Fishing at Rice Lake, Isanti County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Rice Lake lies in Isanti County, Minnesota. The surface lies 925 feet up. It runs to roughly 132 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. A shoreline of some 2.5 miles keeps the choices simple. Ground here is low by Minnesota standards. You are 2.4 miles from Braham. Minneapolis sits 52 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Rice Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Isanti County include largemouth bass, yellow perch and bluegill. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. The near bank of Rice Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 9°F to 69°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. The season between ice runs from about mid April to late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Rice Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. A carry of half a mile from the nearest parking is the price of fishing here. Rice Creek Wildlife Management Area covers this ground, which means extra rules to check. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. If the gate is shut, Upper Rice Lake at 1.6 miles is the nearest alternative. Ask locally about Rice Lake if anything is unclear.