Birch Lake
Sherburne County, Minnesota160 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Birch Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Eurasian Watermilfoil
- 18 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Birch Lake in Sherburne County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 18 µg/L. Maximum depth: 18 ft. Surface area: 159.53 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 10, 2019 caught 0.17 walleye per gill net at Birch Lake. DNR survey details →
Birch Lake is a 160-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Sherburne County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 18 feet (10-foot average). The lake supports 13 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 17 other monitored lakes in Sherburne County, Birch Lake ranks #9 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2020-09-18. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Birch Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing13 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. 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.
Murky, only visible to about 5.8 ft. Phosphorus 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 18 µg/L. TSI 53.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 21µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 18µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 53 | 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.
Water Temperature
Birch Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 73°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in May (about 57°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (57°F) to its warmest (77°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 50 field readings (2011–2019) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Birch Lake water temperature breakdown →
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 10, 2019 caught 0.17 walleye per gill net at Birch Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Birch Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
6 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2019-06-10 (Standard Survey).
6 surveys on file · most recent 2019-06-10 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 43.47 | 2–7 in 2019-06-10 | 0.07 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 19.73 | 5–21 in 2019-06-10 | 0.62 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 19.01 | 4–9 in 2004-06-14 | 0.24 lb |
| Black Crappie | 18.90 | 4–10 in 2019-06-10 | 0.19 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 10.42 | 3–6 in 2019-06-10 | 0.06 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 6.14 | 7–13 in 2019-06-10 | 0.4 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Black Bullhead
Black Crappie
From the 2019-06-10 survey
Birch Lake is a 151 acre lake located four miles northeast of the City of Big Lake in Sherburne County. It has a maximum depth of 18 feet and a small watershed. Land use in the watershed is primarily forest and wetlands. Birch has a history of winterkills, but winter aeration has been used in recent years to prevent…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Birch Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — BirchFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Birch (1977)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BirchPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
18 ft
Average depth
10.2 ft
Surface area
160 acres
Shoreline
3.1 mi
Littoral zone
73%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
935 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
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Birch Lake in Sherburne County, Minnesota — 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.
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 whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
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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.
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility 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.
- Aspen Hills WwtpElk River · 2.7 mi away · NPDES MN0066028Recent violation
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 Sherburne County
Frequently asked questions about Birch Lake
Where is Birch Lake?
- Birch Lake is a lake in Sherburne 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 Sherburne County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 18 µg/L. Maximum depth: 18 ft. Surface area: 159.53 acres.
Is Birch Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Birch Lake?
- Birch Lake typically sits around 66°F at the surface in September, from 50 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2019). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Birch Lake?
- Birch Lake has a maximum depth of 18 feet and an average depth of 10.2 feet. The lake covers 159.53 acres.
What fish are in Birch Lake?
- Fish species found in Birch Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Birch Lake is located in Sherburne County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Birch Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on June 10, 2019 caught 0.17 walleye per gill net at Birch Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Birch Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. 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 Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Birch Lake across LakeQuality
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Fish species and best lakes in Sherburne County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
15 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA15 samples · 2020
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory