Minnesota · Cass County
Rice Lake Fishing guide
Rice Lake sits in Cass County, Minnesota, and covers 270 acres, reaching 30 ft at its deepest point. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 1 time, most recently in 1990, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets. That survey is 36 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
The DNR last surveyed Rice Lake in 1990. 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
- Rock bass
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. With 71% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- 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. With 71% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- 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 · Live bait
Live-Bait (Lindy) Rig + Leech/Crawler
jumbo leech or half a nightcrawler
Walleye · Trolling
Leadcore Line + Crankbaits
4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run
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 1990 survey
Rice Lake consists of two basins of approximately equal size; maximum depths in each basin are 6 feet and 30 feet.The northern pike gillnet catch was 7.5. Most of the fish sampled were less than 20 inches long. Their growth rate approximates the statewide average growth rate.Gillnet catches of bullheads (3 species) are fairly high. Most of the fish sampled ranged in length from 8 to 12 inches.The bluegill trapnet catch is lower than what occurs in most area lakes. Quality indices are good (PSD = 38; RSD-7 = 17; RSD-8 = 8). The growth rate for bluegill is fast for this area (4 year old fish averages 6.25 inches long).Presumably, due to the types of sampling gear used, few largemouth bass or black crappie were sampled. Night electrofishing should be conducted to better assess those populations.Walleye are present, probably due to the fact that the Boy River flows through Rice Lake.
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: VIA BOY RIVER FROM LAKE INQUADONA
DNR bathymetry
Rice Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Inguadona Lake · 1,133 ac · 2 mi
- Little Boy Lake · 1,452 ac · 2.1 mi
- Girl Lake · 428 ac · 3.3 mi
- Long Lake · 1,007 ac · 3.8 mi
- Hunter Lake · 182 ac · 3.9 mi
- Boxell Lake · 66 ac · 4 mi
- Wabedo Lake · 1,226 ac · 4.4 mi
- Lake · 759 ac · 4.9 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Rice Lake?
Rice Lake reaches 30 ft at its deepest point; about 71% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Rice Lake?
Rice Lake covers 270 acres with about 4.2 miles of shoreline.
What fish are in Rice Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 1990) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
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 (VIA BOY RIVER FROM LAKE INQUADONA).
When was Rice Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Rice Lake in 1990. That is more than 20 years ago, so this page lists species without ratings.
Page updated .
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