Little Rice Lake in Morrison County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Little Rice Lake sits in Morrison County, out in Minnesota. The surface lies 1,260 feet up. At roughly 21 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Staples is the closest town at 12 miles. Long Prairie lies 16 miles off, Little Falls another 23 miles. If this one is busy: Beck Lake lies 1 mile on, Peat Lake at 1.3 miles, Turtle Lake lies 1.7 miles on, Pine Island Lake at 1.8 miles and Long Lake lies 1.8 miles on. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Little Rice Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Reported across Morrison County: largemouth bass, bluegill, northern pike, black crappie and yellow perch. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Read Little Rice Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 69°F for July and 8°F for January. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about late November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. At Little Rice Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Part of this sits inside or beside Kobliska Wildlife Management Area, West Tract Unit, so read the notices. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. For a change of water, Beck Lake is 1 mile distant. For Little Rice Lake in particular, ask before you travel.