Little Rice Lake
Forest County, Wisconsin1,201 acresView mapDirections
No nutrient or algae sampling on record from Wisconsin DNR for this lake.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 10 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Little Rice Lake in Forest County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 10 ft. Surface area: 1201 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Little Rice Lake. DNR survey details →
Little Rice Lake is a 1,201-acre lake in Forest County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 10 feet. The lake supports 3 documented fish species including Panfish, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2021-03-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Little Rice Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Fishing3 species recorded
- Big water1,201 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Little Rice Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Little Rice Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Little Rice Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for Little Rice Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data.
Ask about Little Rice Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Little Rice Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Rice Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
WI DNR Lake Profile
Authoritative data from the Wisconsin DNR LakePages. 2 stations on file (most recent sample 2021).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
10 ft
Surface area
1,201 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
45 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
12 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,611 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Little Rice Lake - EastPublic
- Little Rice Lake - SouthPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Little Rice Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Little Rice Lake in Forest County, Wisconsin — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Little Rice Lake
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Follow Little Rice Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Rice Lake
- → Little Rice Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Little Rice Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Little Rice Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Little Rice Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Little Rice Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Little Rice Lake (completed 1936), built primarily for recreation on the WOLF RIVER; gravity-type dam, 8 ft tall and 260 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,219 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,400 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 45 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI00625 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Little Rice Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10000719 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Forest County
Frequently asked questions about Little Rice Lake
Where is Little Rice Lake?
- Little Rice Lake is a lake in Forest County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Little Rice Lake?
- Little Rice Lake in Forest County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 10 ft. Surface area: 1201 acres.
Is Little Rice Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Little Rice Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Little Rice Lake?
- Little Rice Lake has a maximum depth of 10 feet. The lake covers 1201 acres.
What fish are in Little Rice Lake?
- Fish species found in Little Rice Lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike. Little Rice Lake is located in Forest County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Little Rice Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as common on Little Rice Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Rice Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Are there boat ramps on Little Rice Lake?
- Little Rice Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Little Rice Lake - East, Little Rice Lake - South. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Little Rice Lake?
- Little Rice Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Wisconsin's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Little Rice Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
1 measurement from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX1 sample · 2021
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus 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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory