Fishing Rice Lake in Scott County, Minnesota

• Overview

  In Minnesota, Rice Lake falls inside Scott County. The bank is 981 feet above sea level. Roughly 59 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Bank access stretches around 1.1 miles in total. It is low-lying compared with other Minnesota water we list. Elko New Market is the closest place, 3.6 miles off. Then Lakeville, 3.6 miles, and Farmington, 7.1 miles. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Rice Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Scott County include bluegill, largemouth bass, black crappie and pumpkinseed. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Take Rice Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 71°F at the top of summer and 12°F at the bottom of winter. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early April. The water is typically free of ice between early April and late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Plan any trip to Rice Lake around it.

• 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. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, Pettit Wildlife Pond is 2.7 miles distant. Where Rice Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.