Is Birch Lake safe to swim in?

Generally safe for swimming, moderate water quality. Birch Lake has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 7.5 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

How deep is Birch Lake?

Birch Lake has a maximum depth of 25 feet. The lake covers 7073.85 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.

Birch Lake

Grade C — Fair

Fair · #43 of 68 lakes in the county · 3.9 ft clear · Eutrophic · 7,074 acres

Eutrophic

Birch Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 7073.85 acres.

Clarity: 3.9 ft
Max depth: 25 ft
Area: 7,074 acres
Type: Eutrophic
Trend: ↓ Declining
Public access: Yes

Where to stay →Safe to swim?

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CBlueberry Lake2 ft clear · St. Louis CountyView →

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Free interactive depth-contour map of Birch Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 30 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.

Birch Lake is a 7,074-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 25 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and hybrid sunfish. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 67 other monitored lakes in St. Louis County, Birch Lake ranks #43 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-23. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Grade only

Moderate

Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.

Generally safe for swimming, moderate water quality

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Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)

Murky, only visible to about 3.9 ft. Phosphorus level: 21.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 7.5 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 52.

Metric	Value	Grade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)	3.9 ft	Not graded
Phosphorus	21.5 µg/L	Good
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)	7.5 µg/L	Fair
Trophic State Index (TSI)	52	Eutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Where to stay near Birch Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Birch Lake in St. Louis 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.

Top-rated places to stay near Birch Lake

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Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Birch Lake → · more Minnesota lake trips

Lake Details

Characteristic	Value
Maximum Depth	25 ft
Surface Area	7,074 acres
Shoreline Length	90.1 mi
Littoral Zone	15%
Public Access	Yes

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area

923 sq mi

Elevation

1,407 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).

Recreation & Access

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

Birch Lake (Northeast)Public

Fish Species

black crappie bluegill hybrid sunfish northern pike rock bass smallmouth bass tullibee (cisco)walleye white sucker yellow perch

Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.

Fishing Birch Lake

DNR Fisheries Survey Summary

15 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-11 (Targeted Survey).

Top Species by Catch Rate

Species	Avg CPUE	Avg Weight
CIS	10.25	0.69 lb
Tullibee (Cisco)	9.61	0.55 lb
Walleye	9.56	1 lb
White Sucker	4.27	1.87 lb
Yellow Perch	3.71	0.21 lb
Northern Pike	1.91	3.25 lb

CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.

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.

CIS

123 fish · 8–16 in · 2015-08-17

Tullibee (Cisco)

144 fish · 7–14 in · 2025-08-11

Walleye

122 fish · 4–28 in · 2025-08-11

White Sucker

57 fish · 6–19 in · 2025-08-11

From the 2025-08-11 survey

Birch Lake is a 7074-acre, 15-mile-long reservoir located northeast of Babbitt in the Superior National Forest. It is a popular multi-species fishery comparable to Bear Island, Fall, and White Iron in the Tower Area. Impounding the confluence of four rivers, Birch is expansive and generally shallow, with most of the…

Source: MN DNR LakeFinder Fisheries Lake Survey

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 — Birch
Fisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
—
Aquatic Plant Report — Birch (0246)
Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
—
Public Water Access Sites — Birch
Public Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder

Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining

Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

Metric	Trend	Change/Year	Years
Water Clarity	↓ Declining	-0.03 m/yr	5

See year-by-year chart →

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

MercurySalinity / chlorides

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN69-0003-00 · Official waterbody report

County Ranking

Ranked #43 of 68 lakes in St. Louis County

Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County

CBlueberry Lake2 ft clear · EutrophicView →COne Pine Lake4.5 ft clear · EutrophicView →NRPerch Lake6.6 ft clearView →

CJohnson Lake3 ft clear · EutrophicCompareView →

ABear Island Lake7 ft clear · MesotrophicCompareView →

NRMiner'S Pit West Lake23.1 ft clearView →

Frequently asked questions about Birch Lake

What is the water quality grade for Birch Lake?: Birch Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 21.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 25 ft. Surface area: 7073.85 acres.
Is Birch Lake safe to swim in?: Generally safe for swimming, moderate water quality. Birch Lake has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 7.5 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Birch Lake?: Birch Lake has a maximum depth of 25 feet. The lake covers 7073.85 acres.
What fish are in Birch Lake?: Fish species found in Birch Lake include black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, northern pike, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow perch. Birch Lake is located in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
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.

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