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1,523-acre lake near Clearwater County. The lake tops out around 10 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Upper Rice maps at 1,523 acres behind 6 miles of shoreline. Its 1.1 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. The basin spans about 2 mi end to end and 1.6 mi across at its widest. It sits in Clearwater County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Minerva, is 2 mi to the southwest.
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 10 ft. Summer keeps them at 3 to 10 ft, and they winter in 3 to 10 ft. Spring yellow perch concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 3 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Early season northern pike use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 3 to 10 ft game here, winter a 3 to 10 ft one. 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 bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
In spring, pumpkinseed run shallow here, mostly 1 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 2 to 10 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 10 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring pumpkinseed. Time it for the evening and early morning. You won't need more than a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Early season brown bullhead use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 3 to 10 ft, then a winter hold in 3 to 10 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 10 ft that grades prime for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | night & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | Deep basin (10 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) |
The chart marks 6 structure features on Upper Rice; the deepest is Deep basin at about 10 ft.
Access data: MN DNR Water Access Sites (struc_water_access_sites), Minnesota Geospatial Commons. 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 Upper Rice specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Minnesota fishing regulations →
Upper Rice is about 10 ft (3 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target yellow perch, northern pike, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Upper 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. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Upper 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.
Minerva 2 mi · Mallard 7 mi · Walker Brook 7 mi · Daniel 7 mi · LaSalle 7 mi · Moose 7 mi · Long 8 mi · Rockstad 8 mi · Big LaSalle 9 mi · Heart 10 mi · Lomond 11 mi · First 11 mi
See how Upper Rice stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota · best pumpkinseed lakes in Minnesota · best brown bullhead lakes in Minnesota
More water nearby: Clearwater County fishing maps (39 charts). Browse all Minnesota fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.