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90-acre lake in Polk County, Wisconsin. The lake tops out around 6 ft. Contours on this water are modeled from its actual shoreline and max depth. Good for finding likely water, never for navigation. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Rice Lake maps at 90 acres behind 1.8 miles of shoreline. Nearly circular (index 1.4), so the story is the bottom, not the bank. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout. Figure 0.8 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.3 mi at the beam. It sits in Polk County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Church Pine Lake, is 1 mi to the northeast.
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 2 to 6 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn | Deep basin (5 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Deep basin (5 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (5 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring northern pike on Rice Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 6 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 2 to 6 ft in summer, 2 to 6 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 1 to 6 ft. Even in summer they hold at 2 to 6 ft; winter keeps them in 2 to 6 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Shoreline break (3 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring crappie on Rice Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 6 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 2 to 6 ft in summer, 2 to 6 ft once it turns cold. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 5 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).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Deep basin (5 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring bluegill on Rice Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 2 to 6 ft in summer, 2 to 6 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Deep basin (5 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
The chart marks 4 structure features on Rice Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 5 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Wisconsin waters are set by the Wisconsin DNR — and special regulations can apply to Rice Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Rice Lake is about 6 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 yellow perch, northern pike, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill on Rice Lake. These come from the Wisconsin DNR's per-lake fish listing; where the DNR lists a group (panfish, catfish, trout) the specific species are resolved from Wisconsin's fish distribution by the lake's location, depth and habitat.
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 map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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.
Fishing on Rice Lake is regulated by the Wisconsin DNR. Check the official Wisconsin regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Church Pine Lake 1 mi · Swede Lake 1 mi · Wind Lake 1 mi · Pine Lake 1 mi · Paulsen Lake 1 mi · Mud Lake 2 mi · Big Lake 2 mi · Lower Pine Lake 2 mi · Marlpit Spring 3 mi · Round Lake 3 mi · Horse Lake 4 mi · Cedar Lake 4 mi
See how Rice Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Wisconsin · best northern pike lakes in Wisconsin · best crappie lakes in Wisconsin · best bluegill lakes in Wisconsin
More water nearby: Polk County fishing maps (118 charts). Browse all Wisconsin fishing maps or 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.