Big Rice Lake
Beltrami County, Minnesota642 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Big Rice Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- zebra mussel
- 13 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Big Rice Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 26 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 13 ft. Surface area: 642.46 acres.
Big Rice Lake is a 642-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 13 feet. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available. Compared to the 84 other monitored lakes in Beltrami County, Big Rice Lake ranks #77 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-10-15. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Big Rice Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing14 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Big Rice Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Big Rice Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Big Rice Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 5.7 ft. Phosphorus 26 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 11.4 µg/L. TSI 53.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 26µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 11.4µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 53 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Big Rice Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Big Rice Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 71°F. Usually warmest in Aug (about 73°F) and coldest in Oct (about 54°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (54°F) to its warmest (73°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 30 field readings (2025–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Big Rice Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
13 ft
Surface area
642 acres
Shoreline
6.6 mi
Littoral zone
98%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Big Rice Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Nearby Lakes in Beltrami County
Frequently asked questions about Big Rice Lake
Where is Big Rice Lake?
- Big Rice Lake is a lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Big Rice Lake?
- Big Rice Lake in Beltrami County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 26 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11.4 µg/L. Maximum depth: 13 ft. Surface area: 642.46 acres.
Is Big Rice Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Big Rice Lake?
- Big Rice Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in October, from 30 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2025–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Big Rice Lake?
- Big Rice Lake has a maximum depth of 13 feet. The lake covers 642.46 acres.
What fish are in Big Rice Lake?
- Fish species found in Big Rice Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, greater redhorse, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Big Rice Lake is located in Beltrami County, Minnesota.
Can I fish at Big Rice Lake?
- Public access to Big Rice Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Big Rice Lake across LakeQuality
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Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
23 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
LEECHLAK_WQX23 samples · 2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Nitrate-Nitrite Nitrogen by Colorimetry
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder