Lake-specific eating advicePublic access
Big Lake
Stearns County
Walleye lake, Northern pike lake, Bass lake, Crappie lake, Sunfish lake
Rice Lake
Lake-specific eating adviceZebra musselsPublic accessStocked 2025
Rice Lake is a 1,513-acre lake in Stearns County, 41 feet at its deepest. The DNR last surveyed its fish in 2025. Recorded species include walleye, northern pike, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and crappie.
Details
- DNR lake ID
- 73019600
- County
- Stearns
- Surface area
- 1,513 acres
- Maximum depth
- 41 feet
- Shallow water (littoral) area
- 958 acres, 63% of the lake
- Shoreline
- 14.9 miles
- Average water clarity
- 3.3 feet (Secchi disk, 9 readings)
- Nearest town (DNR)
- Paynesville
- Latest DNR fish survey
- October 2025, targeted survey
- Surveys on record
- 26, since 1977
- Game fish caught in the 2025 survey
- walleye 11
- Fish species recorded
- black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, sunfish, walleye, white crappie, yellow perch, and 33 other species
- Stocked in 2025
- walleye fry (756,798)
- Stocked in 2024
- walleye fry (499,870)
- Stocked in 2023
- walleye fry (1,201,133)
- Stocking years on record
- 9 of the last 10 (2016 to 2025)
- Rice Lake (S) Public Water Access Site
- trailer launch, concrete slab ramp, 1 dock, 20 trailer spaces, toilet, run by DNR Division of Parks and Trails
- Rice Lake (N) Public Water Access Site
- trailer launch, concrete slab ramp, 1 dock, 6 trailer spaces, toilet, run by DNR Division of Parks and Trails
- Infested waters list
- starry stonewort, zebra mussel
- Eating advice, general populations
- crappie: all sizes - 2 servings/week
- Size
- 500 to 1,999 acres
- Deepest point
- 30 to 59 feet
- Public access
- Yes
- Stocked in the last 3 years
- Yes
- Lake-specific eating advice
- Yes
Sources
- Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Checked September 24, 2026 - Minnesota DNR Public Water Access Sites
Checked September 24, 2026 - Minnesota Department of Health fish consumption guidelines
Checked September 24, 2026
Survey catches show what DNR nets and electrofishing found on the survey date, not how the fishing is today. Check the current regulations and the Department of Health advice before you keep fish, and confirm access conditions before you tow a boat.