Rice Lake Fishing near Watertown, Minnesota

• Overview

  Rice Lake sits in Hennepin County, out in Minnesota. The water sits 899 feet up. It measures about 195 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. About 2.9 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. It ranks high for size among our Hennepin County listings. The closest town, Watertown, is 3.4 miles away. Delano lies 4.3 miles off, Minnetrista another 4.3 miles. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• 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. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Species logged across Hennepin County include bluegill, common carp, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed and black crappie. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At Rice Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 11°F to 72°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early April. Climate figures give an open season running early April to late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Rice Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Parking is not close: half a mile from the bank, and no nearer option is mapped. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Ox Yoke Lake sits 1.9 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the position on Rice Lake before loading the car.