Rice Marsh Lake Fishing in Carver County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Set in Carver County, Rice Marsh Lake is a Minnesota water. What surrounds it is mixed forest. It runs to roughly 70 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Around 1.7 miles of margin, front to back. It lies lower than most water we list in Minnesota. The nearest town is Chanhassen, 0.9 miles away. Minneapolis sits 16 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Rice Marsh Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Carver County include bluegill, largemouth bass and common carp. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Rice Marsh Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 12°F and July at about 72°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early April. In an average year the thaw lands around early April and the freeze near early December. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Plan any trip to Rice Marsh Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Parking is mapped about half a mile from the bank. Toilets are half a mile away, which matters on a long session. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Lake Susan sits 1.1 miles off and takes the overflow. Where Rice Marsh Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.