Rice Lake
Rice Lake in Scott County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 728 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 24.5 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 1.7 ft
- Typical in August
- 74°F
- Max depth
- ~35 ft est.
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- No
Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Rice Lake →
Next lake in Scott County
Rice Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Scott County, Minnesota with an estimated average depth of about 35 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. No public access — the lake is private or restricted. Compared to the 20 other monitored lakes in Scott County, Rice Lake ranks #11 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-22. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 1.7 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 728 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 24.5 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 77.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 728 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 24.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 77 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Where to stay near Rice Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Rice Lake in Scott 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Rice Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Rice Lake
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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
Water Temperature
Rice Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 76°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 77°F) and coldest in Oct (about 59°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 14 field readings (2024–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Rice Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~35 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~10 ft est. |
| Public Access | No |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Minnesota has not published bathymetry for Rice Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Fishing Rice Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.27 m/yr | 2 |
County Ranking
Ranked #11 of 21 lakes in Scott County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Rice Lake holds Grade D. One nearby lake has a higher nutrient-and-algae grade — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
Nearby Lakes in Scott County
Frequently asked questions about Rice Lake
What is the water quality grade for Rice Lake?
- Rice Lake in Scott County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 728 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 24.5 µg/L.
Is Rice Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum. Rice Lake has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 24.5 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
What is the water temperature of Rice Lake?
- Rice Lake typically sits around 74°F at the surface in August, from 14 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2024–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Rice Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Rice Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 35 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Rice Lake across LakeGrade
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Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
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Where this data comes from
96 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA96 samples · 2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- Analysis of Chlorophyll in Periphyton and Plankton
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder