Birch Lake

Sherburne County, Minnesota · MN DNR bathymetric survey

15ft Max
depth

154 acres 3 contours Public access

Paddling Index70Goodsheltered geometry · wooded shoreline

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Depth scale

051015

The lake

Survey readout

Birch Lake is mapped to a depth of 15 ft on the Minnesota DNR survey and covers about 154 acres in Sherburne County, Minnesota. Depths come from the Minnesota DNR survey of 1984.

Measured from the Minnesota DNR lake bathymetric contour survey.

Deepest mapped contour: 15 ft
Survey year: 1984
Surface area: 154 acres
Shoreline: 2.84 mi · irregular
Aquatic vegetation: 8% of surface · NDVI estimate
Public access: Trailer Launch · Birch Lake Public Water Access Site · Minnesota DNR site

Additional depth details3 contours

Contour depths: 0–15 ft
Recorded point soundings: 15 ft, 5 ft

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Location

Sherburne County, Minnesota · 15 nearest of 24 lakes · tap a dot for that lake

Chart data

Provenance

Sources: MN DNR Lake Bathymetric Contours, USGS 3DEP, USDA NAIP (public domain), OpenStreetMap (ODbL).

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Map details & sources4 sources

All layers registered to one bounding box; positions in WGS 84.

Survey-derived depth contours drape over USGS 3DEP elevation, with a USDA NAIP aerial basemap and OpenStreetMap shoreline. Color shows surveyed depth; dark lines are the survey's own isobaths.

Coordinates: 45.37668, -93.66884
MN DNR lake ID: 71005700
Vertical exaggeration: 3.0×
Basemap: USDA NAIP · public domain
Model size: 2.3 MB

Paddling

Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-25

70 / 100GoodData confidence: High

Birch Lake has a mostly natural, lightly developed setting, generally sheltered geometry, some nearby classified roads.

Why this score?5 components

Included in the index

Component	Rating	Points of weight	Measurement
Natural setting	Very Good	26.3 of 35	78% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (40% forest, 36% wetland; 16% developed)
Geometric wind exposure	Very Good	18.2 of 29	mean fetch 1,006 m · 1% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · generally short fetch
Motor & speed rules	Not modeled	—	Minnesota’s lake-by-lake motor, speed and no-wake rules are mostly county and city ordinances, not map data, so they are not part of the Minnesota index. Check local signage and ordinances before going out.
Public access	Good	15.0 of 18	1 DNR public access site · boat ramp
Road isolation	Good	10.4 of 18	some nearby classified roads · 4 MnDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 3,614 vehicles/day

Additional paddling considerations

These describe the lake but are not part of the v1 Paddling Index and do not change the number above.

Wake sensitivity: Low — wide enough that wakes disperse over most of the lake
Aquatic vegetation: Low — approximately 8% mapped coverage · NAIP aerial imagery (NDVI)
Observed motorized activity: Unknown — No lake-level measurement of boat traffic is available. Legal permission to operate motors is not evidence of use.
Wildlife habitat potential: High — 40% forest and 36% wetland cover within 150 m of shore

Compare Minnesota lakes by Paddling Index →

How this index is calculated. The Paddling Index is a relative composite derived from lake geometry and public land-cover, access and traffic-count data. It is not a user review, a safety rating, or a prediction of an individual outing. Differences of a few points should not be treated as meaningful — an 84 and an 82 are broadly comparable. Components and weights for Minnesota lakes: natural setting 35%, geometric wind exposure 29%, public access 18%, road isolation 18%. Motor, speed and no-wake rules are not modeled for Minnesota, and traffic counts cover state, county and some city roads but not township roads. Where a component has no data the remaining weights are renormalized and the confidence rating is lowered; below Medium confidence no number is shown. Minnesota scores are relative to other Minnesota lakes and are not directly comparable with Paddling Index scores on our sister sites, which use different data sources, some with a watercraft-rules component. Sources: MN DNR lake bathymetry outline, USGS/MRLC NLCD Land Cover (2021), MN DNR Water Access Sites and Fishing Piers & Shore Fishing Sites (2026-09) and MnDOT Annual Average Daily Traffic (counts 2018–2023). Conditions change quickly — check current weather and local conditions before going out.

Fish you might catch

from DNR surveys

11 species with recent evidence in this lake — sized relative to each other. Illustrations are AI-generated representative adults in everyday colors, not photographs (provenance).

Common Carp

White Sucker

Hybrid Sunfish

About these fish → the Fish of Minnesota guide

Compiled from Minnesota DNR fishery surveys. Silhouettes are stylized and scaled to typical adult sizes relative to one another. Presence is not a promise — fishing isn’t a sure thing.

Fishery

surveyed 2019

1,036Fish sampled

11Species

Gamefish Largemouth Bass 82 · Northern Pike 72 · Walleye 1

Panfish Bluegill 697 · Black Crappie 90 · Pumpkinseed 30

All survey species11 species

Gamefish

Largemouth Bass82 caught · to 21″

Northern Pike72 caught · to 32″

Walleye1 caught · to 23″

Panfish

Bluegill697 caught · to 7″

Black Crappie90 caught · to 10″

Pumpkinseed30 caught · to 6″

Yellow Perch13 caught · to 7″

Hybrid Sunfish3 caught · to 7″

Bullhead & catfish

Yellow Bullhead39 caught · to 13″

Forage & nongame

White Sucker5 caught · to 20″

Common Carp4 caught · to 33″

Length is the largest fish netted in the survey, not an angler record. Source: Minnesota DNR lake survey (LakeFinder).

Infested waters listing

1 confirmed

Plants & algae

Eurasian WatermilfoilConfirmed in this water in 2020 (listed 2020).

How to identify invasive species in Minnesota lakes →

What does the infested waters list mean?

The Minnesota DNR lists a lake, river, pond or wetland as infested when it contains an aquatic invasive species that could spread to other waters, or when it is connected to a water where one is present. Activities such as bait harvest and water use are managed differently on infested waters. Check the current list before moving water, bait or equipment.

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. List of Infested Waters, September 9, 2026. https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/ais/infested.html

Quick answers

Birch Lake — common questions

How deep is Birch Lake?

The deepest contour on the Minnesota DNR bathymetric survey of Birch Lake is 15 ft. That is the deepest depth the historical survey map records, which may differ from the deepest point of the lake itself.

How big is Birch Lake?

Birch Lake covers about 154 acres in Sherburne County, Minnesota.

What fish are in Birch Lake?

Species with survey, catch or recent-stocking evidence include largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish. The page lists all 11 species and the evidence behind each.

Is there public access to Birch Lake?

Yes. The Minnesota DNR lists a public access site on Birch Lake: a boat ramp. It is administered by Big Lake Township. DNR directions: "3.5 mi E of the City of Big Lake on US Hwy 10, then 5 mi N on Cnty Rd15, then E on access road to W shore."

More lakes in Sherburne County