Little Rice Lake Fishing near Detroit Lakes, Minnesota

• Overview

  Little Rice Lake sits within Becker County in Minnesota. Height above sea level is 1,483 feet. With some 126 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The edge runs 2.2 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Detroit Lakes is the closest town at 21 miles. Mahnomen follows at 24 miles, then Frazee at 24 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Little Rice Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Reported across Becker County: bluegill, largemouth bass and walleye. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Treat Little Rice Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 67°F, while January sits near 4°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Little Rice Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. If the gate is shut, Mallard Lake at 1.7 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the current arrangement for Little Rice Lake.