Rice Lake Fishing near Shakopee, Minnesota

• Overview

  In Minnesota, Rice Lake belongs to Scott County. The country here is mixed forest. Surface area is around 223 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. With 3.3 miles or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. Few waters listed in Scott County are bigger. Start from Shakopee, 1.2 miles down the road. The big place round here is Minneapolis, 17 miles distant. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Rice Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Scott County records list bluegill, largemouth bass, black crappie, pumpkinseed and common carp among the fish reported. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. The near bank of Rice Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 12°F in January up to 72°F in July. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Once it clears, about early April, the fishing comes on quickly. Average temperatures cross freezing around early April in spring and again near late November in autumn. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. The season on Rice Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Boat services are half a mile out at the marina. There are picnic tables recorded roughly half a mile off. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. The nearest alternative is Rice Lake, 1.1 miles out. Check the position at Rice Lake before loading the car.