Little Birch Lake
Todd County, Minnesota839 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Little Birch Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- 2 aquatic invasives
- 89 ft max depth
- Public access
Little Birch Lake in Todd County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 89 ft. Surface area: 839.44 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 31, 2023 caught 3.00 walleye per gill net at Little Birch Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–11 inches. DNR survey details →
Free interactive depth-contour map of Little Birch Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 80 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Little Birch Lake is a 839-acre mesotrophic lake in Todd County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 89 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 20 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 7 other monitored lakes in Todd County, Little Birch Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-30. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Little Birch Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water13 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Fishing20 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 15
- Deep water89 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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. Little Birch Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Little 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 Little Birch Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Little Birch Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 13 ft. Phosphorus 19 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.1 µg/L. TSI 43.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 13ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 19µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.1µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 43 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Little Birch Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Little Birch Lake typically sits around 55°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 57°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 61°F) and coldest in May (about 49°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (49°F) to its warmest (61°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 264 field readings (2018–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Little Birch Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Little Birch Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (263,027 cells/mL) on May 8, 2024.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 31, 2023 caught 3.00 walleye per gill net at Little Birch Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–11 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Birch Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
29 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-08-19 (Targeted Survey).
29 surveys on file · most recent 2025-08-19 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 35.80 | ||
| Walleye | 17.16 | 11 in 2025-08-19 | 1.44 lb |
| Bluegill | 15.15 | 3–8 in 2023-07-31 | 0.19 lb |
| Largemouth Bass | 9.09 | 3–17 in 2023-07-31 | 0.94 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.
Walleye
Bluegill
Largemouth Bass
From the 2025-08-19 survey
Little Birch Lake (DOW# 77-0089; Lake Class 22) is an 839-acre lake located near Grey Eagle, Minnesota. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) owned concrete boat ramp is located on the northwest shore. Little Birch Lake has 8.61 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 89 feet. The lake is primarily…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Little Birch Lake. 4 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Little BirchFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Little Birch (0908)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Little BirchFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Little BirchPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
89 ft
Surface area
839 acres
Shoreline
8.6 mi
Littoral zone
33%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
64 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,171 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Little 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 Little Birch Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Birch Lake
- → Little Birch Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Little Birch Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Little Birch Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Little Birch Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
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 Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.56 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.78 µg/L/yr4 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 15
Earliest Mar 22, 2016 · Latest May 11, 2013
Typical ice-in
Dec 2
Earliest Dec 1, 2007 · Latest Dec 20, 2015
Most recent ice-out
Apr 24
2019
24 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
EPA Impairment Status
Little 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
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN77-0089-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Todd County
Frequently asked questions about Little Birch Lake
Where is Little Birch Lake?
- Little Birch Lake is a lake in Todd County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Little Birch Lake?
- Little Birch Lake in Todd County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.1 µg/L. Maximum depth: 89 ft. Surface area: 839.44 acres.
Is Little Birch Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Little Birch Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Little Birch Lake?
- Little Birch Lake typically sits around 55°F at the surface in September, from 264 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2018–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Little Birch Lake?
- Little Birch Lake has a maximum depth of 89 feet. The lake covers 839.44 acres.
What fish are in Little Birch Lake?
- Fish species found in Little Birch Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, channel catfish, common carp, greater redhorse, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Little Birch Lake is located in Todd County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Little Birch Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 31, 2023 caught 3.00 walleye per gill net at Little Birch Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–11 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Birch Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Little Birch Lake thaw?
- Little Birch Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 15. Ice typically forms around Dec 2. The open water season is approximately 231 days.
Does Little Birch Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Little Birch Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (263,027 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Little Birch Lake?
- Little Birch Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Little Birch Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Little Birch Lake?
- Little 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 Little Birch Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
271 measurements from 6 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA271 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (6)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate