Birch Lake Fishing near Yosemite Valley, California

• Overview

  Birch Lake sits in Tuolumne County, out in California. The country round it is oak and grass from end to end. Surface area runs to about 4 acres — small enough to read in one session. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Tuolumne County. The town to know is Yosemite Valley, 18 miles out. Tuolumne City lies 22 miles off, Twain Harte another 23 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Birch Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Fish documented in Tuolumne County include rainbow trout, brook trout, Sacramento sucker and bluegill. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Birch Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 71°F, the coldest about 40°F. The awkward stretch is midsummer, not midwinter. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to be out. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. On Birch Lake that shapes the whole year. Falling water concentrates fish into the deeper parts.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. There is recorded parking some half a mile off. Public data records a pier about 30 yards out. Mapping shows a campsite some half a mile from the water. Toilets show in mapping about 140 yards away. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, Swamp Lake is 5.1 miles off. Nothing on Birch Lake should be assumed from this page alone.