Birch Lake Fishing in Otter Tail County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Out in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, sits Birch Lake. Elevation runs to 1,286 feet. It covers about 21 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Otter Tail County. Supplies mean a trip to Fergus Falls, 5.4 miles off. Pelican Rapids follows at 17 miles, then Elbow Lake at 24 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Birch Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Otter Tail County records list largemouth bass, black crappie, walleye and bluegill among the fish reported. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. The near bank of Birch Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 70°F, with January the cold end at about 6°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and late November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Plan around that when you fish Birch Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. The nearest alternative is Brekke Lake, 1.4 miles out. For Birch Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.