Rice Lake
Hennepin County, Minnesota365 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Rice Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 2 aquatic invasives
- 12 ft max depth
Rice Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 333.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 117.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 11.5 ft. Surface area: 365.48 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 11, 1994 caught 9.33 northern pike per gill net at Rice Lake. DNR survey details →
Rice Lake is a 365-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 12 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 16 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 80 other monitored lakes in Hennepin County, Rice Lake ranks #62 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-21. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Rice Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing16 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 2
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 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Rice Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR 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 Minnesota PCA 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 2.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 333.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 117.9 µg/L. TSI 77.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 334µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 118µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 77 | 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 57°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 77°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 79°F) and coldest in Mar (about 57°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (57°F) to its warmest (79°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 125 field readings (2010–2025) 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 (619,441 cells/mL) on July 6, 2026.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 11, 1994 caught 9.33 northern pike per gill net at 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 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
3 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 1994-07-11 (Standard Survey).
3 surveys on file · most recent 1994-07-11 (Standard Survey)
32 years old| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 103.96 | 6–11 in 1994-07-11 | 0.33 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 25.36 | 2–9 in 1994-07-11 | 0.2 lb |
| Bluegill | 18.03 | 1–8 in 1994-07-11 | 0.24 lb |
| Black Crappie | 13.45 | 1–11 in 1994-07-11 | 0.21 lb |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 5.57 | 2–9 in 1994-07-11 | 0.3 lb |
| Golden Shiner | 5.33 | 5–7 in 1994-07-11 | 0.13 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Black Bullhead
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Black Crappie
From the 1994-07-11 survey
Both bluegills and black crappies were found in above average numbers. Each species had an average weight of approximately 1/4 of a pound. The northern pike population is also high. The average weight and length are 2.6 pounds and 21.6 inches. Twenty five percent of the northern pike sampled were longer than twenty…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Rice Lake. 2 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — RiceFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — RiceFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
11.5 ft
Surface area
365 acres
Shoreline
9.5 mi
Littoral zone
97%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Rice Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Rice Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota — 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 Minnesota’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: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Improving-116.06 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-28.93 µg/L/yr4 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 2
Earliest Mar 4, 2024 · Latest Apr 30, 2018
Typical ice-in
Dec 1
Earliest Nov 20, 2022 · Latest Dec 19, 2015
Most recent ice-out
Mar 29
2026
32 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Rice Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Rice Lake (completed 1967), built primarily for other on the Elm Creek; rockfill-type dam, 15 ft tall and 210 ft long.
- Surface area
- 314 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,490 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,490 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 28.8 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- City of Maple Grove
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00366 · 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 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN27-0116-01 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Hennepin County
Frequently asked questions about Rice Lake
Where is Rice Lake?
- Rice Lake is a lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Rice Lake?
- Rice Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 333.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 117.9 µg/L. Maximum depth: 11.5 ft. Surface area: 365.48 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 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Rice Lake?
- Rice Lake typically sits around 57°F at the surface in October, from 125 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2025). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Rice Lake?
- Rice Lake has a maximum depth of 11.5 feet. The lake covers 365.48 acres.
What fish are in Rice Lake?
- Fish species found in Rice Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, orangespotted sunfish, pumpkinseed, white crappie, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Rice Lake is located in Hennepin County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Rice Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 11, 1994 caught 9.33 northern pike per gill net at 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 6 years of monitoring is improving. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Rice Lake thaw?
- Rice Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 2. Ice typically forms around Dec 1. The open water season is approximately 243 days.
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 (619,441 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Can I fish at Rice Lake?
- Public access to Rice Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota'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 Minnesota
Fish species and best lakes in Hennepin County
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Minnesota's top lakes, each with its readings
Lakes in the Crow River Watershed, ranked by water quality
Minnesota's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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State Parks Near Rice Lake
Other Lakes in Minnesota
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
492 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA492 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- 4500 N C ~ Persufate Method for Total Nitrogen
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
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate