Rice Lake Fishing near Ely, Minnesota

• Overview

  The Saint Louis County end of Minnesota holds Rice Lake. It sits at 1,470 feet above sea level. The water covers some 121 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Bank access stretches around 1.7 miles in total. The closest town, Ely, is 9.6 miles distant. It is 128 miles to Thunder Bay, the nearest city. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Rice Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Saint Louis County, recorded fish include yellow perch, northern pike and white sucker. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Work Rice Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 2°F to 65°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. Open water usually runs from late April until about mid November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Plan around that when you fish Rice Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. You can camp half a mile off, which suits an early start. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Hook Lake, 0.9 miles away. Where Rice Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.