Birch Lake

How big is Birch Lake?

How deep is Birch Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Birch Lake?

Are there boat launches on Birch Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Birch Lake?

Birch Lake is a 711-acre lake with a maximum depth of 34 feet located on the Canadian/U.S. border. The Canadian portion of the lake is in Quetico Provincial Park and the U.S. portion of the lake is in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). It is on one of the most heavily traveled routes in the BWCAW. The entire lake is a non-motorized area. The BWCAW is administered by the United States Forest Service (USFS). Access to Birch Lake is by canoe from Sucker Lake or by portage from Sucker and Carp Lakes. Over-night permits from the USFS are required and numbers are limited by quota. Day use permits are required year-round and numbers are not limited by quotas.

The fish community of Birch Lake is dominated by walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass, white sucker, and cisco. The lake has been primarily managed by MNDNR for walleye. Birch Lake, along with 40 other northeastern Minnesota lakes, is in ecological lake class 7. Typically, these lakes are large in size (average = 1807 acres), have soft water, and are irregular in shape.

Walleye abundance on Birch Lake has been quite consistent over the past twenty years and is typical of lakes in the BWCAW. Based on the 2010 population assessment, anglers can expect to catch walleye from 10 to 23 inches in length with an average size of about 16 inches. Five different year classes were identified in the 2010 sample; all resulting from natural reproduction. Although Birch Lake is managed primarily for walleye, it has a variety of other species of interest to anglers. Northern pike abundance was typical of other BWCAW lakes. Lengths ranged from 17 to 42 inches with an average of 26 inches. The 2010 pike catch consisted of eight different year classes. Smallmouth bass abundance is also typical of other BWCAW lakes, and fish up 16 inches have been sampled by DNR personnel.

Both white sucker and cisco are present in good numbers in Birch Lake and provide good forage for predator fish.

Rusty crayfish and Clearwater crayfish are both non-native that now exist in Birch Lake. Their introduction into Birch Lake and adjoining lakes was probably accidental by anglers using them as bait. It is unlawful to harvest and transport crayfish.

What is the average air temp for Birch Lake?