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. |
What is Brown Spot Disease? |
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Brown spot is probably the most common fungal disease in wild rice. Brown spot produces lesions on the leafs. When severe, brown-spot disease can markedly reduce seed production in rice, resulting in a high incidence of empty hulls or "ghost rice". (Other diseases or pollination problems can cause this as well.) The only good news: brown spot does not have any negative impacts on the seed that is produced - it is perfectly fine to eat. |
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Schedule of Wisconsin's Off-Reservation Regulated Waters
within the Ceded Territories
Arial Photos & Surveys
2010 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 | This water is not date-regulated |
Barron County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
| * Bear Lake - Part of lake also in Washburn County | Fair | 8/24 |
| * Beaver Dam - Historic Lake | No rice present | Will not open |
| * Red Cedar - Historic Lake | No rice present | Will not open |
Bayfield County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
| Good | This water is not date-regulated | |
| * Totogatic Lake | Fair | 8/31 |
Burnett County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
Amsterdam Sloughs |
This water is not date-regulated | |
| * Bashaw | No information | Will not open |
| * Big Sand - Historic Lake | No information | Will not open |
Black Brook Flowage |
This water is not date-regulated | |
| * Briggs Lake | Poor to Fair | 8/26 |
Carter's Bridge/Loon Lake |
This water is not date-regulated | |
| * Clam | Poor | Will not open |
Clam River Flowage |
Fair | This water is not date-regulated |
| * Gaslyn Lake | Good | 9/2 |
| * Long Lake | Good | 9/2 |
| * Mud Lake (Town of Swiss) | Average | 8/26 |
| * Mud Lake (Town of Oakland) - Historic Lake | Good | 9/2 |
| * Mud Hen | No information | 9/3 |
North Fork Flowage (Crex Meadows) |
Poor | This water is not date-regulated |
North Lang Lake |
This water is not date-regulated | |
Phantom Flowage |
Fair | This water is not date-regulated |
Rice Lake (near Hertel) |
Poor | This water is not date-regulated |
| * Spencer | No information | To Be Determined |
| * Trade | No information | Will not open |
Webb Creek |
This water is not date-regulated | |
Yellow Lake |
This water is not date-regulated |
Douglas County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
| * Allouez Bay - Historic Lake | Poor | Will not open |
| Lower Ox Lake | Fair | This water is not date-regulated |
Minong Flowage |
Fair | This water is not date-regulated |
| * Mulligan | Poor | Will not open |
Radigan Flowage |
Poor | This water is not date-regulated |
St. Croix River (at Cut Away Dam) |
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 | Poor | Will not open |
Hiles Millpond |
Average, possible brown spot disease present | This water is not date-regulated |
Little Rice Lake |
Fair | This water is not date-regulated |
Rat River (north of HWY 8) |
This water is not date-regulated | |
| * Riley (Indian) | Poor | 9/2 |
Scattered Rice Lake( Laona Millpond) |
This water is not date-regulated | |
Scott Lake |
This water is not date-regulated | |
| * Wabikon | Average to Good | 9/2 |
Iron County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
Gile Flowage |
This water is not date-regulated | |
Little Turtle Flowage |
This water is not date-regulated | |
Mud Lake |
This water is not date-regulated | |
Turtle-Flambeau @ Murray's Landing |
This water is not date-regulated |
Langlade County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
Daly Lake/Rice Bed Creek |
This water is not date-regulated | |
Goose Island |
This water is not date-regulated | |
Miniwaukan Flowage |
This water is not date-regulated | |
Spider Creek Flowage |
This water is not date-regulated | |
Turtle Lake/Wolf River |
This water is not date-regulated | |
| Wisconsin River | This water is not date-regulated |
Lincoln County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
Lake Alice |
This water is not date-regulated |
Oneida County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
| * Big Lake | Fair | 8/28 |
| * Big Lake Thoroughfare | Fair - but appears diseased | 8/28 |
Cuenin Lake |
Fair, brown spot disease | This water is not date-regulated |
Fish Lake |
This water is not date-regulated | |
| Average, possible brown spot disease present | This water is not date-regulated | |
