Rice Lake Fishing near Detroit Lakes, Minnesota

• Overview

  Rice Lake lies in Becker County, in Minnesota. Around the bank it is lake country bush. With some 223 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The margin runs to about 3.7 miles in total. It ranks high for size among our Becker County listings. Detroit Lakes sits 10 miles from the bank. The nearest city of size is Fargo, 49 miles away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Rice Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Species logged across Becker County include bluegill, largemouth bass and walleye. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. The shape of Rice Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 68°F, the coldest about 4°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. The season between ice runs from about mid April to mid November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Rice Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. If the gate is shut, Spring Lake at 0.8 miles is the nearest alternative. Treat access at Rice Lake as something to verify.