Fishing Rice Lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota

• Overview

  In Minnesota, Rice Lake belongs to Aitkin County. The ground round it is mixed forest. Surface area is around 77 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. A shoreline of some 1.7 miles keeps the choices simple. Moose Lake lies 20 miles from the water. Aitkin is 28 miles and Cloquet 33 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• 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. County-wide records name northern pike, bluegill and yellow perch. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Rice Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 67°F and January reads 7°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near late November in autumn. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. That shapes the year on Rice Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, Kelly Lake is 1.1 miles off. Check the position at Rice Lake before loading the car.