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 as of 8-19-08

2008 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   NA

Barron County

Lake Survey Opening Date
* Bear - Part of lake also in Washburn County Fair to Poor  
* Beaver Dam - Historic Lake    
* Red Cedar - Historic Lake    

Bayfield County

Lake Survey Opening Date

Chippewa Lake

 Fair NA
* Totogatic Lake Fair to Poor  

Burnett County

Lake Survey Opening Date

Amsterdam Sloughs

   NA
* Bashaw    
* Big Clam - SE photo and SW photo Poor  
* Big Sand - Historic Lake    

Black Brook Flowage

 Average NA
* Briggs Lake Average August 30

Carter's Bridge/Loon Lake

 No Info NA

Clam River Flowage

 Fair NA
* Gaslyn Lake Fair to Poor  
* Long Lake Good to Average  
* Mud Lake (Town of Swiss) Fair to Poor August 28
* Mud Lake (Town of Oakland) - Historic Lake    
* Mud Hen    

North Fork Flowage (Crex Meadows)

 Average to Fair NA

North Lang Lake

 Average NA

Phantom Flowage

 Fair NA

Rice Lake (near Hertel)

   NA
* Spencer    
* Trade    

Webb Creek

 Good to Average NA

Yellow Lake

 Fair NA

Douglas County

Lake Survey Opening Date
* Allouez Bay - Historic Lake    
Lower Ox Lake   NA

Minong Flowage

 Fair NA
* Mulligan Poor  

Radigan Flowage

 Fair NA

St. Croix River (at Cut Away Dam)

 Average NA

Upper Ox Lake

   NA

Forest County

Lake Survey Opening Date
* Atkins - Historic Lake    

Hiles Millpond

   NA

Little Rice Lake

 Good to Average NA

Rat River (north of HWY 8)

 Poor NA
* Riley (Indian)    
* Rice    

Scattered Rice Lake( Laona Millpond)

 Poor NA

Scott Lake

   NA
* Wabikon Good to Average  

Iron County

Lake Survey Opening Date

Gile Flowage

   NA

Little Turtle Flowage

 Average to Fair NA

Mud Lake

   NA

Turtle-Flambeau @ Murray's Landing

   NA

Langlade County

Lake Survey Opening Date

Daly Lake/Rice Bed Creek

   NA

Goose Island

   NA

Miniwaukan Flowage

   NA

Spider Creek Flowage

 Fair NA

Turtle Lake/Wolf River

   NA
Wisconsin River Fair NA

Lincoln County

Lake Survey Opening Date

Lake Alice

 Fair NA

Oneida County

Lake Survey Opening Date
* Big Lake    
* Big Lake Thoroughfare Average to Poor  

Cuenin Lake

   NA

Fish Lake

   NA

Fourmile Lake

   NA
* Gary - Limited public access, lake will not be posted a the site    
* Little Rice - Historic Lake    

Rhinelander Flowage - beware private land areas

   NA
* Rice    

Roe Lake

    

Scott Creek Impoundment

   NA
* Spur Poor  

Wolf River (west of Lennox)

   NA

Price County

Lake Survey Opening Date

Blockhouse Lake

   NA

East Fork

   NA

Lower Steve Creek Flowage

   NA

Spring Creek Wildlife Area Flowages

 Good NA

Polk County

Lake Survey Opening Date
* Balsam Branch    
* Big Round    
* East or Lotus Lake    
* Glenton (Rice Lake near Milltown) - Historic Lake    
Joel Flowage Good NA
* Little Butternut    
* Nye (East or Lotus near town of Nye) - Historic Lake    
* Rice Lake (Alden Town)    
* White Ash    

Rusk County

Lake Survey Opening Date

Lea Flowage

 Poor NA

Sawyer County

Lake Survey Opening Date

Barker Lake

   NA

Blaisdell Lake

   NA

Chippewa River - East Branch

  NA
Chippewa River - West Branch Average to Fair NA

Hunter Lake

   NA
Nelson Lake Average NA

Pacwawong Flowage

 Fair NA

Partridge Crop Lake

   NA

Phipps Flowage

 Average NA

Taylor County

Lake Survey Opening Date

Chequamegon Waters Flowage (South End)

 Good to Fair NA

Mondeaux Flowage

 Good to Average NA

Vilas County

Lake Survey Opening Date
* Allequash Average  
* Aurora Fair  
* Devine    
* Frost - Limited public access, lake will not be posted at the site    
* Irving Poor  

Island Lake/Rice Creek

 Fair NA
* Little Rice (Boulder Junction) Poor August 29

Lower Ninemile Flowage

 Good to Average NA

Manitowish River

 Good to Average NA

Mann Flowage

   NA
* Mud (Mickey's Mud)    

Mud Creek

   NA
* Nixon Lake & Creek Good  

Partridge Lake

 Average to Poor NA

Rice Creek (near Big & Round Lakes)

 Average NA
* Rice Lake (on G) Average to Poor August 30
Round Lake Poor NA
* Sand    

Upper Ninemile Flowage

 Fair NA

Watersmeet Lake

   NA
* West Plum    

Washburn County

Lake Survey Opening Date
* Bear    

Chippanazia Flowage

   NA

Dilly Lake

 Poor NA
* Gilmore    
* Little Mud Lake Good to Average  
* Long Lake Fair  
* Mud Lake Average  
* Nancy - Historic Lake    

Potato Lake

   NA
* Rice - Limited public access, lake will not be posted at the site    
* Spring Lake (Minong Township) Poor  
* Tranus Fair  

Trego Flowage

 Average NA

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!!!

 

INTERESTED IN SELLING WILD RICE SEED?

GLIFWC will be purchasing freshly harvested wild rice seed for reseeding projects. We will pay $2.00 per pound for seed. If you are interested in selling seed, please contact our Wildlife Section at (715) 682-6619 before harvesting to make sure we are still buying, and for instructions on storing the seed and meeting with our buyer, etc. Your help is needed to expand the rice resource in the ceded territory!!