Rice Lake
Dane County, Wisconsin · WBIC 779500
Size
170 acres
Max depth
8 ft
DNR lake type
Simple, Harsh
Water clarity
1.2 ft
Low, measured Oct 2025
A lake type the DNR marks as having harsh conditions for fish. This describes the lake type in general, not this lake in particular.
Outline
Drawn from the DNR's 24K hydrography (surveyed 1971), so the shape is approximate and a landing can sit a little off the shore. Open the DNR lake map.
Water clarity
1.2 ft Secchi depthLow
Last measured Oct 9, 2025. 64 readings on record, 2016 to 2025.
Typical summer clarity (June to September): 1.8 ft, low, from 52 readings (2016 to 2025).
Secchi depth is how far down a white disk stays visible. A bigger number means clearer water. Clear means a Secchi depth of 10 feet or more, moderate 5 to 10 feet, low under 5 feet.
Wisconsin DNR water monitoring (volunteer and staff), via the Water Quality Portal; station Rice Lake - Deep Hole. Checked Oct 23, 2026.
Water temperature
Last measured Oct 9, 2025, too long ago to show as the current temperature.
A typical year Modeled estimate
- Ice goes outabout Apr 1 (Mar 24 to Apr 10)
- Surface reaches 48°Fabout Apr 10 (Apr 1 to Apr 18)
- Surface reaches 64°Fabout May 9 (May 2 to May 12)
- June surface76°F, usually 75 to 78°F
- July surface83°F, usually 80 to 83°F
- August surface78°F, usually 75 to 80°F
Mixes regularly through the summer instead of forming a warm top layer.
A computer model of this lake's typical weather and water, built from 15 years, 2005 to 2019. Ranges show the middle half of years. The model was not calibrated against measured temperatures for this lake. It is an estimate, not a measurement.
Measured: Wisconsin DNR via the Water Quality Portal (checked Oct 23, 2026). Modeled: U.S. Geological Survey lake temperature data release (doi:10.5066/P9CA6XP8).
Today at the lake
Forecast: National Weather Service (no endorsement implied). Sunrise, sunset and moon phase are calculated. The moon phase can be a day off.
More lakes in Dane County
- Bass Lake11 miles away
- Lake Kegonsa12 miles away
- Goose Lake14 miles away
- Hook Lake15 miles away
- Lake Waubesa17 miles away
- Upper Mud Lake17 miles away
Where this comes from
- Size, depth and lake typeWisconsin DNR lake classifications, checked Oct 23, 2026
- OutlineWisconsin DNR 24K hydrography, checked Oct 23, 2026
- Regulations linkWisconsin DNR fishing regulations (linked, not restated), checked Oct 23, 2026
- Water clarityWisconsin DNR water monitoring, via the Water Quality Portal, checked Oct 23, 2026
- Typical-year temperatureU.S. Geological Survey lake temperature model (modeled estimate), checked Oct 23, 2026
- VHS statusWisconsin DNR VHS status by watershed, checked Oct 24, 2026
See data sources for what each source covers, and about for how the numbers are matched to lakes.