Birch Lake
Osage County, Oklahoma1,145 acresView mapDirections
Oklahoma DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Birch Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Algal growth
- Public access
- Limited data
Ask about Birch Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Birch Lake in Osage County, Oklahoma has water-quality measurements published by Oklahoma DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Surface area: 1145 acres.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Birch Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Birch Lake in Osage County, Oklahoma — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Birch Lake
Prices for Sep 18–20, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Birch Lake → · more Oklahoma lake trips
Follow Birch Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Birch Lake is a 1,145-acre lake in Osage County, Oklahoma. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ODEQ, last sampled 2021-09-27. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Birch Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Big water1,145 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Birch Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, mercury, oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Birch Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality 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 Oklahoma DEQ 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.
Very murky, less than 2.3 ft of visibility. TSI 65.
| Metric | Value | EPA condition class |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.3 ft | Measured, not scored |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 65 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 1,145 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Birch Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Birch CovePublic
- Twin CovesPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Birch Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -4.357 m/yr | 3 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Birch Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Birch Dam (completed 1977), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Birch Creek; earth-type dam, 97 ft tall and 3,193 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,145 ac
- Normal storage
- 19,225 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 111,100 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 66 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- USACE - Tulsa District
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID OK20508 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Birch Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit OK121300030040_00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Osage County
Frequently asked questions about Birch Lake
Where is Birch Lake?
- Birch Lake is a lake in Osage County, Oklahoma. Its water-quality measurements are published by Oklahoma DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Birch Lake?
- Birch Lake in Osage County, Oklahoma has water-quality measurements published by Oklahoma DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Surface area: 1145 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 algal growth, mercury, oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Birch Lake?
- Birch Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Birch Cove, Twin Coves. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Birch Lake across LakeQuality
More lakes in Oklahoma
Other Lakes in Oklahoma
Eutrophic Lakes in Oklahoma
Where this data comes from
36 measurements from 4 monitoring stations, 2016–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- OWRB Lakes Monitoring
OKWRB-LAKES_WQX36 samples · 2016–2021
Analytical methods
- OWRB Lakes Field Data Collection
- Determination of Turbidity
Monitoring station identifiers (4)
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory