Wild Rice Condition Updates

The 1854 Treaty Authority provides wild rice condition updates on waters included in the wild rice monitoring program, and on other lakes and rivers as information becomes available. Updates are provided periodically throughout the growing season and as harvest time approaches. Some information shared from other partners including the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Additional condition and other information can be found on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources wild rice page. A heavy rain event in June (6/18/2024) resulted in high water and flooding across parts of the region, likely impacting wild rice production this season. Aerial photos were taken on 8/12/2024 in cooperation with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Fond du Lac Band, 1854 Treaty Authority, and U.S. Forest Service.

Water Body	Location	Date	Wild Rice Conditions	Photos
Big Rice Lake	FR #247, N of Virginia	8/20/24	sparse wild rice across center of lake, most plants standing 1-2 feet, seeds mostly empty, many stalks nipped or broken	8/20/24 8/20/24 8/20/24 8/20/24 8/12/24 8/12/24
Breda Lake	CR #44, N of Brimson (paddle down Petrel Creek)	8/23/24	moderate density wild rice on north end of lake, sparse wild rice and other thicker vegetation across most of lake, wild rice plants standing up to 12-18 inches, seeds mostly empty with some milky	8/23/24 8/23/24 8/23/24
Cabin Lake	FR #359, E of Isabella (rough access road)	8/28/24	sparse to moderate density wild rice across most of lake, most plants standing 1-2 feet, most seeds empty or milky	8/12/24 8/28/24 8/28/24 8/28/24
Campers Lake	CR #2 W of Isabella (paddle down Stony River)	8/27/24	sparse wild rice along shore, mostly open water in center, plants standing 1-1.5 feet, seeds empty	8/27/24 8/27/24
Cramer Lake	CR #7, NE of Finland	8/28/24	good density wild rice in northeast portion of lake, moderate or sparse elsewhere, most plants standing 1-2 feet, most seeds empty or milky, some filling out	8/12/24 8/28/24 8/28/24 8/28/24 8/28/24
Kettle Lake	Kettle Lk Rd (off Hwy 210), SE of Cromwell	8/21/24	sparse wild rice plants along shore, most plants short, open water across most of center of lake	8/21/24 8/21/24
Little Rice Lake	CR #304, N of Virginia	8/22/24	sparse wild rice plants, thick other vegetation (watershield)	8/12/24 8/22/24 8/22/24
Round Island Lake	FR #172, E of Isabella (rough access road)	8/27/24	thick other vegetation (watershield) across lake, no wild rice plants observed	8/12/24 8/27/24 8/27/24 8/27/24
Stone Lake	FR #120, E of Hoyt Lakes (longer carry-down)	8/26/24	sparse wild rice plants, thicker areas of other vegetation, high water	8/26/24 8/26/24 8/26/24
Vermilion River	FR #4538, W of Crane Lake	8/19/24	generally a thin strip of sparse wild rice along river channel near Goldmine Resort, some smaller areas of moderate to good density wild rice, most plants standing 1-2 feet, some taller, most seeds empty with a few becoming milky	8/19/24 8/19/24 8/19/24 8/19/24 8/12/24
Clark Lake	CR #2, N of Two Harbors	8/15/24	appears moderate density wild rice on west end (viewed from road)	8/15/24
Leeman Lake	Hwy #73 (Ricehaven Road), S of Floodwood	8/14/24	no wild rice visible from shore, thick other vegetation (mostly watershield)	8/14/24 8/14/24 8/14/24
Wolf Lake	CR #547, W of Brimson	8/5/24	sparse to moderately dense wild rice along shore, most plants standing 1 foot, some taller and flowering, many plants nipped off	8/5/24 8/5/24
Tommila Lake	FR #412, N of Brimson (longer carry-down)	8/5/24	moderate density wild rice on south end of lake, sparse elsewhere, plants standing 12-16 inches, access trail getting over-grown	8/5/24 8/5/24
St. Louis River	FR #795 (Skibo), E of Hoyt Lakes	8/15/24	moderate to good density wild rice along parts of riverbank, less wide and dense than many years, sparse areas also, plants standing 1-1.5 feet, plants flowering but seeds still empty	8/15/24 8/15/24 8/15/24
