Rice Lake
Rice Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 15 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 68 ft. Surface area: 863.38 acres.
- Clarity
- 15 ft
- Max depth
- 68 ft
- Area
- 863 acres
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 22
- Open water
- 217 days
Next lake in Itasca County
Free interactive depth-contour map of Rice Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 60 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Why Rice Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when its monitoring record clears the evidence bar: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Rice Lake, the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Sampling here has recorded water clarity, but not phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by MPCA and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Rice Lake is a 863-acre lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 68 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-16. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water quality measurements for Rice Lake
These readings exist but do not meet the evidence bar for an A–F grade — see why.
Crystal clear, you can see 15 ft down. Trophic State Index: 38.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 15 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 38 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water, excellent for swimming
Where to stay near Rice Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Rice Lake in Itasca 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Rice Lake
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 →
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 (270,396 cells/mL) on October 5, 2024.
Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check your state’s current advisory before swimming. EPA CyAN ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 68 ft |
| Surface Area | 863 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 12.5 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 27% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Rice LakePublic
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded lake where it is documented.
Fishing Rice Lake
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
12 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2024-06-06 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Bluntnose Minnow | 17.65 | — |
| CNM | 12.92 | — |
| Spottail Shiner | 10.81 | — |
| Bluegill | 9.82 | 0.18 lb |
| BNS | 7.49 | — |
| GOS | 7.17 | 0.1 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, averaged across surveys (excludes juvenile shoreline seining). Higher CPUE = more abundant in standardized sampling.
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.
Bluegill
GOS
From the 2024-06-06 survey
Minnesota DNR Fisheries IBI program staff conducted an assessment of lakeshore habitat on Rice Lake on June 6, 2024, following the Score the Shore survey protocols. The assessment consisted of 101 survey sites evenly spaced 200 meters around the lake. Assessments were made in three habitat zones: the shoreline zone…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Rice Lake. 3 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
- —Aquatic Plant Report — Rice (0600)Aquatic Plant Report · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — RicePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.297 m/yr | 5 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (21 observations).
Estimated open water season: 217 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2017-04-08 (2017) | 2022-05-06 (2022) |
| Ice-In | 2017-11-10 (2017) | 2024-12-02 (2024) |
Most recent ice-out: 2025-04-19
EPA Impairment Status
Rice Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN31-0717-00 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Rice Lake
Rice Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Itasca County
Frequently asked questions about Rice Lake
What is the water quality grade for Rice Lake?
- Rice Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 15 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 68 ft. Surface area: 863.38 acres.
Is Rice Lake safe to swim in?
- Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake. Rice Lake is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Rice Lake?
- Rice Lake has a maximum depth of 68 feet. The lake covers 863.38 acres.
What fish are in Rice Lake?
- Fish species found in Rice Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Rice Lake is located in Itasca County, Minnesota.
When does Rice Lake thaw?
- Rice Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 22. Ice typically forms around Nov 25. The open water season is approximately 217 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 (270,396 cells/mL). Blue-green algae can appear and clear within days, so check Minnesota's current advisory before swimming.
Are there boat ramps on Rice Lake?
- Rice Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Rice Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
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Where this data comes from
26 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
MNPCA26 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate