Birch Lake
Birch Lake is a 364-acre lake in Washburn and Sawyer counties, Wisconsin, up to 73 feet deep, with 187 waterfront parcels on its shore. Fish include panfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleye. It has 2 public boat landings, a public beach and public land or a park on the shore.
- Size: 364 acres
- Deepest point: 73 ft
- Average depth: 24 ft
- Bottom: 85% rock, 15% gravel
- Fish: Panfish, Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Northern pike, Walleye
- Public access: 2 public boat landings, a public beach and public land or a park on the shore
- Boating: Full recreation: over 50 acres, so open to water-skiing and boating at speed under state law
- Local boating ordinances on record: slow-no-wake areas
- Drive time without traffic: Eau Claire 1 hr 20 min, Twin Cities 2 hr 10 min, Madison 3 hr 55 min, Green Bay 4 hr, Appleton 4 hr, Waukesha 4 hr 35 min, Milwaukee 4 hr 45 min, Rockford 4 hr 50 min, Chicago 5 hr 50 min
- Invasive species on record: Banded Mystery Snail, Chinese Mystery Snail, Curly-Leaf Pondweed, Rusty Crayfish
- Waterfront parcels: 187 waterfront parcels
Questions about Birch Lake
How many waterfront properties are on Birch Lake?
187 waterfront parcels front Birch Lake: 102 in Washburn County and 85 in Sawyer County. That counts parcels on the water from county parcel maps, not homes for sale.
How big is Birch Lake?
Birch Lake covers 364 acres in Washburn and Sawyer counties, Wisconsin.
How deep is Birch Lake?
Birch Lake is 73 feet deep at its deepest point, and 24 feet deep on average.
What fish are in Birch Lake?
The Wisconsin DNR lists panfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleye in Birch Lake.
Is there public access to Birch Lake?
Yes. Birch Lake has 2 public boat landings, a public beach and public land or a park on the shore.
Can you water-ski or run a boat at speed on Birch Lake?
Birch Lake is over 50 acres, so Wisconsin's slow-no-wake rule for small lakes does not apply and boats may run at speed, staying slow within 100 feet of shore, docks and swimmers. Local ordinances on record include slow-no-wake areas; the ordinance itself says which part of the lake or the day each covers.
How long is the drive to Birch Lake?
By car, Birch Lake is about 1 hr 20 min from Eau Claire, 2 hr 10 min from the Twin Cities, 3 hr 55 min from Madison and 5 hr 50 min from Chicago. Those are typical times without traffic, to the nearest road at the lake.
What is the bottom of Birch Lake like?
The lake bottom is 85% rock, 15% gravel, by the Wisconsin DNR's record.