Birch Lake

Details

DNR lake ID

16024700

County

Cook

Surface area

236 acres

Maximum depth

69 feet

Mean depth

26 feet

Shallow water (littoral) area

71 acres, 30% of the lake

Shoreline

6.7 miles

Average water clarity

17.8 feet (Secchi disk, 7 readings)

Latest DNR fish survey

August 2023, standard survey

Surveys on record

8, since 1994

Game fish caught in the 2023 survey

rainbow trout 23, smallmouth bass 1, lake trout 1

Fish species recorded

brook trout, lake trout, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, splake, walleye, and 8 other species

Stocked in 2025

rainbow trout yearlings (4,000)

Stocked in 2024

rainbow trout yearlings (4,000)

Stocked in 2023

rainbow trout yearlings (4,000)

Stocking years on record

10 of the last 10 (2016 to 2025)

Birch Lake Public Water Access Site

carry-in, natural ramp, run by U.S. Forest Service

Fish consumption

Follow the northeast guidelines; fish from this lake have been tested

Size

100 to 499 acres

Deepest point

60 feet or more

Public access

Yes

Stocked in the last 3 years

Yes

Sources

• Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
  Checked September 24, 2026
• Minnesota DNR Public Water Access Sites
  Checked September 24, 2026

Survey catches show what DNR nets and electrofishing found on the survey date, not how the fishing is today. Check the current regulations and the Department of Health advice before you keep fish, and confirm access conditions before you tow a boat.