Birch Lake
Sawyer County, Wisconsin364 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Birch Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 2 aquatic invasives
- 73 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Birch Lake in Sawyer County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 60.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 73 ft. Surface area: 364 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Birch Lake. DNR survey details →
Birch Lake is a 364-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Sawyer County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 73 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Smallmouth Bass. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 44 other monitored lakes in Sawyer County, Birch Lake ranks #44 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2020-10-24. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Birch Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing5 species recorded
- Deep water73 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Birch Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5R) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Birch Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources 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 Wisconsin DNR 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. Phosphorus 60.3 µg/L. TSI 63.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 60.3µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| 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. | 63 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Birch Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Birch Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Birch Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
WI DNR Lake Profile
Authoritative data from the Wisconsin DNR LakePages. 2 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
73 ft
Surface area
364 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
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
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Birch Lake in Sawyer County, Wisconsin — 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Birch Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Birch Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Wisconsin’s top lakes →
Follow Birch Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Birch Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2020–2026). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Phosphorus
Improving-2.17 µg/L/yr3 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Birch Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Birch Lake (completed 1878), built primarily for recreation on the BIRCH CREEK; gravity-type dam, 28 ft tall and 600 ft long.
- Surface area
- 2,288 ac
- Normal storage
- 14,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 23,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 66.3 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Washburn County
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI00085 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Birch Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5R).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10006820 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Sawyer County
Frequently asked questions about Birch Lake
Where is Birch Lake?
- Birch Lake is a lake in Sawyer County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Birch Lake?
- Birch Lake in Sawyer County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 60.3 µg/L. Maximum depth: 73 ft. Surface area: 364 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 5R) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Birch Lake?
- Birch Lake has a maximum depth of 73 feet. The lake covers 364 acres.
What fish are in Birch Lake?
- Fish species found in Birch Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Birch Lake is located in Sawyer County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Birch Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Birch Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Birch Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 3 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
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 Wisconsin'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
5 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX5 samples · 2020
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory