Birch Reservoir Fishing
ODWC-sized 1,137-acre reservoir spread over Osage County.
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A quick look at Birch Reservoir
At 1,137 acres on the ODWC page, Birch Reservoir sits in Osage County. Its deepest water reaches 52 feet, per ODWC. There are 31 miles of shoreline around 19,000 acre-feet of water. The operator ODWC names is U.S. Corps of Engineers. It turns up as Birch Lake on some schedules. From the lake point, Barnsdall sits near 2 miles away.
Questions go to the ODWC Northeast Region.
Acres, depth, shoreline and volume as printed on the ODWC Where To Fish page. ODWC Where To Fish page, wildlifedepartment.com, read November 3, 2026. Census 2023 places.
ODWC notes on Birch Reservoir
- Location (ODWC)Birch Lake is located 2 miles south of SH 11 on 8th St.
- Facilities (ODWC)U.S. Corps of Engineers manages campgrounds, boat ramps, picnic areas and designated swimming areas.
- Campgrounds ODWC listsBirch Lake USACE, Skiatook USACE, Keystone USACE, Keystone State Park, Oologah USACE, Copan USACE
- Lake map: OWRB printable lake map (PDF)Oklahoma Water Resources Board
The rows above come straight off the ODWC entry for Birch Reservoir.
ODWC Where To Fish page, wildlifedepartment.com, read November 3, 2026. OWRB lake map PDF.
Species of interest at Birch Reservoir
For Birch Reservoir, ODWC page text, stocking rows and records back each species shown.
ODWC Where To Fish page (Fish Species of Interest), ODWC stocking reports 2024-2025 and the ODWC record table; read November 3, 2026.
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No USACE ramp sits on Birch Reservoir; the map shows the closest mapped launches.
Launches one cove over from Birch Reservoir
- Bull Creek Peninsula Boat Ramp on Skiatook LakeSkiatook Lake, 9 miles south
- Osage Park Boat Ramp on Skiatook LakeSkiatook Lake, 10 miles south
- Black Dog Park Northern Boat Ramp on Skiatook LakeSkiatook Lake, 11 miles south
- Black Dog Park Southern Boat Ramp on Skiatook LakeSkiatook Lake, 11 miles south
- Crystal Bay Marina Boat Ramp on Skiatook LakeSkiatook Lake, 11 miles south
- Twin Points Boat Ramp on Skiatook LakeSkiatook Lake, 11 miles south
USACE Tulsa District recreation features (boat ramp layer, inventory year 2021), read November 3, 2026; USACE Tulsa District recreation features (fishing feature layer), read November 3, 2026.
The Birch Reservoir level report
At the 03 NOV 2026 @ 08:00 CDT reading, Birch Reservoir stood at 747.66 feet versus 750.5 feet for the top of conservation.
USACE Tulsa District Daily Morning Reservoir Report, reading of 03 NOV 2026 @ 08:00 CDT (one dated reading, not live; feet as printed, datum not printed).
Fish ODWC stocked in Birch Reservoir
| Year | Species as printed | Number | Size (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Hybrid Striped Bass | 13,604 | 1.5 |
ODWC printed these releases for Birch Reservoir in its 2024 and 2025 reports.
ODWC Fisheries Division Public Stocking Reports 2024 and 2025 (2025 report, 2024 report), species abbreviations as printed (LMB = largemouth bass), read November 3, 2026.
Creel and length rules posted for Birch Reservoir
| Species | Daily limit | Size limit |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth and/or Smallmouth Bass | 6 (combined) | 1 (one) over 16 inches |
| Spotted Bass | no daily limit | no size limit |
| Channel and/or Blue Catfish | 15 (combined) | Only 1 Blue Catfish over 30 inches |
| Flathead Catfish | 5 | no size limit |
| White and/or Black Crappie | 37 (combined) | no size limit |
| Striped Bass | 5 (except Lake Texoma) | no size limit |
| Striped Bass Hybrids | 20 | Only 5 fish over 20 inches |
| White Bass | no daily limit | no size limit |
| Trout | See trout regulations | no size limit |
| Walleye, Sauger and/or Saugeye | 6 (combined) | 14 inch minimum |
| Paddlefish | See paddlefish regulation | no size limit |
| Alligator Gar | 1 | no size limit |
Statewide ODWC limits are the baseline on Birch Reservoir.
Anglers 18 and older carry an Oklahoma fishing license ($31 annual for residents, $81 for nonresidents in 2026).
Limits as printed on the ODWC statewide daily and size limits page (2026-2027 Oklahoma Fishing and Hunting Regulations (ODWC); PDF), read November 3, 2026. ODWC License Options and Fees, read November 3, 2026.
Birch Reservoir among its prairie neighbours
Skiatook Lake leads these neighbours on size with about 10,190 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Max depth (ft) | Corps ramps | Piers and areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birch Reservoir | 1,137 | 52 | 0 | 0 | |
| Lake Waxhoma | 4 miles northeast | 128 | 40 | 0 | 0 |
| Skiatook Lake | 11 miles south | 10,190 | 10 | 1 | |
| Pawhuska Lake | 15 miles northwest | 103 | 44 | 0 | 0 |
| Hominy Municipal Lake | 17 miles southwest | 165 | 49 | 0 | 0 |
| Sunset Lake | 18 miles north | 10 | 0 | 0 |
ODWC Where To Fish pages (acres, depth) or NHD outlines; USACE Tulsa District ramp and fishing layers; read November 3, 2026.
A handful of section-line miles from Birch Reservoir
Other reservoirs in reach of Birch Reservoir
- Lake Waxhoma4 miles northeast
- Skiatook Lake11 miles south
- Pawhuska Lake15 miles northwest
- Hominy Municipal Lake17 miles southwest
- Sunset Lake18 miles north
The ODWC bait counter list for Birch Reservoir
- Mister Bass Inc4000 W Rogers Blvd, Skiatook, OK 74070, (918) 396-3848
- Walmart Supercenter (Skiatook)700 W Rogers Blvd, Skiatook, OK 74070, (918) 396-1244
- Walmart Supercenter (Bartlesville)4000 Green Country Rd, Bartlesville, OK 74006, (918) 335-6600
- Keystone Lake Bait & Store998 W Oak Grove Rd, Cleveland, OK 74020, (918) 899-2649
- Walmart Supercenter (Owasso)12101 E 96th St N, Owasso, OK 74055, (918) 272-6609
- North Harvard Bait3326 N Harvard Ave, Tulsa, OK 74115, (918) 313-3788
- Woody's Bait & Tackle20913 W 8th St, Sand Springs, OK 74063, (918) 245-8491
- Walmart Supercenter (Sand Springs)220 OK-97, Sand Springs, OK 74063, (918) 245-0213
Stocking the cooler with bait near Birch Reservoir
- Mister Bass Incbait and tackle shop, Skiatook, 13 miles
- Johnny's Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Bartlesville, 18 miles
- Keystone Lake Bait & Storebait and tackle shop, Cleveland, 24 miles
- Academy Sports + Outdoors Owassosporting goods store, Owasso, 25 miles
Paid guide days near Birch Reservoir
- Tallman Dans Guide Servicefishing guide, (918)706-5815
Towns with motels near Birch Reservoir
- Barnsdall2 miles
- Pawhuska13 miles
- Hominy15 miles
Oklahoma counties along Birch Reservoir
- Osage Countyseat: Pawhuska
Bait & Tackle Nearby on the ODWC page, wildlifedepartment.com, read November 3, 2026.
A Piscifun kit worth loading before Birch Reservoir
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Fish to know on sight before Birch Reservoir
Photo: kmitschke, CC BY 2.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, CC BY-SA 2.0
Quick replies about Birch Reservoir
What corner of Oklahoma is Birch Reservoir in?
Birch Lake is located 2 miles south of SH 11 on 8th St. Its county is Osage County, about 2 miles from Barnsdall.
How much prairie water does Birch Reservoir hold?
The ODWC page says 1,137 acres, with a maximum depth of 52 feet.
Where does a Sooner boater back a trailer into Birch Reservoir?
Nearest mapped ramp: Bull Creek Peninsula Boat Ramp on Skiatook Lake, 9 miles.
What might tug the line at Birch Reservoir per ODWC?
ODWC lists largemouth bass, striped hybrid bass, channel catfish, black crappie, white crappie and hybrid striped bass.
Does ODWC post special rules for Birch Reservoir?
Largemouth and/or Smallmouth Bass: 6 (combined) a day; size rule 1 (one) over 16 inches.
What does ODWC charge to fish Birch Reservoir this season?
Anglers 18 and older carry an Oklahoma fishing license ($31 annual for residents, $81 for nonresidents in 2026).
Where does a boatless Sooner angler fish Birch Reservoir?
The fishing layer skips this water.
Which tackle counter is handiest to Birch Reservoir?
ODWC names Mister Bass Inc (4000 W Rogers Blvd, Skiatook, OK 74070) first.
How full is Birch Reservoir?
USACE Tulsa District showed 747.66 feet on 03 NOV 2026 @ 08:00 CDT (81.1% of conservation pool); it reports once a morning.
Why do some schedules say Birch Lake for Birch Reservoir?
One water, two names: Birch Lake is the other.
Pencil in a red dirt road trip to Birch Reservoir
Every ODWC fee and limit sits one click away.