St. Louis River	FR #130 (Norway Point), S of Hoyt Lakes	8/15/24	sparse wild rice observed from shore, plants standing 1.5-2 feet, flowering but seeds still empty, thicker other vegetation (pickerelweed)	8/15/24 8/15/24
Turpela Lake	CR #100, S of Aurora	8/15/24	appears sparse wild rice across most of lake, plants standing 1-2 feet (viewed from road)	8/15/24 8/15/24
Moose Lake	CR #461, W of Britt (FR #11367 longer carry- down or ATV)	8/15/24	sparse wild rice along parts of shore, some plants flowering	8/15/24 8/15/24 8/15/24 8/12/24
Island River	FR #377/379, N of Isabella	8/15/24	sparse to moderate density wild rice along river channel (FR #377) and across river stretch (FR #379)	8/15/24 8/15/24 8/12/24
McDougal lakes	FR #106, W of Isabella
Fourmile Lake	FR #170, N of Tofte	8/12/24	appears sparse wild rice in western bay (viewed from air)	8/12/24
Greenwood Lake	CR #2, N of Two Harbors	8/15/24	sparse wild rice along shore viewed from public access, no report from north end	8/15/24
Tamarack River / Tamarack Lake	Hwy #210, near Wright	7/7/24	moderate density wild rice in river near highway, floating-leaf to starting to stand
Tamarack River / Long Lake	Hwy #210, near Wright
Mark Lake	FR #161, W of Grand Marais	8/15/24	sparse wild rice along shore on east end, plants standing 1-2 feet, many flowering	8/15/24 8/12/24 8/12/24
Elbow Lake	CR #12 (Gunflint Trail), N of Grand Marais	8/12/24	appears sparse wild rice in south bay, other thicker vegetation, (viewed from air)	8/12/24
Northern Light Lake	CR #12 (Gunflint Trail), N of Grand Marais	8/12/24	appears sparse wild rice on east end (viewed from air)	8/12/24 8/12/24
Moosehorn River	CR #61, S of Moose Lake	8/14/24	fair to good density wild rice along riverbanks, rice standing 3-4 feet and flowering, thinner strip and areas of other vegetation (pickerelweed) moving downstream	8/14/24 8/14/24 8/14/24 8/14/24
Birch Lake	CR #407, N of Babbitt	8/15/24	moderate to good density in small bays near access on west end, plants flowering and standing 1.5-2.5 feet, seeds still empty, generally sparse wild rice along channel on west end	8/15/24 8/15/24 8/12/24 8/12/24
Swamp River	CR #16 (Arrowhead Trail), or Otter Lake Road, N of Hovland
Cloquet Lake	FR #102, W of Finland
Sand River	Hwy #169, N of Virginia	8/12/24	appears areas of moderate to good density wild rice along river channel (viewed from air)	8/12/24
Pike River	CR #26, S of Tower
Little Indian Sioux River	CR #116 (Echo Trail), E of Buyck	8/12/24	appears sparse wild rice along river channel (viewed from air)	8/12/24
Butterball Lake	FR #795, E of Hoyt Lakes
Little Butterball Lake	FR #795, E of Hoyt Lakes
Seven Beaver Lake	FR #418, E of Hoyt Lakes (difficult access)
Round Lake	FR #418, E of Hoyt Lakes (difficult access)
Legler Lake	CR#2, N of Two Harbors (Kane Lake Rd, FR #839, ATV trail)
Sand Lake	CR #2, N of Two Harbors
Stony Lake	CR #2, N of Two Harbors
Papoose Lake	CR #44, N of Duluth (canoe river from Indian Lake)
Stone/East Stone/West Stone Lakes	CR #319, S of Zim
Wabuse/Washusk #1/Washusk #2 Lakes	CR#351, E of Cotton (difficult accesss)

(CR - county road, FR - forest road, HWY - highway)

Friendly reminders:

Access to some lakes may be difficult. Please plan ahead and check into access before heading out.
These updates are not a complete list of conditions in the 1854 Ceded Territory this year. Only lakes and rivers that we have reports on are listed. Scouting other potential rice waters may lead to success.
It is illegal to harvest unripe wild rice. Please be sure that the rice is ripe and ready for harvest.

Posting opening dates:

In the 1854 Ceded Territory, no lakes/rivers are planned to be posted with opening dates for wild rice harvest in 2024. Information will be provided here if that changes. Unless specifically posted, waters are open by the "green rice law", meaning that they are open for harvest when stands are ripe (and within the season beginning August 15th). It is the responsibility of ricers to properly make this determination.