rice lake

[jhtry389]

Ive been fishing rice lake alot this summer with very poor luck lately, but i've seen a lot of boats flying up into the river in the past few weeks, does anyone know what they may be doing, are they traveling all the way to lake kronis or am i missing the boat on some river fishing

[ducksnbucks]

Not sure about up the river, but I was out there about a week ago fishing for an evening. Found crappies in about 3-6 feet, sunfish about 2-4 feet, and bass in 2-4 feet (big smallies and nice largmouths). Had to keep moving and then we would find a pod of fish and then move along some more and find another pod. Good luck.

[jhtry389]

thanks for the reasuring report, I havn't been looking that shallow for fish. I would be happy to get some entertainment chatching some sunnys. would you recremend the larger portions of the lake or back in some of the more narrow bays?

[ducksnbucks]

We did not fish on the larger part of the lake. Things may certainly change now that we are getting into September. But we just set a little jig with a waxi or leech about 2' down. No big sunfish, just enough to keep the kids entertained.

[Boxcar Wllie]

What are the water temps right now?

[jhtry389]

lake temp really droped to 68-69 degrees depending were you are on the lake, the water level is really up alot compaired to a month ago, and the weed lines have thined out quite a bit compaired to beginging of the summer months

[MinnetonkaMan]

Are any eyes going yet. The last time we were up there was middle of June and we caught some pulling three ways around the weedlines. Dont want to make the haul this weekend if no one has caught any. Im sure their hasnt been many people fishing out their but want to get out there before duck opener. But I'm really looking forward to ice fishing hoping to get the house out there a lot earlier to try my luck on some hardwater eyes. Last year caught 15-20 all winter all different depths and all different sizes from 12 in to 26 inch. Good luck and hope to hear back from someone. Borch, Have u been out on rice lately or just on Koronis.

[Borch]

I haven't been on Rice for 3 weeks now. Too many commitments during the weekends. Typically the bite is pretty good in September. Don't be afraid to work the shallows fishing aggressively. Wish I could give you more current info.

[jhtry389]

I caught 2 last weekend pulling cranks around, heard of a couple others coming up with alot of effort, but is a real good sign after a very tough august I was starting to thing that they had disapeared from the lake

[The Chemist]

Was out this weekend. Pulled in my first 'eye using cranks. Friday: 21.5" then a 26.5" and a 10" crappie. Saturday a 18" eye amd 11" crappie using floating Lindy's and a 23" eye on a crank and then broke the lip off of it. Didn't have any that ran the same depth. Water temp was 60 degs. Had a lot of hits that I missed. One thing I have noticed at night is there are "minnows" that are ~ 2-3 in long slender that have see-through bodies. Anyone know what they might be? In areas once it started getting dark the crappies were pounding them on the top of the water.

[jhtry389]

2 northerns for me on sunday morning with a couple of missed hits pulling cranks up against the weed lines. what depth were you targeting before your crank broke

[The Chemist]

I was running what was either a ssr 7 or 8 walleye. Not sure as I thought it was larger than the 7's I picked up yesterday. As for depth initially I was running right on the outsides of the weeds in 8-10 ft. When I got the first 21.5 turned around and got a crappie with a lot ofhits. I moved tot a different area and as best that I could tell I was in 5-7 ft near a point. Saturday I ran floating lindy w/ fatheads. Got a 16 and a crappie. Then at dark I started trolling where I was on Friday, with only hits started going towards a shorline but another boat was pushing me shallower than I had wanted. I was running btwn 5-6 ft and got another nice one. Soon after it broke and couldn't find anything that would run without snaggging weeds . Hoping to get back up in 2 weeks as parents 50th is this Saturday.

[jhtry389]

I'm excited they got to start biting soon, going back out this weekend

[hert2005]

I've had a cabin on Rice for 2 years now and am still learning the lake. (thanks Borch) A question for people who know the fishing history of the lake a little. Are the small perch I'm catching a normal thing or has there always been a large population of 6 inch perch in the lake? I'm sure the big pike love them!!!!!!!

On the positive side I have boated a couple of eyes the past couple weekends.

[pushbutton]

rice has always had a decent amount of perch, one of the reasons contributing to it being a good fishery, but this year there has been large perch hatches throughout central minnesota. not a perchologist but whatever factors contributed to this were prevalent in most of the lakes i fished this summer.

[The Chemist]

Had another great weekend on the lake. Caught 25", 26" and a 27.5" eyes. All three I released after getting pics of them. There is alot changing about the lake... I used to have areas marked for certain depths and there was a drop off out from our place and it's no longer there. The other thing is the lake level this year. I don't recall it ever being this high. Is there a man made control that is keeping the water level higher?

[pushbutton]

rice is almost a slackwater area, albiet a rather deep one. the crow river goes in and out pretty much in the same spot. while some of the dams further down stream might have an effect on the water levels, can not imagine it would have any type of noticeable one. i think the higher water level can be chalked up to a lot of rain, saturated ground, and surrounding underground aquifers being full as well.

[jhtry389]

chemist were you pulling cranks when you caught those nice eyes? I had been able to go out just after dark and catch a couple pulling cranks over the weed lines last week. Would like to fish it more into fall but don't think that my scedual is going to allow it any more this year.

[The Chemist]

Yeah I was running a SSR-7. Depending on where I was and the time I was running between 5-8ft. Didn't get eyes before the sun went down. Basically bass and northerns. I had alot of missed fish. Odd thing was the larger fish would hit the rap a couple times before taking it. And then when they took it they were running.

[hert2005]

Chemist: I think I talked to you over by the river before sundown. Did you get more that night???

[The Chemist]

Yes that was me. Have the FM stickers on the back of the boat. I missed 5, caught the 25" around 11 tried alot of different things got a nice bass casting across a point. I think the calmness of the lake didn't help as Friday night there was a decent chop. It tok me a while to figure out the shoreline I was fishing Friday night as a couple of docks that I was using as guides had been taken out during the day. I went in around 11:30. I have 2 more weekends to fish and then the boat and dock are coming out. Not this weekend but the following 2.

[Jack Peterson]

Will Rice Lake be like it was 10-15 years ago this year? Plan on going out for Walleyes in November after turn over. Vertical jigging used to pay off enormously, and getting limits never used to be hard. Just wondering if the walleyes in the lake will still be aggressive all the way until first ice like they used to be.

[walleyes4me]

The walleyes are there ...................... and biting. You just have to find them ................................ I found them.

[jhtry389]

Walleyes 4 me love your post, I won't ask you were you found them at but how about letting us in on what methods were working for you, I personally won't even make it back onto the lake until next may but am curious on whats going on out there?