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Rice Lake

General Information

County: Winnebago
Location: 1 mile south, 1 mile east of Lake Mills
Acres: 1000.00
Maximum Depth: 10 ft. (1983)
Motoring Restrictions: none

Nearby Parks

Rice Lake State Park

Amenities

Amenities at Rice Lake include:
  • Boat Access
  • Picnic Area
  • Hard Surface Boat Ramp

For information on the lakes and rivers in north central Iowa, contact the Clear Lake Fish and Wildlife office at 641-357-3517.
Any water west of the north boat ramp is a waterfowl refuge and is closed to all activity from Sept. 1st through the final day of the duck season. Signs across the lake mark this area.
Bluegill - Slow:
Walleye - Slow:
Yellow Perch - Fair: Fish a jig and piece of crawler near vegetation.

Lake Maps


You can zoom in on the map for bathymetric information for some lakes

  • Curlyleaf Pondweed

The Fishing Regulations brochure is available for download. The summaries listed below are a partial listing provided for your benefit.

  • Bluegill
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: 25 fish
    • Possession Limit: unlimited
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other: No daily limit on private waters
  • Largemouth Bass
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined black bass, 3 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined black bass, 6 fish
    • Length Limit: 15-inch minimum
    • Other:
  • Walleye
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: combined walleye, sauger and saugeye; 5 fish
    • Possession Limit: combined walleye, sauger and saugeye; 10 fish
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:
  • Yellow Perch
    • Season: Continuous
    • Daily Bag Limit: 25 fish
    • Possession Limit: 50 fish
    • Length Limit: none
    • Other:

This fishery is producing nice walleye, yellow perch, bluegills and largemouth bass. The vegetation gets thick in the summer months, the best fishing is in the spring, fall and during the ice season.(2024)

Tip: Click the arrow in the lower right corner to view the Fish Survey Data tool in full-screen mode.

Contacts

Iowa-Caught Fish Are Safe to Eat, In Almost All Cases

The vast majority of Iowa’s streams, rivers and lakes offer safe and high-quality fish that pose little or no threat to human health if consumed. Some limitations may apply for young children and pregnant women. Here’s a Fish Consumption Fact Sheet from the Iowa DNR and the Iowa Dept. of Public Health for more information.