Wild Rice Lake Fishing Reports

[Bowfin]

Fished Wild Rice a couple times last summer and did good on northerns and eyes. What's the scoop on the winter fishing? I've heard of vehicles going in out in front of the landing seems like every winter. Is this spot thin all winter? Is this the only safety hazzard? Is driving recommended at all in the winter on Rice?

[Jack Stasney]

Yes vehicles do break through on a regular basis out on Wild Rice. I've never fished it, but it's always by the dam, which is where the access is... go figure.

[BD110]

I was on Rice lake today... Vehicle travel is not happening, that's not to say I didn't see an old set of tracks. There is nothing on the lake that was plowed and the parking lot well that's a story in itself. You would never know that we had been through a cold snap with the amount of water still sitting on top of the ice. I had my 4-wheeler out on Rice today and each time we broke through the top crust of the snow it was nothing but work.

[Northlander]

Why do you keep going back to that he11 hole Tom? I know I know, to pickle pike.

You should have came and fished the Big 5 with me today. Our 1pm spot was right to the minute again today.

[BD110]

Happy to hear about the 1pm spot. I can't think of anything else nice to say so I'm going to leave it at that...

[Northlander]

[Jarrid Houston]

Have fished rice many times have caught many pike even nice 30" plus inchers, but I have never caught a walleye. One time I caught a walleye in the spring when I was in my waders in the river below the dam. Any suggestions on how to get some winter eyes out there? Catch & release!

[andrew chadwick]

is the lake as bad as it was earlier this year. this december it was absoloutly worthless. every one was getting skunked or maybe 2 fish if they were lucky.

[Woodsman]

I was out on rice a couple days ago, i'd say it is still pretty slow. Always nice when you miss the only bites you get too

[biff]

You know the old lake survey shows it to be full of walleye at one time at least but you never seem to hear much about rice for walleyes. What gives? Population crash or tough lake or just hush hush?

[andrew chadwick]

You know the old lake survey shows it to be full of walleye at one time at least but you never seem to hear much about rice for walleyes. What gives? Population crash or tough lake or just hush hush?

population crash mostly, the people who know how to catch rice lake walleyes are pretty hush hush too.

[shogun]

It did use to be full of walleye at one time - from what I have gathered talking to people who have been in the area for many years (and live on the lake), spearing is probably the biggest reason that lake is nothing what it used to be (a long time ago). I've been told they don't even spear it anymore because there just aren't enough walleye to make it worth their while.

[Philip Hart]

Well no one should be spearing walleyes! Very much against the law.

[shogun]

Very much against the law.

Not for everyone.

[Philip Hart]

I thought you couldn't spear walleyes. I didn't know there were special regulations on wild rice. Can you explain

[gritsnham]

Im not sure but believe he may be refering to tribal rights to spear walleyes which is usually done in the spring at night and can take alot of fish

[gardn184]

I believe your correct grits, no way anyone else would be spearing walleyes on that body of water

[Philip Hart]

Ok I didn't know rice lake was on the reservation. Does anyone else know.

[shogun]

it doesn't have to be on a reservation. native americans can spear any lake they want. they've speared the reservoirs around duluth for many years.

[Philip Hart]

they still must have some kinda limits/regulations

[shogun]

no limits. they can do whatever they want. when they talk about "commercial walleye netting" that's referring to the reservations and "treaty rights" - it's the reservations doing the netting, and some places they do it in a big way, like rainy lake and lake of the woods, as soon as the ice goes out.

[gritsnham]

I thought that the DNR still put regulations on their harvest since spot lighting spawning fish and spearing them can be fairly hard on the population of walleyes but maybe that is just on the bigger lakes. The state still has a say in how much they can harvest since modern fishing in any manner cant sustain a fish popluation for very long without regs

[shogun]

The state has no regulation over the tribes in Minnesota. They are to be regulated by their own "band's conservation code".

[shogun]

Yet if you get caught fishing on "their water", they can take your boat, truck, fishing equipment, the whole shebang...and nothing the state can do for you.

Some might remember this incident on Upper Red Lake.

[shogun]

dang I've gone and hijacked the thread. if anyone still wants to continue this conversation go ahead and start a new thread.

As for Rice Lake, I have not been out there since December and it was really dead for me as well. If you've got a sled it'd be worth checking out anyplace you can find some structure in deeper water 6-8' (if you can even find 8').

[Caught]

Probably not a good idea to bring this up Shogun. The backlash against Indians for their treaty rights is 20 years old and should be left alone. They get to do what they get to do and no amount of grumbling will change it. The #1 problem with walleye fisheries is white walleye fisherman, Red Lake aside. That was a one off.

[Philip Hart]

No matter who we are we need to take responsbility in our fishing rights. To tell you the truth I don't see alot of lakes being pressured from the natives anymore. I think the reason for rice lakes walleye numbers being down is because of the depth of lake. The drought we were in a few years ago probally didn't help. There is still walleyes in there I heard a guy caught a 5 pounder earlier this winter. Even though that was the only fish he called all day.

[Steve Foss]

Quite often, when a tribe ceded lands to the federal government via treaty, that treaty also guaranteed subsistence hunting and fishing rights to lands/waters outside reservation boundaries set by the treaty. So that's why you sometimes see Indian people fishing for fish on lakes outside the reservation when our season is closed or taking them by methods illegal for us.

This is not meant as an invitation to debate these issues in this thread, simply as an explanation.

So carry on Rice Lakers!

[Jim Panfish Uran]

Yet if you get caught fishing on "their water", they can take your boat, truck, fishing equipment, the whole shebang...and nothing the state can do for you.

Some might remember this incident on Upper Red Lake.

Red Lake is different, they refused to be a part of the general allotment act and therefore none of their land was squared off and appointed to individuals to eventually sell back the gov't or loggin companies and land hoarders.

Crooked gov't.

There is no commercial netting allowed in the ceded territory this thread was started about.

[Bowfin]

So getting back to Rice Lake. I think one reason the walleye are down is because the northern pike are up. Fishing this past summer we couldn't keep the northerns off our line. I am sure they eat their share of eyes.

By the way, does anyone winter spear northerns on Rice Lake or is the water too dark?