Rice Lake, Wisconsin: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Rice Lake is one of the Oneida County waters in Wisconsin. It sits in mixed forest. The water covers some 125 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. With about 1.6 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Eagle River sits 6.9 miles from the bank. The nearest city of size is Green Bay, 107 miles away. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on Rice Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Open biodiversity records for Oneida County list brown trout, walleye, largemouth bass and northern pike. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. At Rice Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 65°F at the top of summer and 10°F at the bottom of winter. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and late November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Rice Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. This sits inside Rice Lake Refuge, so read the reserve notices first. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. If the gate is shut, Little Rice Lake at 1.4 miles is the nearest alternative. The position on Rice Lake is worth confirming on the day.