Birch Lake
MU 3-30, Thompson-Nicola
51.4539° N, 120.5047° W
- Surface area
- 234.9ha
- Maximum depth
- 37.8m
- 124 ft
- Elevation
- 1,126m
Open Birch Lake in the appThe 7-day forecast, max depth and wildfire smoke check, on the lake's own coordinate.
Birch Lake at a glance
- Region
- Thompson-Nicola
- Management unit
- MU 3-30
- Species
- Rainbow Trout, Burbot, Brook Trout (last recorded 1950), Redside Shiner, Northern Pikeminnow, Longnose Sucker, Peamouth Chub, Largescale Sucker (last recorded 1991)The newest of these fish records is from 2026.Species from the province's fish observation records.
- Lake size
- Medium Lake (50 - 500 ha)
- Ice fishing
- Open to ice fishing, confirmed
- Coordinates
- 51.4539, -120.5047
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Gear for rainbow trout
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Fish on record at Birch Lake
| Species | First recorded | Last recorded | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout | 1928 | 2026 | 91 |
| Burbot | 1959 | 2007 | 5 |
| Brook Trout | 1950 | 1950 | 1 |
| Redside Shiner | 1959 | 2007 | 6 |
| Northern Pikeminnow | 1959 | 2007 | 5 |
| Longnose Sucker | 1991 | 2007 | 4 |
| Peamouth Chub | 1991 | 2007 | 2 |
| Largescale Sucker | 1991 | 1991 | 1 |
A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.
How to fish Birch Lake
Best times of year at Birch Lake
- May - June
- September - October
Birch Lake fishing regulations
Engine power restriction - 7.5 kW (10 hp). Source: Province of British Columbia
Getting to Birch Lake
2.7 km of traced road to the shore by way of Birch Lake Dump Rd, Eakin Creek Rd and Opax Rd. The road at the end is a loose surface. It stops 580 m short of the shore.
Coordinates: 51.4539, -120.5047
Depth chart for Birch Lake
37.8 mdeepest
Birch Lake runs to 37.8 m (124 ft) at its deepest.
The Province sounded Birch Lake and published the depth chart surveyed in 1979. It runs to 2 sheets.
The ice year at Birch Lake, modelled
Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.
In the model Birch Lake froze in 65 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 31 October and 14 November, and ice-off between 30 April and 16 May. The median winter freezes on 7 November and opens on 10 May.
the middle half of modelled winters the median ice cover in the median winter
Winter 2024-25 in the model: frozen from 15 November 2024 to 27 April 2025, 163 days.
Birch Lake is open to ice fishing under the regulations on file.
Whether a lake is open to ice fishing says nothing about whether its ice will hold you. Ice conditions vary year to year and across a single lake. Check locally before going out, every time.
Birch Lake climate, 1960 to 2025
Averaged over a year, the air above Birch Lake is 0.8 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.
- +0.8 Csince the 1960s
- 1.8 Caverage year now
- 0.9 Caverage year then
- -6 daysbelow freezing, change
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
each yearthe trend across 1960 to 2025
This week at Birch Lake
The forecast on this lake's own coordinate, refreshed through the day. The app reads these seven days for fishing and scores each one.
| Day | Sky | High / low | Wind | Rain | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 20 Oct | Overcast | 10° / 0° | 9 km/h, gusts 23 | dry | Steady |
| Wed 21 Oct | Overcast | 11° / 1° | 12 km/h, gusts 31 | dry | Falling (-8.4 hPa) |
| Thu 22 Oct | Overcast | 8° / 0° | 19 km/h, gusts 45 | dry | Steady |
| Fri 23 Oct | Overcast | 5° / -2° | 14 km/h, gusts 34 | dry | Rising (+14.1 hPa) |
| Sat 24 Oct | Overcast | 4° / 0° | 5 km/h, gusts 14 | dry | Falling (-1.4 hPa) |
| Sun 25 Oct | Overcast | 7° / -2° | 4 km/h, gusts 15 | dry | Rising (+4.1 hPa) |
| Mon 26 Oct | Overcast | 6° / -1° | 7 km/h, gusts 21 | dry | Steady |
Birch Lake, in brief
What fish are in Birch Lake?
Rainbow Trout, Burbot, Brook Trout (last recorded 1950). Species from the province's fish observation records.
Which management unit is Birch Lake in?
Birch Lake is in MU 3-30, in the Thompson-Nicola. The BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis is organised by management unit; check it before you go.
Trout lakes near Birch Lake
- Phinetta Lake 2 km away
- Tobe Lake 4 km away
- Lac Des Roches Lake 5 km away
- Long Island Lake 7 km away
- Willow Lake 8 km away
All 342 lakes in the Thompson-Nicola, with today's conditions on each.