Minnesota · Itasca County
Rice Lake Fishing guide
Rice Lake sits in Itasca County, Minnesota, and covers 863 acres, reaching 68 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 13.3 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 12 times, most recently in 2024, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Largemouth bassJust a few6per hr (electrofishing)11"Typical18"Biggest
Lengths measured · 41 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 41 fish
2023Lengths measured · 145 fish
2018Lengths measured · 88 fish
2011Lengths measured · 56 fish
2002Northern pikeJust a few3.3per gill net21"Typical34"Biggest
Lengths measured · 42 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 42 fish
2023Lengths measured · 29 fish
2018Lengths measured · 72 fish
2011Lengths measured · 86 fish
2002BluegillJust a few22.8per trap net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 365 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 365 fish
2023Lengths measured · 299 fish
2018Lengths measured · 205 fish
2011Lengths measured · 213 fish
2002CrappieJust a few0.3per trap net8"Typical12"Biggest
Lengths measured · 37 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 37 fish
2023Lengths measured · 97 fish
2018Lengths measured · 14 fish
2011Lengths measured · 67 fish
2002Yellow perchJust a few0.4per gill net7"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 11 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 11 fish
2023Lengths measured · 36 fish
2018Lengths measured · 20 fish
2011Lengths measured · 34 fish
2002Rock bassExcellent numbers2per seine haul7"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 30 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 30 fish
2023Lengths measured · 27 fish
2018Lengths measured · 11 fish
2011Lengths measured · 30 fish
2002Rates come from standard DNR survey gear (gill nets, trap nets, electrofishing), judged against statewide benchmarks for the same gear, so the same number of fish per net can read differently for two species. Where the standard gear can't count a species reliably, only presence and size are listed. Typical is the middle fish of those measured. Open a row for the full length spread, survey by survey.
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. At 13.3 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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. On a lake that drops to 68 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- 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. At 13.3 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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. On a lake that drops to 68 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- 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.
Size history
Biggest fish by survey year
| Survey year | Walleye | Largemouth bass | Northern pike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 22" | 18" | 34" |
| 2018 | — | 17" | 33" |
| 2011 | 25" | 18" | 32" |
| 2002 | 25" | 18" | 33" |
| 1996 | — | 14" | 33" |
Longest fish measured by DNR survey crews in each year's nets. Survey gear samples the population, so the lake usually holds larger fish than any survey measured.
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 · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Free Rig
Creature bait or magnum finesse worm
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 2024 survey
Minnesota DNR Fisheries IBI program staff conducted an assessment of lakeshore habitat on Rice Lake on June 6, 2024, following the Score the Shore survey protocols. The assessment consisted of 101 survey sites evenly spaced 200 meters around the lake. Assessments were made in three habitat zones: the shoreline zone (i.e., the shore-water interface to the top of the natural bank), the shoreland zone (i.e., land-ward from shoreline to developed structure or 100 feet), and the aquatic zone (i.e., lake-ward 50 feet from the shoreline). The average lakewide habitat score was 85.2 (+/- 1.1) out of 100 possible. A score of 85.2 indicates the lakewide shoreline condition is high (i.e., 85-91.9). Approximately 27 percent of the sites were developed, with a mean score of 73.9 (+/- 2.7) indicating shoreline habitat quality of developed sites is moderate (i.e., 70-79.9), while undeveloped sites had a mean score of 89.4 (+/- 0.6) with high (i.e., 85-91.9) habitat quality.
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
- Rice Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Rice Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Long Lake · 135 ac · 1.8 mi
- Guile Lake · 88 ac · 1.9 mi
- Loon Lake · 231 ac · 2.2 mi
- Tioga Mine Pit · 49 ac · 3.2 mi
- Leighton Lake · 245 ac · 3.5 mi
- Little Jay Gould Lake · 150 ac · 3.8 mi
- Siseebakwet Lake · 1,210 ac · 3.9 mi
- South Sugar Lake · 83 ac · 4.7 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Rice Lake?
Rice Lake reaches 68 ft at its deepest point; about 27% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Rice Lake?
Rice Lake covers 863 acres with about 12.5 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Rice Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Rice Lake average 13.3 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Rice Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2024) 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: Rice Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Rice Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 22"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1996.
When was Rice Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Rice Lake in 2024, the most recent of 12 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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