Minnesota DNR fisheries surveys · latest September 5, 2017
Birch Lake FishingNRNot rated for water quality
Minnesota DNR surveys at Birch Lake average 7.49 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 9 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated September 5, 2017. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–26 inches. In Unknown County, Minnesota, Birch Lake has no letter grade — no EPA ecoregion for this lake, so the National Lakes Assessment condition thresholds cannot be applied. Water clarity averages 15.0 feet of visibility. The survey figures on this page are Minnesota DNR's own; the water-quality grade comes from EPA Water Quality Portal samples. Neither is a forecast of today's bite.
Species recorded at Birch Lake
10 species on the Minnesota DNR list for this lake. A species on the list has been recorded here; it does not mean it is catchable today or in every part of the lake.
Stocking at Birch Lake
No stocking record for Birch Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is an absence in the published record, not a confirmation that the lake is unstocked — some waters are managed as naturally reproducing and never appear in a stocking list at all.
Survey results in full
Minnesota DNR surveys at Birch Lake average 7.49 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 9 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated September 5, 2017. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–26 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on Birch Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
9 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2017-09-05 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg catch rate (CPUE) | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Walleye | 7.49 | 1.61 lb |
| Tullibee (Cisco) | 6.15 | 0.64 lb |
| White Sucker | 4.19 | 2.8 lb |
| Bluegill | 2.35 | 0.19 lb |
| Northern Pike | 2.28 | 3.61 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE means more abundant in standardized sampling. This 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.
Walleye
Tullibee (Cisco)
White Sucker
Bluegill
From the 2017-09-05 survey
Birch Lake is located approximately 18 miles NE of Ely within the BWCAW. The northern half of the lake is part of Ontario's Quetico Provincial Park. Birch Lake is 836 acres with 397 of these acres in Minnesota. Visitors should be familiar with appropriate regulations when traveling these wilderness areas. Birch Lake…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Birch Lake. 1 report 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
Common questions
What fish are in Birch Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys at Birch Lake average 7.49 walleye per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) across 9 surveys. The most recent is a Standard Survey dated September 5, 2017. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 8–26 inches. Minnesota DNR lists 10 species for the lake in total. Those are survey results, not a catch report: a net set on one date measures what was in that net.
When was Birch Lake last surveyed?
The most recent fisheries survey on file for Birch Lake is dated September 5, 2017. Survey intervals vary by lake and by species; a gap of several years between surveys is normal and does not mean the record is missing.
Is Birch Lake stocked?
No stocking record for Birch Lake appears in the Minnesota DNR material on file. That is not the same as a confirmed unstocked lake: it means no stocking document was published for it in the records this page draws on.
Does the water-quality grade tell me how Birch Lake fishes?
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not a water-quality grade. LakeQuality does not assign an A–F grade on Birch Lake — official chemistry is on file, not a letter, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Before you eat what you catch
A water-quality grade is not a consumption advisory. Mercury and PCB advice for Minnesota waters comes from MDH, and it is issued per species and per size class — a lake can grade well and still carry a meal limit on larger predator fish.
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