Fishing Rice Lake in Le Sueur County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Le Sueur County in Minnesota is where Rice Lake sits. It stands 1,017 feet above sea level. Surface area is around 180 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The edge runs 2.0 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Montgomery is the closest town at 2.1 miles. Beyond it, Lonsdale at 6 miles and New Prague at 6.8 miles. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Rice Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Public occurrence data for Le Sueur County names common carp, bluegill, largemouth bass and walleye. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Rice Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 11°F and July at about 71°F, the water has a wide range to work through. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early April. Average temperatures cross freezing around early April in spring and again near late November in autumn. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Rice Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. The nearest alternative is Dietz Lake, 1.2 miles out. Check the current arrangement for Rice Lake.