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263-acre lake near Faribault County. The lake tops out around 4 ft. This chart interpolates between a real shoreline and a known maximum depth. It will point you at likely water, but it is not a navigation product. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
The outline encloses 263 acres, worked by 3.9 miles of shoreline. A middling shoreline index (1.7) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. End to end it runs roughly 1.4 mi, about 0.5 mi across. It sits in Faribault County. Morin sits 8 mi east — the closest neighbouring chart.
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 1 to 4 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 1 to 4 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 4 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm 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 4 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (3 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft chart-limited; documented 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (3 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (3 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring northern pike on Rice hold shallow, usually 1 to 4 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 1 to 4 ft in summer, 1 to 4 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 and the evening. The summer box starts with a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage.
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 4 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Spring crappie on Rice hold shallow, usually 1 to 4 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 1 to 4 ft in summer, 1 to 4 ft once it turns cold. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 3 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
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 4 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (3 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring bluegill on Rice hold shallow, usually 1 to 4 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 1 to 4 ft in summer, 1 to 4 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.
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 4 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 4 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (3 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Come spring, look for common carp tight to the bank in 1 to 4 ft. Through summer count on 1 to 4 ft; the winter hold is 1 to 4 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening.
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 4 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (3 ft) |
In spring, black bullhead run shallow here, mostly 1 to 4 ft. Summer keeps them at 1 to 4 ft, and they winter in 1 to 4 ft. Winter black bullhead concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 3 ft. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
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 4 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 9 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 1 to 4 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 15 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 1 to 4 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 20 ft | dusk | Deep basin (3 ft) | |
| Winter | 1 to 4 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 28 ft | midday | Deep basin (3 ft) |
Rice also holds green sunfish (1 to 4 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Main-lake point, sits near 4 ft.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025* | Northern Pike (fry) | 13,300 | — |
* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking reports, retrieved 2026-09-23.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Minnesota waters are set by the Minnesota DNR — and special regulations can apply to Rice specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Rice is about 4 ft (1 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 yellow perch, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, common carp, black bullhead, green sunfish on Rice.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For yellow perch, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Yes — per Minnesota DNR LakeFinder stocking reports records, Rice was most recently stocked 2025 with 13,300 northern pike (fry). The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on 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.
Morin 8 mi · Freeborn 11 mi · Bear 13 mi · School Section 16 mi · White 16 mi · Pickeral 16 mi · Fountain (West Bay) 17 mi · Fountain (East Bay) 18 mi · Silver Lake (Worth) 19 mi, IA · Albert Lea 20 mi · Bass 21 mi · Lura 21 mi
See how Rice stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best crappie lakes in Minnesota · best bluegill lakes in Minnesota · best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota
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.