Fishing at Rice Lake, Emmons County, North Dakota

• Overview

  Rice Lake belongs to Emmons County, North Dakota. Height above sea level is 1,785 feet. At 1,418 acres this is proper open water rather than a pond. The shoreline runs about 7.2 miles, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. It is among the larger waters listed here for Emmons County. Linton is the closest place, 17 miles off. Beyond it, Mobridge at 39 miles and Lincoln at 58 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Rice Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Species logged across Emmons County include northern pike. The county list is broader than any single water. On Rice Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 71°F and January about 8°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and late November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. It sets the rhythm of the year at Rice Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Public data records a boat ramp half a mile out. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. For a change of water, Neuwsma Lake is 5 miles distant. None of that is settled for Rice Lake in what we hold.