
104.8 mi
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Recreation & Access
- Birch Lake (Northeast)Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Birch Lake
- Birch Lake Campground2.3 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Birch Lake
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Fishing Birch Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Birch Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Cultural, Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN69-0003-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Lake County
Frequently asked questions about Birch Lake
Where is Birch Lake?
- Birch Lake is a lake in Lake County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Birch Lake?
- Birch Lake in Lake County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 26.2 ft. Surface area: 7554 acres.
Is Birch Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Birch Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, salinity / chlorides. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Birch Lake?
- Birch Lake has a maximum depth of 26.2 feet. The lake covers 7554 acres.
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 (Northeast). 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 Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Are there campgrounds on Birch Lake?
- Birch Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Birch Lake Campground. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Birch Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
Measurements for Birch Lake come from the EPA Water Quality Portal. Per-sample source details are not recorded for this lake.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles