Rice Lake Fishing near Frederic, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Out in Polk County, Wisconsin, sits Rice Lake. It lies 984 feet above sea level. The water covers some 56 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Bank access stretches around 1.3 miles in total. The nearest place of any size is Frederic, 3.3 miles away. Luck is 6 miles away, with Grantsburg at 11 miles. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Rice Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Public occurrence data for Polk County names brown trout, rainbow trout, northern pike and largemouth bass. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Fish Rice Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 70°F and January at 10°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Count the season from break-up, usually early April. Averages suggest open water from about early April through to roughly late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. That is the shape of the year on Rice Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Land Lake sits 1.5 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the current arrangement for Rice Lake.