Rice Portage Lake
Rice Portage Lake in Carlton County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 1.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 43 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.9 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 1.3 ft
- Max depth
- ~51 ft est.
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
Next lake in Carlton County
Rice Portage Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Carlton County, Minnesota with an estimated average depth of about 51 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 21 other monitored lakes in Carlton County, Rice Portage Lake ranks #13 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-16. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyModerate
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.
Generally safe for swimming, moderate water quality
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Very murky, less than 1.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 43 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 4.9 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 59.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 43 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4.9 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 59 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Where to stay near Rice Portage Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Rice Portage Lake in Carlton 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.
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Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~51 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~11 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
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 Portage 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 Portage Lake
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Rice Portage Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Public Water Access Sites — PerchPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.417 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +44.5 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.52 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Rice Portage Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Rice Portage Lake, 8 ft tall.
- Normal storage
- 1,400 ac-ft
- Hazard class
- Undetermined
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MN00809 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Rice Portage Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2019 EPA reporting cycle.
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FDL_115 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #13 of 22 lakes in Carlton County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Rice Portage Lake holds Grade C. One nearby lake has a higher nutrient-and-algae grade — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Carlton County
Frequently asked questions about Rice Portage Lake
What is the water quality grade for Rice Portage Lake?
- Rice Portage Lake in Carlton County, Minnesota has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 1.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 43 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.9 µg/L.
Is Rice Portage Lake safe to swim in?
- Generally safe for swimming, moderate water quality. Rice Portage Lake has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 4.9 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Rice Portage Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Rice Portage Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 51 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
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Where this data comes from
73 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Fond du Lac Band of Chippewa (MN)
FONDULAC_WQX73 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Color, APHA Platinum-Cobalt
- For determination of Copper by the Bicinchoninate method.
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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