Rice Lake near Brainerd: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Rice Lake is one of the Crow Wing County listings for Minnesota. The surface lies 1,178 feet up. With some 62 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Bank access stretches around 1.7 miles in total. The town to know is Brainerd, 5.1 miles out. The nearest city of size is Minneapolis, 109 miles away. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Rice Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in Crow Wing County include largemouth bass, bluegill and yellow perch. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. The shape of Rice Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 8°F and July at about 69°F, the water has a wide range to work through. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near late November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. That shapes the year on Rice Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. The nearest alternative is Horseshoe Lake, 0.6 miles out. Nothing on Rice Lake should be assumed from this page alone.