Minnesota · Sherburne County
Birch Lake Fishing guide
Birch Lake is a 160-acre lake in Sherburne County, Minnesota, reaching 18 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 7 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 6 times, most recently in 2019, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets. That survey is 7 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Largemouth bassGood numbers57.5per hr (electrofishing)11"Typical21"Biggest
Lengths measured · 82 fish
Recent · 2019Lengths measured · 82 fish
2019Lengths measured · 34 fish
2004Northern pikeGood numbers11.8per gill net23"Typical32"Biggest
Lengths measured · 72 fish
Recent · 2019Lengths measured · 72 fish
2019Lengths measured · 46 fish
2004Lengths measured · 37 fish
1994BluegillGood numbers69.9per trap net5"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 698 fish
Recent · 2019Lengths measured · 698 fish
2019Lengths measured · 1640 fish
2004Lengths measured · 519 fish
1994CrappieJust a few5.9per trap net6"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 89 fish
Recent · 2019Lengths measured · 89 fish
2019Lengths measured · 557 fish
2004Lengths measured · 146 fish
1994Yellow perchFair numbers1.8per gill net6"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 13 fish
Recent · 2019Lengths measured · 13 fish
2019Lengths measured · 59 fish
2004Lengths measured · 67 fish
1994Rates come from standard DNR survey gear (gill nets, trap nets, electrofishing), judged against statewide benchmarks for the same gear, so the same number of fish per net can read differently for two species. Where the standard gear can't count a species reliably, only presence and size are listed. Typical is the middle fish of those measured. Open a row for the full length spread, survey by survey.
How to fish Birch Lake through the year
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn.
- Early summer
- Largemouth are on the shallow spawning flats and protected bays, where beds go on firm bottom next to isolated cover.
- Summer
- Largemouth are in and along the weeds: cabbage and milfoil edges, matted cover and shade. With 73% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze. A 18-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth.
- Early summer
- Pike are on the outside weed edge and points.
- Summer
- Pike are on the deep weed edge and points near the coolest water they can find. With 73% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops. A 18-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.
Size history
Biggest fish by survey year
| Survey year | Largemouth bass | Northern pike | Walleye |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 21" | 32" | 23" |
| 2004 | 16" | 29" | 24" |
| 1994 | — | 28" | 22" |
Longest fish measured by DNR survey crews in each year's nets. Survey gear samples the population, so the lake usually holds larger fish than any survey measured.
Suggested tackle
What to bring
Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Free Rig
Creature bait or magnum finesse worm
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Muskie & pike
Soft Rubber (Bull Dawg / Medusa)
10" soft rubber body bait
Walleye · Trolling
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2019 survey
Birch Lake is a 151 acre lake located four miles northeast of the City of Big Lake in Sherburne County. It has a maximum depth of 18 feet and a small watershed. Land use in the watershed is primarily forest and wetlands. Birch has a history of winterkills, but winter aeration has been used in recent years to prevent winterkill. A public access is located on the west side of the lake. Anglers can expect good fishing for Northern Pike and Largemouth Bass. The last survey was in 2004.
Emergent and floating-leaf vegetation were widespread, primarily cattail and waterlilies. Submerged vegetation was not surveyed in 2019 but was abundant. Water clarity was moderate; Secchi depth was 7.0 feet on June 10. Dissolved oxygen was adequate to support fish to 16 feet.
Read the full DNR narrative
Northern Pike numbers were the highest recorded and just above the expected range of values for lakes similar to Birch. Northern Pike ranged in length from 15.8 to 32.1 inches with an average length and weight of 23.9 inches and 3.1 pounds. Nineteen percent of pike were 26 inches or longer and seven percent were 30 inches or more.
Largemouth Bass were sampled by day-time electrofishing on May 23. The catch rate (58/hour) was well above 2004 results (21/hour), and above the Sauk Rapids average of 43/hour. Lengths ranged from 5.4 to 21.7 inches with an average length of 12.5 inches. Forty-four percent of Largemouth Bass were 15 inches or longer.
Only one Walleye was sampled during the survey. Walleye stocking was discontinued after 2004 due to poor fry survival and low net catches after fingerling stocking.
Bluegill numbers were above the expected range of values for similar lakes, but well below 2004 results. Bluegill were small; lengths ranged from 2.7 to 7.5 inches with an average length of 5.3 inches. Black Crappie numbers were within the expected range of values, but lower than 2004 results and the long term average. Black Crappie were small; lengths ranged from 4.5 to 10.2 inches with an average length of 6.9 inches. Only two percent of crappies were 10 inches or longer.
Other species captured included: Common Carp, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, White Sucker, and Yellow Bullhead.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Birch Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Birch Lake from guides, tournaments and regular anglers. Anything posted in the last two weeks also bumps the matching spots on the live map, so you'll see a "matches a recent report" tag on them.
Public water access
Getting on the water
- Birch Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Birch Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Ann Lake · 183 ac · 3.3 mi
- Eagle Lake · 462 ac · 3.8 mi
- Mitchell Lake · 170 ac · 4.7 mi
- Big Lake · 254 ac · 4.9 mi
- Orono Lake · 301 ac · 5.5 mi
- Fremont Lake · 493 ac · 6.9 mi
- Elk Lake · 362 ac · 8 mi
- West Hunter Lake · 61 ac · 8.3 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Birch Lake?
Birch Lake reaches 18 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 10.2 ft; about 73% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Birch Lake?
Birch Lake covers 160 acres with about 3.1 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Birch Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Birch Lake average 7 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Birch Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2019) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Birch Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Birch Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Birch Lake have a public access?
Yes. Birch Lake has one public access site: Birch Lake (trailer launch).
How big do largemouth bass get in Birch Lake?
The biggest largemouth bass measured in recent DNR surveys taped 21"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1994.
When was Birch Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Birch Lake in 2019, the most recent of 6 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
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