Birch Lake
Birch Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 15 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 52 ft. Surface area: 99.82 acres.
- Clarity
- 15 ft
- Typical in August
- 75°F
- Max depth
- 52 ft
- Area
- 100 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 6
- Open water
- 235 days
Next lake in Wright County
Birch Lake is a 100-acre mesotrophic lake in Wright County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 52 feet (16-foot average). Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 9 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available. Compared to the 50 other monitored lakes in Wright County, Birch Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-08-19. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
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.
Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Crystal clear, you can see 15 ft down. Phosphorus level: 17 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 4 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 42.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 15 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 17 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 42 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Where to stay near Birch Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Birch Lake in Wright 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.
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Water Temperature
Birch Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in May (about 60°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 36 field readings (2011–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Birch Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 52 ft |
| Average Depth | 15.8 ft |
| Surface Area | 100 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 2 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 37% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded 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.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
4 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2009-07-27 (Standard Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 19.79 | 0.64 lb |
| Bluegill | 18.57 | 0.1 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 11.64 | 1.04 lb |
| Yellow Bass | 8.60 | 0.54 lb |
| Northern Pike | 5.01 | 1.25 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 3.05 | 2.19 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.
Black Bullhead
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
Yellow Bass
From the 2009-07-27 survey
Birch Lake is a 76 acre lake located in north central Wright County with a maximum depth of 52 feet. Dissolved oxygen was present to 17 feet in mid-July. The secchi depth was 11.0 feet. The aquatic plant community was diverse with 17 submersed species, some of which grew to a depth of 18 feet. Northern milfoil,…
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 (2007)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — BirchPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.133 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.77 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.37 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (50 observations).
Estimated open water season: 235 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2000-03-14 (2000) | 2018-05-01 (2018) |
| Ice-In | 1991-11-04 (1991) | 2001-12-20 (2001) |
Most recent ice-out: 2026-03-31
EPA Impairment Status
Birch Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN86-0146-00 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.03 km)
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Birch Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 1 classified by the EPA as major discharger.
- Xcel - Monticello Nuclear Generating PltMonticello · 3.1 mi away · NPDES MN0000868Major
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.
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 51 lakes in Wright County
Nearby Lakes in Wright County
Frequently asked questions about Birch Lake
What is the water quality grade for Birch Lake?
- Birch Lake in Wright County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 15 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 17 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 52 ft. Surface area: 99.82 acres.
Is Birch Lake safe to swim in?
- Excellent for swimming, crystal clear water with minimal algae. Birch Lake has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 4 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Birch Lake?
- Birch Lake typically sits around 75°F at the surface in August, from 36 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2011–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Birch Lake?
- Birch Lake has a maximum depth of 52 feet and an average depth of 15.8 feet. The lake covers 99.82 acres.
What fish are in Birch Lake?
- Fish species found in Birch Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, common carp, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, yellow bullhead. Birch Lake is located in Wright County, Minnesota.
When does Birch Lake thaw?
- Birch Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 6. Ice typically forms around Nov 27. The open water season is approximately 235 days.
Explore Birch Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
102 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA102 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate