Fishing at Rice Lake, Benton County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Rice Lake sits in Benton County, out in Minnesota. This is pine and birch ground. At about 97 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Around 1.9 miles of margin, front to back. It is a small entry by Benton County standards. 8.7 miles away sits Foley, the nearest town. Minneapolis sits 51 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Rice Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Survey and observation records for Benton County include black crappie, common carp and bluegill. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Fish Rice Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 10°F to 71°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early April. Break-up near early April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. On Rice Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. The nearest alternative is Briggs Lake, 2.9 miles out. Rules at Rice Lake are worth checking on the day.