4 miles south of Roscoe
Stearns County, Minnesota · 45.3743° N, 94.6210° W
Directions to Rice Lake (S) Public Water Access SiteApple Maps
Directions open in Google or Apple Maps, to the Minnesota DNR public access sites (2 listed; this is the first).
Updated 19 Oct 2026, 6:15 pm EDT.
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Minnesota DNR lake survey, fetched 15 Oct 2026. Not for navigation.
2 public access sites on Rice Lake.
Minnesota DNR public water accesses, fetched 15 Oct 2026.
Minnesota DNR stocking reports list 15 stockings of Rice Lake in 9 of the years 2016 to 2025. The most recent, in 2025, included 756,798 walleye fry. Species stocked: walleye.
Latest: 2025: 756,798 walleye fry.
Source: Minnesota DNR Fisheries (LakeFinder stocking reports), fetched 15 Oct 2026. How we measure
Measured from Minnesota DNR contours. How we measure
Minnesota DNR’s latest standard fish survey of Rice Lake was in July 2024: 4 gill nets and 15 trap nets caught 18 species. The DNR also ran a targeted survey in October 2025; this section uses the latest standard survey.
Walleye per gill net, standard surveys: 2014 11 · 2017 8.4 · 2019 9.4 · 2022 7.6 · 2024 14
Bluegill per trap net, standard surveys: 2014 12 · 2017 19 · 2019 36 · 2022 21 · 2024 38
Walleye: 175 measured, 6 to 28 in, half 11 in or longer; average 1.7 lb, normal (normal 1.2–2.4 lb).
Northern pike: 59 measured, 16 to 33 in, half 24 in or longer; average 3.5 lb, above normal (normal 1.5–2.7 lb).
Largemouth bass: 16 measured, 5 to 19 in, half 5 in or longer; average 1 lb, above normal (normal 0.2–0.9 lb).
Black crappie: 404 measured, 3 to 14 in, half 7 in or longer; average 0.25 lb, normal (normal 0.2–0.4 lb).
Bluegill: 617 measured, 2 to 8 in, half 3 in or longer; average 0.09 lb, below normal (normal 0.1–0.3 lb).
Also caught: bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, golden shiner, hybrid sunfish, shorthead redhorse, white sucker, yellow bullhead.
Source: Minnesota DNR Fisheries lake survey, 22 Jul 2024, via LakeFinder, fetched 15 Oct 2026. Normal range: DNR’s range for lakes of the same class (43 classes, grouped by water chemistry and shape). Each line has its own scale. How we measure
Measured water clarity averages about 3 ft: the Secchi depth across 9 readings, 2007–2024.
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and volunteer Secchi readings, via Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, fetched 15 Oct 2026.
Minnesota DNR lake survey; straight-line miles.
Rice Lake is 41 feet at its deepest point, measured by Minnesota DNR survey. It covers 1,513 acres.
Yes. 2 public access sites are listed: Rice Lake (S) Public Water Access Site; Rice Lake (N) Public Water Access Site.
Yes. Minnesota DNR stocking reports list 15 stockings of it in 9 of the years 2016 to 2025. The most recent, in 2025, included 756,798 walleye fry.
Minnesota DNR’s July 2024 standard survey caught 18 species, most often bluegill, black crappie, yellow perch and hybrid sunfish.
About 55% of the lake's area is deeper than 10 feet, measured from Minnesota DNR depth contours.