Rice Lake
Rice Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 39.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 41 ft. Surface area: 1513.36 acres.
- Clarity
- 3 ft
- Max depth
- 41 ft
- Area
- 1,513 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
- Ice-out
- Apr 6
- Open water
- 239 days
Grade F measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Rice Lake →
Next lake in Stearns County
Free interactive depth-contour map of Rice Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 40 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Minnesota DNR.
Rice Lake is a 1,513-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Stearns County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 41 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. The lake supports 21 documented fish species including bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, and black crappie. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 31 other monitored lakes in Stearns County, Rice Lake ranks #25 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2025-09-21. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
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.
Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 39.5 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 63.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 50 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 39.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 63 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Rice Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Rice Lake in Stearns 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
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 (398,107 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 ↗
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | 41 ft |
| Surface Area | 1,513 acres |
| Shoreline Length | 14.9 mi |
| Littoral Zone | 63% |
| Public Access | Yes |
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Rice Lake (South)Public
- Rice Lake (North)Public
Fish Species
Click a species to see every graded 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.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
26 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-10-22 (Targeted Survey).
Top Species by Catch Rate
| Species | Avg CPUE | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 19.30 | 0.14 lb |
| Bluegill | 18.93 | 0.17 lb |
| Walleye | 15.95 | 1.3 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 15.92 | 0.73 lb |
| Bluntnose Minnow | 15.06 | — |
| Largemouth Bass | 10.61 | 1.3 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.
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Walleye
Black Bullhead
From the 2025-10-22 survey
A targeted fall night electrofishing survey was conducted for young of year "YOY" (fingerling sized) Walleye on Rice Lake during October 22, 2025. A targeted survey is generally used for sampling a specific kind of fish or time of year (i.e. spawning season, fall season, etc.) unlike a standard survey which samples a…
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
- —Fish Stocking History — RiceFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — RicePublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.043 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | -0.47 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | -0.58 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Ice Season
Historical ice data from Minnesota DNR (41 observations).
Estimated open water season: 239 days
| Earliest | Latest | |
|---|---|---|
| Ice-Out | 2024-03-14 (2024) | 2018-05-01 (2018) |
| Ice-In | 2019-11-09 (2019) | 2015-12-19 (2015) |
Most recent ice-out: 2025-03-28
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 MN73-0196-00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #25 of 32 lakes in Stearns County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Rice Lake holds Grade F. 3 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Stearns County
Frequently asked questions about Rice Lake
What is the water quality grade for Rice Lake?
- Rice Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 39.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 41 ft. Surface area: 1513.36 acres.
Is Rice Lake safe to swim in?
- Algae and nutrients are often high — check current advisories before swimming. Skip the water if you see scum or a paint-like bloom. Rice Lake has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 39.5 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Rice Lake?
- Rice Lake has a maximum depth of 41 feet. The lake covers 1513.36 acres.
What fish are in Rice Lake?
- Fish species found in Rice Lake include bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, channel catfish, common carp, golden redhorse, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Rice Lake is located in Stearns County, Minnesota.
When does Rice Lake thaw?
- Rice Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 6. Ice typically forms around Dec 1. The open water season is approximately 239 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 (398,107 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 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Rice Lake (South), Rice Lake (North). Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Rice Lake across LakeGrade
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Where this data comes from
271 measurements from 4 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
MNPCA271 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (4)
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