Rice Lake

Rice Lake earns a C — middle-of-the-pack water quality, with one or two parameters dragging the average down from a stronger grade. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

A TSI in the eutrophic range signals a lake doing what nutrient-loaded waters do — supporting an active algal community at the cost of clear water. At only 10 ft deep, Rice Lake is shallow — wind keeps the water column mixed and sediment resuspension drives phosphorus levels harder to manage. Rice Lake covers 144 acres alongside partial shoreline records — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Rice Lake ranks 31 of 34 in Walworth County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

Eurasian watermilfoil is established at Rice Lake, which can dampen recreational access and pressure the native plant community. The fishery is bass-led, with 3 documented species across the lake's records. A documented public access point at Rice Lake makes the lake usable for shore fishing, paddle craft, and trailered boats. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.