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Recent public catches load as you reach this section.
2,026-acre lake near Cass County. The lake tops out around 5 ft. What you see is a modeled chart: the shoreline is real, the max depth is published, and the contours between are estimated. Plan with it; don't navigate by it. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Traced from the shoreline, Big Rice runs 2,026 acres with 12.6 miles of edge. Index 2 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. Tip to tip the water measures near 2.8 mi with a 1.9-mi widest point. You'll find it in Cass County. The nearest mapped water is Little Thunder, 2 mi to the south.
Early season walleye use the shallows, holding in 1 to 5 ft. Even in summer they hold at 2 to 5 ft; winter keeps them in 2 to 5 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 2 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Tie on a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (5 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (2 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (2 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (4 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Spring yellow perch on Big Rice hold shallow, usually 1 to 5 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 2 to 5 ft in summer, 2 to 5 ft once it turns cold. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (4 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (4 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (4 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring puts northern pike in skinny water — 1 to 5 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 2 to 5 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 5 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring northern pike. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, rock bass slide up into 1 to 5 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 1 to 5 ft, winter 2 to 5 ft. Start at Main-lake point. It's a point holding about 5 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run the evening. Keep a ned rig (small) or a marabou jig rigged through the warm months.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (5 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 20 ft | dusk | Main-lake point (5 ft) | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 22 ft | midday | Break off the point (2 ft) | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (4 ft) | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluegill in 1 to 5 ft. The depth story barely changes: 1 to 5 ft through summer, 2 to 5 ft in winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (4 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
When the water first warms, pumpkinseed slide up into 1 to 5 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 1 to 5 ft, winter 2 to 5 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. Keep a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) rigged through the warm months.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 1 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 5 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
The chart marks 6 structure features on Big Rice; the deepest is Main-lake point at about 5 ft.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Big Rice specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Big Rice is about 5 ft (2 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, rock bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed on Big Rice.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For walleye, the summer bite is best in the evening and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Big Rice is regulated by the Minnesota DNR. Check the official Minnesota regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Little Thunder 2 mi · Michaud 3 mi · Little Thunder (West Bay) 3 mi · Thunder 4 mi · Laura 4 mi · Little Bass 4 mi · Little Thunder (East Bay) 4 mi · Kidney 5 mi · Upper Trelipe 5 mi · Birch 5 mi · Big Sand 5 mi · Thiebault 6 mi
See how Big Rice stacks up: best walleye lakes in Minnesota · best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best bluegill lakes in Minnesota · best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Cass County fishing maps (217 charts). Browse all Minnesota fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.