Summary of Wisconsin's Off-Reservation Wild Rice Harvest Regulations
This is a summary of the off-reservation wild rice regulations. For a full copy of your tribe's ordinance, see your tribal office.
PERMITS: |
A tribal Off-Reservation Natural Resource Harvesting Permit is required for off-reservation ricing. This permit is available free of charge at your tribal conservation department. You must carry your permit with you when ricing off-reservation. |
RICING STICKS: |
You must use smooth, rounded, cedar rods or sticks no longer than 38 inches. (Note: "binding" the rice is not permitted.) |
BOATS: |
Boats can be no longer than 17 feet, or wider than 38 inches. The gunwales of the boat cannot be modified to capture rice outside of the boat. Boats can only be propelled with push poles or paddles. |
RICING HOURS: |
10:00 a.m. until sunset on all regulated and non-regulated public rice waters. |
REGULATED LAKES: |
No ricing is allowed on the off-reservation lakes listed except for the days they have been named open by the tribal ricing authority. The dates that a regulated lake is open for harvesting will be posted at access points to the lake. Rice waters not listed may be harvested whenever the rice is ripe. |
Schedule of Wisconsin's Off-Reservation Regulated Waters
Arial Photos & Surveys
2011 dates will be added as lakes open
Regulated Waters are marked with a *
lake names highlighted are linked to arial photos
Ashland County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
| Bear Lake | NO DATA | This water is not date-regulated |
Barron County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
| * Bear - Part of lake also in Washburn County | FAIR | August 30 for season |
| * Beaver Dam - Historic Lake | CLOSED | |
| * Red Cedar - Historic Lake | CLOSED |
Bayfield County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
| AVERAGE | This water is not date-regulated | |
| * Totogatic Lake | AVERAGE - GOOD | August 30, Closed 31-1, September 2 for season |
Burnett County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
Amsterdam Sloughs |
VERY POOR | This water is not date-regulated |
| * Bashaw | VERY POOR | CLOSED |
| * Big Clam | VERY POOR | CLOSED |
| * Big Sand - Historic Lake | CLOSED | |
Black Brook Flowage |
VERY POOR | This water is not date-regulated |
| * Briggs Lake | AVERAGE - GOOD | August 30 for season |
| AVERAGE | This water is not date-regulated | |
Clam River Flowage |
AVERAGE | This water is not date-regulated |
| * Gaslyn Lake | POOR | CLOSED |
| * Long Lake | AVERAGE | August 30 for season |
| * Mud Lake (Town of Swiss) | FAIR | August 30 for season |
| * Mud Lake (Town of Oakland) - Historic Lake | VERY POOR | CLOSED |
| * Mud Hen | POOR | CLOSED |
North Fork Flowage (Crex Meadows) |
VERY POOR | This water is not date-regulated |
North Lang Lake |
AVERAGE | This water is not date-regulated |
Phantom Flowage |
VERY POOR | This water is not date-regulated |
Rice Lake (near Hertel) |
GOOD | This water is not date-regulated |
| * Spencer | VERY POOR | CLOSED |
| * Trade | VERY POOR | CLOSED |
Webb Creek |
AVERAGE - GOOD | This water is not date-regulated |
Yellow Lake |
FAIR | This water is not date-regulated |
Douglas County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
| * Allouez Bay - Historic Lake | VERY POOR | CLOSED |
| Lower Ox Lake | VERY POOR | This water is not date-regulated |
| FAIR - AVERAGE | This water is not date-regulated | |
| * Mulligan | VERY POOR | CLOSED |
Radigan Flowage |
VERY POOR | This water is not date-regulated |
St. Croix River (at Cut Away Dam) |
FAIR - AVERAGE | This water is not date-regulated |
Upper Ox Lake |
FAIR | This water is not date-regulated |
Forest County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
| * Atkins - Historic Lake | VERY POOR | CLOSED |
Hiles Millpond |
GOOD | This water is not date-regulated |
| AVERAGE - GOOD | This water is not date-regulated | |
Rat River (north of HWY 8) |
FAIR | This water is not date-regulated |
| * Riley (Indian) | NO DATA | September 4 |
Scattered Rice Lake( Laona Millpond) |
VERY POOR | This water is not date-regulated |
Scott Lake |
VERY POOR | This water is not date-regulated |
| * Wabikon | FAIR - AVERAGE | September 4 |
Iron County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
Gile Flowage |
POOR - FAIR | This water is not date-regulated |
Little Turtle Flowage |
AVERAGE | This water is not date-regulated |
Mud Lake |
FAIR | This water is not date-regulated |
Turtle-Flambeau @ Murray's Landing |
FAIR | This water is not date-regulated |
Langlade County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
Daily Lake/Rice Bed Creek |
AVERAGE | This water is not date-regulated |
| GOOD | This water is not date-regulated | |
Miniwaukan Flowage |
FAIR | This water is not date-regulated |
Spider Creek Flowage |
FAIR | This water is not date-regulated |
Turtle Lake/Wolf River |
NO DATA | This water is not date-regulated |
| Wisconsin River | NO DATA | This water is not date-regulated |
Lincoln County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
| FAIR | This water is not date-regulated |
Oneida County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
| * Big Lake | FAIR | September 3 |
| * Big Lake Thoroughfare | AVERAGE | September 3 |
Cuenin Lake |
FAIR - AVERAGE | This water is not date-regulated |
Fish Lake |
