Rice County Lake Quality
Minnesota, 27 lakes, measured by Minnesota PCA
The county-level average smooths over real differences — a single agricultural watershed near the southwest corner can pull the average down even if the rest of the county runs clean. 14 of those lakes carry recent nutrient and algae readings. The county-level summary describes that subset, not every water body listed. The monitored lakes here are mostly shallow, productive basins where summer algae is common; each lake page shows its own readings beside the EPA condition class.
The county's lakes lean shallow, which makes the readings sensitive to wind, sediment-resuspension, and any nutrient inputs from the watershed. The cleanest measured lake is Kelly Lake.
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Quick Answers for Rice County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Kelly Lake — or browse the full Minnesota regulations index.
Fishing in Rice County
DNR Reports (33)
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder resources for lakes in Rice County. browse all reports →
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — WellsFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — UnionFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — ShieldsFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — RoberdsFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — MazaskaFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — HuntFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — HorseshoeFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — FoxFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — DudleyFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — CircleFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — CedarFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — CedarFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — CedarPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — CircleFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — CirclePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Dudley (1388)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — FoxFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — FoxPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — HorseshoeFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — HorseshoePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — HuntFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — HuntPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Kelly (1387)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — KellyPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — MazaskaFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — MazaskaPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — RoberdsFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — RoberdsPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — ShieldsFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — ShieldsPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — UnionFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — UnionPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — WellsFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
All Lakes in Rice County
27 lakes · 14 ranked on readings, 13 without enough sampling14 lakes ranked on readings · 13 without enough sampling, hidden
| # | Lake | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Max Depth | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kelly LakeRice | 8.2 ft | 29 µg/L | 7.7 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 2 | Union LakeRice | 3 ft | 375 µg/L | 29.2 µg/L | No recent samples | 10 ft | ✓ Public |
| 3 | Dudley LakeRice | 9 ft | 54 µg/L | 13.6 µg/L | No recent samples | 60 ft | Carry-in |
| 4 | Roberds LakeRice | 2.5 ft | 300 µg/L | 86.7 µg/L | No recent samples | 43 ft | ✓ Public |
| 5 | Cedar LakeRice | 2 ft | 91 µg/L | 72.6 µg/L | No recent samples | 42 ft | ✓ Public |
| 6 | Circle LakeRice | 1.5 ft | 484.5 µg/L | 59.7 µg/L | No recent samples | 14 ft | ✓ Public |
| 7 | Fox LakeRice | 3 ft | 64 µg/L | 32.1 µg/L | No recent samples | 47 ft | ✓ Public |
| 8 | Mazaska LakeRice | 2.5 ft | 89 µg/L | 51.3 µg/L | No recent samples | 50 ft | ✓ Public |
| 9 | French LakeRice | 1.7 ft | 134 µg/L | 46.3 µg/L | No recent samples | 56 ft | ✓ Public |
| 10 | Wells LakeRice | 2 ft | 211 µg/L | 40.5 µg/L | No recent samples | 4 ft | ✓ Public |
| 11 | Hunt LakeRice | 3 ft | 127 µg/L | 60.7 µg/L | No recent samples | 27 ft | ✓ Public |
| 12 | Cannon LakeRice | 4.1 ft | 244 µg/L | 46.5 µg/L | No recent samples | 15 ft | ✓ Public |
| 13 | Cody LakeRice | 2 ft | 346 µg/L | 103.5 µg/L | No recent samples | 14 ft | ✓ Public |
| 14 | Phelps LakeRice | 2.3 ft | 334.5 µg/L | 102.5 µg/L | No recent samples | 8 ft | ✓ Public |
| Horseshoe LakeRice | 2 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 26 ft | ✓ Public | |
| Crystal LakeRice | No recent samples | 241 µg/L | 75.8 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | Carry-in | |
| Shields LakeRice | 2.5 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 42 ft | ✓ Public | |
| Cannon River ReservoirRice | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public | |
| Circle LakeRice | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 14 ft | Not recorded | |
| Mud LakeRice | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| Rice LakeRice | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 6.6 ft | Not recorded | |
| Weinberger LakeRice | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| Sprague LakeRice | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 5.1 ft | ✓ Public | |
| Caron LakeRice | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 3.3 ft | ✓ Public | |
| Hatch LakeRice | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| Metogga LakeRice | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| Duban LakeRice | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
NR = no nutrient or algae reading on record. The measurements are published as the authority reports them. Where the data comes from.
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Source: the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR. See data sources.