| * Gary - Limited public access, lake will not be posted a the site | No information | 8/29 |
| * Little Rice - Historic Lake | Poor | Will not open |
Rhinelander Flowage - beware private land areas |
This water is not date-regulated | |
| * Rice Lake | Poor | Will not open |
Roe Lake |
This water is not date-regulated | |
Scott Creek Impoundment |
This water is not date-regulated | |
| * Spur | Poor | Will not open |
Wolf River (west of Lennox) |
This water is not date-regulated |
Price County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
Blockhouse Lake |
This water is not date-regulated | |
East Fork |
This water is not date-regulated | |
Lower Steve Creek Flowage |
This water is not date-regulated | |
Spring Creek Wildlife Area Flowages |
This water is not date-regulated |
Polk County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
| * Balsam Branch | Poor | Not likely to open |
| * Big Round | Fair | 9/2 |
| * East or Lotus Lake | ||
| * Glenton (Rice Lake near Milltown) - Historic Lake | Poor | Will not open |
| Joel Flowage | Fair | This water is not date-regulated |
| * Loftus Lake | ||
| * Nye Lake | ||
| Somers Lake | Fair to Average | |
| * Little Butternut | No information | To Be Determined |
| * Rice Lake (Alden Town) | No information, limited public access | 9/3 |
| * White Ash | Average to Good | 9/2 |
Rusk County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
Lea Flowage |
This water is not date-regulated |
Sawyer County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
Barker Lake |
This water is not date-regulated | |
Blaisdell Lake |
This water is not date-regulated | |
| Chippewa River - West Branch | This water is not date-regulated | |
Hunter Lake |
This water is not date-regulated | |
| Nelson Lake | This water is not date-regulated | |
| Rice abundant, but heavy brown spot disease presence | This water is not date-regulated | |
Partridge Crop Lake |
This water is not date-regulated | |
Phipps Flowage |
Fair | This water is not date-regulated |
Taylor County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
Chequamegon Waters Flowage (South End) |
This water is not date-regulated | |
Mondeaux Flowage |
This water is not date-regulated |
Vilas County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
| * Allequash | Fair | 8/26 |
| * Aurora | Good, but brown spot disease present | 8/27 |
| * Devine | Poor to Fair | 8/27 |
| * Frost - Limited public access, lake will not be posted at the site | Fair | 8/29 |
| * Irving | Average to Good | 8/28 |
| Average to Good | This water is not date-regulated | |
| * Little Rice (Boulder Junction) | Poor to Fair | 8/26 |
Lower Ninemile Flowage |
Poor | This water is not date-regulated |
Manitowish River |
Average | This water is not date-regulated |
Mann Flowage |
This water is not date-regulated | |
| * Mud (Mickey's Mud) | Poor | Will not open |
Mud Creek |
This water is not date-regulated | |
| * Nixon Lake & Creek | Average to Good | 8/28 |
Partridge Lake |
Average | This water is not date-regulated |
| Rest Lake | Good | This water is not date-regulated |
Rice Creek (near Big & Round Lakes) |
This water is not date-regulated | |
| * Rice Lake (on G) | Good, but brown spot disease present | 8/27 |
| Round Lake | This water is not date-regulated | |
| * Sugar Bush | Poor | Not likely to open |
Upper Ninemile Flowage |
Fair to Average; brown spot disease present | This water is not date-regulated |
Watersmeet Lake |
This water is not date-regulated | |
| * West Ellerson | Poor, limited public access | Will not open |
| * West Plum | Good | 8/26 |
Washburn County
| Lake | Survey | Opening Date |
| * Bear - Part of lake also in Barron County | ||
Chippanazia Flowage |
This water is not date-regulated | |
Dilly Lake |
Poor | This water is not date-regulated |
| * Gilmore | No information | To Be Determined |
| * Little Mud Lake | Average | To Be Determined |
| * Long Lake | Fair | To Be Determined |
| * Mud Lake | No information | To Be Determined |
| * Nancy - Historic Lake | Poor | Will not open |
Potato Lake |
This water is not date-regulated | |
| * Rice - Limited public access, lake will not be posted at the site | Poor | Will not open |
| * Spring Lake (Minong Township) | Poor | Will not open |
| * Tranus | Average to Good | 8/27 |
| Average | This water is not date-regulated | |
| Whalen Creek | 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!!!
