Rice Lake is a lake in Itasca County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.

How deep is Rice Lake?

Rice Lake has a maximum depth of 53 feet. The lake covers 688 acres.

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.

Can I fish at Rice Lake?

Rice Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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.

Rice Lake

Itasca County, Minnesota688 acresView map Directions

No nutrient or algae sampling on record from Minnesota PCA for this lake.

Max depth

53 ft

Bathymetric survey

Area

688 acres

Surface area

Shoreline

9.3 mi

Measured length

Impaired · Mercury
53 ft max depth
Public access

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Rice Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 53 ft. Surface area: 688 acres.

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Rice Lake is a 688-acre lake in Itasca County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 53 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

What Rice Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Boat launch1 documented ramp
Deep water53 ft surveyed max depth

Swimming conditions

No reading

Not rated

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Rice Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. 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.

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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.

No clarity data. TSI undefined.

Ask about Rice Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

Lake Details

Max depth

53 ft

Surface area

688 acres

Shoreline

9.3 mi

Public access

Yes

Listed by Minnesota PCA

The depth above comes from a bathymetric survey of this lake, not from a regional estimate.

Recreation & Access

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

Rice LakePublic

Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps

Stays via Stay22

Stays 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

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Fishing Rice Lake

→ Rice Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

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

Mercury

Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN31-0717-00 · Official waterbody report

Nearby Lakes in Itasca County

Little Rice Lake1.6 miView →Rice Lake15 ft clear1.2 miView →Guile Lake2.1 miView →Van Patter Lake1.9 miView →Long Lake16.9 ft clear · Oligotrophic2.1 miView →Warburg Lake—View →

Frequently asked questions about Rice Lake

Where is Rice Lake?: Rice Lake is a lake in Itasca 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 Itasca County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 53 ft. Surface area: 688 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 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Rice Lake?: Rice Lake has a maximum depth of 53 feet. The lake covers 688 acres.
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.
Can I fish at Rice Lake?: Rice Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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.