Minnesota · Becker County
Rice Lake Fishing guide
Rice Lake sits in Becker County, Minnesota, and covers 231 acres, reaching 23 ft at its deepest point. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 1 time, most recently in 1987, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets. That survey is 39 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
The DNR last surveyed Rice Lake in 1987. Ratings need a survey from the last 20 years, so this page lists the species from that older record without numbers.
- Walleye
- Largemouth bass
- Northern pike
- Bluegill
- Crappie
- Yellow perch
How to fish Rice Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds.
- Early summer
- Walleye are setting up on the outside weed edge, points and shallow structure.
- Summer
- Walleye are working the weed edge, points and any wind-blown structure.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn.
- Early summer
- Largemouth are on the shallow spawning flats and protected bays, where beds go on firm bottom next to isolated cover.
- Summer
- Largemouth are in and along the weeds: cabbage and milfoil edges, matted cover and shade.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze.
Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.
Suggested tackle
What to bring
Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:
Walleye · Trolling
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Topwater Popper
2.5–3" concave-face popper
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Hollow-Body Frog
3–3.5" hollow-body frog
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Muskie & pike
Soft Rubber (Bull Dawg / Medusa)
10" soft rubber body bait
Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
MN DNR · in their words
From the 1987 survey
walleye population shows very little or no natural reproduction. Centrarchid species numbers are all above the medians and of relatively small size. Northern pike numbers are above state averages but below the local medians. Bullhead numbers are above state medians.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Rice Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Rice Lake from guides, tournaments and regular anglers. Anything posted in the last two weeks also bumps the matching spots on the live map, so you'll see a "matches a recent report" tag on them.
Public water access
Getting on the water
- Public access: NONE. ACCESSIBLE FROM C.A.R. 26 ALONG THE N SHORE AND FROM C.A.R. 113 ALONG THE SOUTH SHORE.
DNR bathymetry
Rice Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Rock Lake · 1,196 ac · 1.7 mi
- Buffalo Lake · 418 ac · 2 mi
- Little Sugar Bush Lake · 221 ac · 3.8 mi
- North Tamarack Lake · 1,442 ac · 4.4 mi
- Pickerel Lake · 361 ac · 5.4 mi
- Cotton Lake · 1,763 ac · 5.6 mi
- Little Floyd Lake · 215 ac · 6.2 mi
- Hanson Lake · 35 ac · 6.6 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Rice Lake?
Rice Lake reaches 23 ft at its deepest point; about 57% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Rice Lake?
Rice Lake covers 231 acres with about 4 miles of shoreline.
What fish are in Rice Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 1987) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Rice Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Rice Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Rice Lake have a public access?
Yes. Rice Lake has one public access site: Public access (NONE. ACCESSIBLE FROM C.A.R. 26 ALONG THE N SHORE AND FROM C.A.R. 113 ALONG THE SOUTH SHORE.).
When was Rice Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Rice Lake in 1987. That is more than 20 years ago, so this page lists species without ratings.
Page updated .
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The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Rice Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:
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