Big Rice Lake

Big Rice Lake comes in at a B on the grading rubric — a respectable showing for a Minnesota lake of its size and depth. Sub-grades cluster within a single letter of each other, which usually means the lake is in stable trophic balance rather than fighting one specific stressor.

A TSI in the eutrophic range signals a lake doing what nutrient-loaded waters do — supporting an active algal community at the cost of clear water. At only 5 ft deep, Big Rice Lake is shallow — wind keeps the water column mixed and sediment resuspension drives phosphorus levels harder to manage. With 1,917 acres of surface and 8.5 miles of shoreline, Big Rice Lake is a large water by Minnesota standards — recreational pressure is spread across a long shoreline. Among the 187 graded lakes in St. Louis County, Big Rice Lake sits at rank 77, above the county median.

No invasive species are currently listed at Big Rice Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Big Rice Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. A documented public access point at Big Rice Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.