Minnesota · Clearwater County
Upper Rice Lake Fishing guide
Upper Rice Lake sits in Clearwater County, Minnesota, and covers 1,527 acres, reaching 13 ft at its deepest point. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 1 time, most recently in 1995, with northern pike and yellow perch in the nets. That survey is 31 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
The DNR last surveyed Upper Rice Lake in 1995. Ratings need a survey from the last 20 years, so this page lists the species from that older record without numbers.
- Northern pike
- Yellow perch
How to fish Upper Rice Lake through the year
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth.
- Early summer
- Pike are on the outside weed edge and points.
- Summer
- Pike are on the deep weed edge and points near the coolest water they can find. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops. A 13-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Yellow perch
- Spring
- Perch are draping eggs over flooded cover and weed stems on the shallow flats.
- Early summer
- Perch are spread over sand-grass flats and the first weed edges in loose packs.
- Summer
- Perch are over deeper soft-bottom flats and the basin, on the bottom and in schools. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Perch are roaming the mid-depth flats in loose schools, chasing young-of-year bait while it is still shallow. A 13-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
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:
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
Yellow perch · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Yellow perch · Live bait
Slip Bobber + Leech
jumbo or large leech
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 1995 survey
Test nets set in 1995 found brown bullheads, yellow perch, and white suckers in fair abundance, from both gill nets and trap nets. Minnow species captured included common shiners, fatheads, and central mudminnows. One small northern pike, and one small pumpkinseed were captured in trap nets.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Upper Rice Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Upper 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
- Upper Rice Lake (N) (carry-in)
- Upper Rice Lake (S) (carry-in)
DNR bathymetry
Upper Rice Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Minerva Lake · 230 ac · 1.7 mi
- Walker Brook Lake · 95 ac · 6.7 mi
- LaSalle Lake · 238 ac · 7.4 mi
- Moose Lake · 132 ac · 7.5 mi
- Long Lake · 159 ac · 8.2 mi
- Rockstad Lake · 142 ac · 8.4 mi
- Big LaSalle Lake · 235 ac · 9.1 mi
- Heart Lake · 225 ac · 9.5 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Upper Rice Lake?
Upper Rice Lake reaches 13 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 6 ft; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Upper Rice Lake?
Upper Rice Lake covers 1,527 acres with about 6 miles of shoreline.
What fish are in Upper Rice Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 1995) record northern pike, yellow perch.
Is Upper Rice Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Upper Rice Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Upper Rice Lake have a public access?
Yes. Upper Rice Lake has 2 public access sites, including Upper Rice Lake (N) (carry-in).
When was Upper Rice Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Upper Rice Lake in 1995. That is more than 20 years ago, so this page lists species without ratings.
Page updated .
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