Rice Lake
Iron County, Wisconsin114 acresView mapDirections
Wisconsin DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Rice Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Curly-Leaf Pondweed
- 21 ft max depth
Rice Lake in Iron County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 21 ft. Surface area: 114 acres.
Wisconsin DNR lists Musky as common on Rice Lake. DNR survey details →
Rice Lake is a 114-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Iron County, Wisconsin with a maximum depth of 21 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 6 documented fish species including Musky, Panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Compared to the 15 other monitored lakes in Iron County, Rice Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wisconsin DNR Surface Water, last sampled 2025-08-26. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Rice Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing6 species recorded
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLow algae
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.
Murky, only visible to about 5 ft. Phosphorus 22.5 µg/L. TSI 52.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 22.5µg/L | Good 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. | 52 | 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.
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 6 years of monitoring is improving. 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 2009. 1 station on file (most recent sample 2025).
Fish Species (DNR-rated)
Lake Details
Max depth
21 ft
Surface area
114 acres
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
17 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
3.3 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,585 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 Iron 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
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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-1.2 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Iron County
Frequently asked questions about Rice Lake
Where is Rice Lake?
- Rice Lake is a lake in Iron 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 Iron County, Wisconsin has water-quality measurements published by Wisconsin DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 21 ft. Surface area: 114 acres.
Is Rice Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Rice Lake?
- Rice Lake has a maximum depth of 21 feet. The lake covers 114 acres.
What fish are in Rice Lake?
- Fish species found in Rice Lake include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye. Rice Lake is located in Iron 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 6 years of monitoring is improving. 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
26 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
WIDNR_WQX26 samples · 2020–2025
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