Little Rice Lake, Wisconsin: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Set in Oneida County, Wisconsin, this is Little Rice Lake. This is lake country bush country. Surface area runs to about 24 acres — small enough to read in one session. 7.3 miles away sits Eagle River, the nearest town. Rhinelander follows at 14 miles, then Nashville at 23 miles. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Little Rice Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Reported across Oneida County: brown trout, walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Little Rice Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 66°F at the top of summer and 10°F at the bottom of winter. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Once it clears, about mid April, the fishing comes on quickly. The season between ice runs from about mid April to late November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. It sets the rhythm of the year at Little Rice Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Failing this one, try Minnow Lake, 0.9 miles away. Nothing here settles the position at Little Rice Lake for certain.