Rice Portage Lake near Cloquet: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  This water sits in Carlton County, Minnesota. It stands 1,283 feet above sea level. Head to Cloquet, 11 miles away, for anything you forgot. Minneapolis sits 122 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Near neighbours include: Perch Lake 1.2 miles away, Jaskari Lake a shade over 1.3 miles, Spruce Lake 1.6 miles away, Miller Lake a shade over 2.1 miles and Bang Lake 2.1 miles away. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Rice Portage Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Open biodiversity records for Carlton County list bluegill, yellow perch and black crappie. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Rice Portage Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 67°F and January near 7°F on the long-run figures. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Winter locks it down, and mid April brings it back. Climate figures give an open season running mid April to late November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Anyone fishing Rice Portage Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. 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. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. If the gate is shut, Perch Lake at 1.2 miles is the nearest alternative. For Rice Portage Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.