Rice Lake
Barron County, Wisconsin859 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Rice Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- Curly-Leaf Pondweed
- 19 ft max depth
- Public access
Rice Lake in Barron County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 31.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 19 ft. Surface area: 859 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Rice Lake. DNR survey details →
Rice Lake is a 859-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Barron County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 19 feet. The lake supports 5 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Public access is available with 4 public boat landings. Compared to the 27 other monitored lakes in Barron County, Rice Lake ranks #17 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2026-06-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Rice Lake covers about 860 acres in Barron County. It has 4 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Rice Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Rice Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch4 documented ramps
- Fishing5 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Rice Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5R) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether 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 Rice Lake
These are the measurements Wisconsin DNR publishes for 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 4.1 ft. Phosphorus 31.5 µg/L. TSI 55.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 31.5µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 55 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Rice Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Rice Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 74°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 79°F) and coldest in Sep (about 69°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (69°F) to its warmest (79°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 15 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Rice Lake water temperature breakdown →
Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)
There’s no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Rice Lake — clouds, ice, or an off-season gap in coverage. The most recent reading was high (524,807 cells/mL) on July 18, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Rice Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Rice Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is stable. 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. Monitored by volunteers since 1995. 16 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
DNR Reports & Resources
Wisconsin DNR Fisheries scientists publish multi-year survey reports for Rice Lake covering fish populations, stocking, water quality, and management. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- 2022Rice Lake spring shocking survey, 2022Spring Shocking Survey · WI DNR · 2022 (PDF)
- —Rice Lake muskellunge fishery assessment, 2014-2015Musky Survey · WI DNR (PDF)
- —Rice Lake muskellunge survey, 2022-2023Musky Survey · WI DNR (PDF)
Lake Details
Max depth
19 ft
Surface area
859 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wisconsin DNR
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
403 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
7.6 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,115 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Stein StreetPublic
- Zabel RoadPublic
- 21 1/2 AvenuePublic
- Indian Mound ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Rice Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Rice Lake in Barron 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 Rice Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Rice Lake → · more Wisconsin lake trips
Follow Rice Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing 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.
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Stable+0.6 µg/L/yr7 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Rice Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Rice Lake (completed 1864), built primarily for hydroelectric on the Red Cedar; concrete-type dam, 18 ft tall and 192 ft long.
- Surface area
- 860 ac
- Normal storage
- 8,114 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 10,770 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 396 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Barron County
All listed purposes: Hydroelectric;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WI00102 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Rice Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5R).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit WI10004576 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
3 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Rice Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 1 classified by the EPA as major discharger. 2 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Rice Lake Utilities City OfRice Lake · 1.6 mi away · NPDES WI0021865MajorRecent violation
- Four Mile Creek Dairy LlcRice Lake · 1.5 mi away · NPDES WI0063321Recent violation
- Birchwood Manufacturing CoRice Lake · 0.5 mi away · NPDES WI0042528
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Barron County
Frequently asked questions about Rice Lake
Where is Rice Lake?
- Rice Lake is a lake in Barron County, Wisconsin. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wisconsin DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Rice Lake?
- Rice Lake in Barron County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 31.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 19 ft. Surface area: 859 acres.
Is Rice Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Rice Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5R) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Rice Lake?
- Rice Lake typically sits around 69°F at the surface in September, from 15 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Rice Lake?
- Rice Lake has a maximum depth of 19 feet. The lake covers 859 acres.
What fish are in Rice Lake?
- Fish species found in Rice Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Rice Lake is located in Barron County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Rice Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Rice Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Rice Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 7 years of monitoring is stable. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Does Rice Lake have blue-green algae?
- There is no recent EPA CyAN cyanobacteria estimate for Rice Lake (clouds, ice, or an off-season gap). The most recent reading was high (524,807 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Wisconsin's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Rice Lake?
- Rice Lake has 4 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Stein Street, Zabel Road, 21 1/2 Avenue, Indian Mound Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Rice Lake?
- Rice Lake has 4 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 Rice Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Fish species and the cleanest lakes across Wisconsin
Fish species and best lakes in Barron County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Wisconsin's top lakes, each with its readings
Wisconsin's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Wisconsin
Other Lakes in Wisconsin
Eutrophic Lakes in Wisconsin
Compare Rice Lake With Nearby Lakes
Where this data comes from
157 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX157 samples · 2020–2026
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Turbidity in Water
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
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