Rice Lake

Rice Lake pulls a D on the LakeGrade rubric — phosphorus loading and limited clarity hold it below the Wisconsin average. The two scored sub-grades — clarity and phosphorus — track close together, so neither one is dragging the average down.

Eutrophic conditions are the baseline here: clarity drops noticeably in late summer, and dissolved oxygen near the bottom can become a concern. Rice Lake is a shallow lake at 5 ft maximum depth, which means it warms quickly, mixes constantly, and amplifies nutrient inputs. At 73 acres, Rice Lake sits below the Wisconsin median: a small water where shoreline activity has an outsized effect on water quality. Rice Lake sits at rank 2 of 3 in Grant County, in the lower half of the local distribution.

Rice Lake has no invasive species recorded in Wisconsin state databases as of 2024, though prevention practices still apply at all access points. Bass fishing is part of the appeal: the species list runs to 3, anchored by largemouth and/or smallmouth bass. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.