VERY POOR | This water is not date-regulated |
Fourmile Lake |
AVERAGE - GOOD | This water is not date-regulated |
| * Gary - Limited public access, lake will not be posted @ the site | GOOD | September 3 |
| * Little Rice - Historic Lake | VERY POOR | CLOSED |
Rhinelander Flowage - beware private land areas |
AVERAGE - GOOD | This water is not date-regulated |
| * Rice Lake | VERY POOR | CLOSED |
Roe Lake |
FAIR | This water is not date-regulated |
Scott Creek Impoundment |
NO DATA | This water is not date-regulated |
| * Spur | VERY POOR | CLOSED |
Wolf River (west of Lennox) |
NO DATA | This water is not date-regulated |
Price County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
Blockhouse Lake |
VERY POOR | This water is not date-regulated |
East Fork (Flambeau River) |
FAIR | This water is not date-regulated |
Lower Steve Creek Flowage |
POOR | This water is not date-regulated |
Spring Creek Wildlife Area Flowages |
AVERAGE - GOOD | This water is not date-regulated |
Polk County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
| * Balsam Branch | GOOD | August 30 for season |
| * Big Round | FAIR | August 30 for season |
| * East or Lotus Lake | VERY POOR | CLOSED |
| * Glenton (Rice Lake near Milltown) - Historic Lake | VERY POOR | CLOSED |
| Joel Flowage | VERY POOR | This water is not date-regulated |
| * Loftus Lake | VERY POOR | CLOSED |
| * Nye Lake | CLOSED | |
| Somers Lake | FAIR | |
| * Little Butternut | VERY POOR | CLOSED |
| * Rice Lake (Alden Town) | FAIR - AVERAGE | August 30 for season |
| * White Ash | AVERAGE - GOOD | August 30 for season |
Rusk County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
Lea Flowage |
AVERAGE | This water is not date-regulated |
Sawyer County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
Barker Lake |
NO DATA | This water is not date-regulated |
Blaisdell Lake |
NO DATA | This water is not date-regulated |
| Chippewa River - West Branch | GOOD | This water is not date-regulated |
Hunter Lake |
NO DATA | This water is not date-regulated |
| Nelson Lake | POOR | This water is not date-regulated |
| VERY POOR | This water is not date-regulated | |
Partridge Crop Lake |
AVERAGE | This water is not date-regulated |
Phipps Flowage |
AVERAGE | This water is not date-regulated |
Taylor County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
Chequamegon Waters Flowage (South End) |
FAIR | This water is not date-regulated |
Mondeaux Flowage |
FAIR | This water is not date-regulated |
Vilas County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
| * Allequash | POOR | August 30 for season |
| * Aurora | POOR | September 4 |
| * Devine | POOR | CLOSED |
| * Frost - Limited public access, lake will not be posted at the site | AVERAGE - GOOD | September 3 |
| * Irving | August 30 for season | |
Island Lake/Rice Creek |
FAIR - AVERAGE | This water is not date-regulated |
| * Little Rice (Boulder Junction) | FAIR | September 3 |
Lower Ninemile Flowage |
FAIR | This water is not date-regulated |
Manitowish River |
AVERAGE - GOOD | This water is not date-regulated |
Mann Flowage |
POOR | This water is not date-regulated |
| * Mud (Mickey's Mud) | POOR | CLOSED |
Mud Creek |
AVERAGE - GOOD | This water is not date-regulated |
| * Nixon Lake & Creek | FAIR | September 4 |
Partridge Lake |
AVERAGE | This water is not date-regulated |
Rice Creek (near Big & Round Lakes) |
AVERAGE - GOOD | This water is not date-regulated |
| * Rice Lake (on G) | FAIR | September 3 |
| Round Lake | POOR | This water is not date-regulated |
| * Sand | VERY POOR | |
Upper Ninemile Flowage |
AVERAGE - GOOD | This water is not date-regulated |
Watersmeet Lake |
AVERAGE | This water is not date-regulated |
| * West Plum | AVERAGE | September 4 |
Washburn County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
| * Bear - Part of lake also in Barron County | FAIR | |
Chippanazia Flowage |
POOR | This water is not date-regulated |
Dilly Lake |
VERY POOR | This water is not date-regulated |
| * Gilmore | POOR | CLOSED |
| * Little Mud Lake | FAIR | CLOSED |
| * Long Lake | POOR | CLOSED |
| * Mud Lake | FAIR - AVERAGE | August 30 for season |
| * Nancy - Historic Lake | VERY POOR | CLOSED |
Potato Lake |
AVERAGE | This water is not date-regulated |
| * Rice - Limited public access, lake will not be posted at the site | FAIR | August 31 for season |
| * Spring Lake (Minong Township) | POOR | CLOSED |
| * Tranus | AVERAGE | August 31 for season |
Trego Flowage |
FAIR | This water is not date-regulated |
| Whalen Creek | NO DATA | This water is not date-regulated |
Rice waters not listed may be harvested whenever the rice is ripe.
Note: Listed are subjective observations regarding wild rice abundance on selected waters. Sites are rated on a rough scale ranging from poor to fair, average, good, and very good, in comparison to other recent years for that site. Understand that there a "poor" year at a large site may support more rice that a "good" year at a smaller site.
Please use this information as an initial guide; you are encouraged to make your own visits to the sites in which you are most interested. Also remember that an abundance of plants does not necessarily mean there will be an abundance of seed produced, as weather, disease and other factors can greatly influence seed production and harvest levels. HAPPY RICING!!!
