Rice Lake
Dane County, Wisconsin117 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Rice Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Curly-Leaf Pondweed
- 8 ft max depth
Rice Lake in Dane County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 217 µg/L. Maximum depth: 8 ft. Surface area: 117 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as present on Rice Lake. DNR survey details →
Rice Lake is a 117-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Dane County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 8 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 1 documented fish species including Panfish. Compared to the 14 other monitored lakes in Dane County, Rice Lake ranks #4 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.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyElevated nutrients
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 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.
Very murky, less than 1.5 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 217 µg/L. TSI 76.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 217µg/L | Poor 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. | 76 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor 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 67°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 77°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 79°F) and coldest in Oct (about 67°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (67°F) to its warmest (79°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 48 field readings (2024–2025) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Rice Lake water temperature breakdown →
Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as present 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 declining. 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 2016. 2 stations on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
8 ft
Surface area
117 acres
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
2.6 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
823 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Rice Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Rice Lake in Dane 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. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Rice Lake are listed below.
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 whole trip? See where to stay at Wisconsin’s top lakes →
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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: Worsening
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2020–2026).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+15 µg/L/yr3 years
Nearby Lakes in Dane County
Frequently asked questions about Rice Lake
Where is Rice Lake?
- Rice Lake is a lake in Dane 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 Dane County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 217 µg/L. Maximum depth: 8 ft. Surface area: 117 acres.
Is 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 Rice Lake?
- Rice Lake typically sits around 67°F at the surface in October, from 48 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 8 feet. The lake covers 117 acres.
What fish are in Rice Lake?
- Fish species found in Rice Lake include Panfish. Rice Lake is located in Dane County, Wisconsin.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Rice Lake?
- Wisconsin DNR lists Panfish as present 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 declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Explore Rice Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
51 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX51 samples · 2020–2026
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Fish and recreation data from Wisconsin DNR Lakes