Rice County Lake Quality
Minnesota, 17 lakes, average grade F (Algae-prone)
Rice County's 17 graded lakes fall in the moderate-density bracket for Minnesota. 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. The county average is F — the most-stressed bracket in our rubric. Most monitored lakes here show persistent nutrient loading and algal pressure.
Most of the county's monitored lakes are shallow — under 50 feet — which means wind keeps the water column mixed all summer and sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the surface layer whenever the bottom is disturbed. Kelly Lake (C) is the cleanest in the county.
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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
17 lakes · 14 graded, 3 not rated14 graded lakes · 3 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Max Depth | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CKelly LakeRice | C | 8.2 ft | 29 µg/L | 7.7 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 2 | DUnion LakeRice | D | 3 ft | 375 µg/L | 29.2 µg/L | No recent samples | 10 ft | ✓ Public |
| 3 | DDudley LakeRice | D | 9 ft | 54 µg/L | 13.6 µg/L | No recent samples | 60 ft | Carry-in |
| 4 | FRoberds LakeRice | F | 2.5 ft | 300 µg/L | 86.7 µg/L | No recent samples | 43 ft | ✓ Public |
| 5 | FCedar LakeRice | F | 2 ft | 91 µg/L | 72.6 µg/L | No recent samples | 42 ft | ✓ Public |
| 6 | FCircle LakeRice | F | 1.5 ft | 484.5 µg/L | 59.7 µg/L | No recent samples | 14 ft | ✓ Public |
| 7 | FFox LakeRice | F | 3 ft | 64 µg/L | 32.1 µg/L | No recent samples | 47 ft | ✓ Public |
| 8 | FMazaska LakeRice | F | 2.5 ft | 89 µg/L | 51.3 µg/L | No recent samples | 50 ft | ✓ Public |
| 9 | FFrench LakeRice | F | 1.7 ft | 134 µg/L | 46.3 µg/L | No recent samples | 56 ft | ✓ Public |
| 10 | FWells LakeRice | F | 2 ft | 211 µg/L | 40.5 µg/L | No recent samples | 4 ft | ✓ Public |
| 11 | FHunt LakeRice | F | 3 ft | 127 µg/L | 60.7 µg/L | No recent samples | 27 ft | ✓ Public |
| 12 | FCannon LakeRice | F | 4.1 ft | 244 µg/L | 46.5 µg/L | No recent samples | 15 ft | ✓ Public |
| 13 | FCody LakeRice | F | 2 ft | 346 µg/L | 103.5 µg/L | No recent samples | 14 ft | ✓ Public |
| 14 | FPhelps LakeRice | F | 2.3 ft | 334.5 µg/L | 102.5 µg/L | No recent samples | 8 ft | ✓ Public |
| NRHorseshoe LakeRice | NR | 2 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 26 ft | ✓ Public | |
| NRCrystal LakeRice | NR | No recent samples | 241 µg/L | 75.8 µg/L | No recent samples | No recent samples | Carry-in | |
| NRShields LakeRice | NR | 2.5 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | 42 ft | ✓ Public |
NR = not rated: the monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar for a grade. That is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 (insufficient information), not a failing grade. How grading works.
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Other Counties in Minnesota
See how Rice County stacks up in the national county water-quality rankings, or browse the full directory of graded lakes across all 39 states and 2 Canadian provinces.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.