Rice Lake Fishing Guide, Ward County, North Dakota

• Overview

  Within Ward County, North Dakota, you have Rice Lake. The country here is rolling bush. It measures about 242 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Shoreline length is close to 3.7 miles, and each section fishes a little differently. For a base, Minot sits 19 miles out. Then Burlington, 19 miles, and Surrey, 24 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Rice Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Species logged across Ward County include northern pike, black bullhead, yellow perch and white sucker. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Fish Rice Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 68°F on average, January about 5°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near late November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Rice Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Records mark it as stocked rather than wild. Public data records a boat ramp half a mile out. There is a mapped landing stage half a mile away. A marked angling spot sits within half a mile. There is a campsite half a mile from the water. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. For a change of water, Hiddenwood Lake is 17 miles distant.