Summary of Off-Reservation Manoomin (Wild Rice) Harvest Regulations
For a full copy of your tribe's ordinance, see your tribal office.
NOTE: click state to view summary regs.
- Wisconsin
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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 date-regulated and non-regulated public rice waters. DATE-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 date-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. - Minnesota
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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 32 inches in length and which are held and operated by hand.. (Note: "binding" the rice is not permitted.) BOATS:
Boats can be no longer than 18 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:
9:00 a.m. until sunset on all public waters. OPEN SEASON:
No member shall harvest wild rice in any body of water except during the times(s) as such body of water is posted open by the Mille Lacs Wild Rice Authority. Posting will be done on the shores of and at places of access to the wild rice waters. - Michigan
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Unregulated
Map of Manoomin Waters
NOTE: click map icons for opening notes and aerial photos.
Open
Open dates vary
Closed
Not date-regulated, open when rice is ripe
Manoomin Waters
Rice Abundance Information for Manoomin Waters
Aerial Photos & Surveys
NOTE: click on a column heading to sort table.
*Please Note: The poor quality of the 2021 aerial photos is due to smoke from forest fires in the western US and CA.*
State | County | Waterbody | Survey Results | Opening Notes | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
WI | Ashland | Kakagon Sloughs (on reservation) | No Data | Opening date has not been determined | |
WI | Barron, Washburn | Bear Lake | No Data | Opening date has not been determined | |
WI | Bayfield | Chippewa Lake | No Data | Opening date has not been determined | |
WI | Bayfield | Totagatic Lake | No Data | Opening date has not been determined | |
WI | Burnett | Briggs Lake | No Data | Opening date has not been determined | |
WI | Burnett | Clam Lake (West side ripens before east side) | No Data | Opening date has not been determined | |
WI | Burnett | Gaslyn Lake | No Data | Opening date has not been determined | |
WI | Burnett | Long Lake | No Data | Opening date has not been determined | |
WI | Burnett | Mud Lake - Town of Oakland (Historic Lake) | No Data | Opening date has not been determined | |
WI | Douglas | Mulligan Lake | No Data | Opening date has not been determined | |
WI | Douglas, Washburn | Minong Flowage | No Data | Opening date has not been determined | |
WI | Forest | Wabikon Lake | No Data | Opening date has not been determined | |
WI | Oneida | Big Lake | No Data | Opening date has not been determined | |
WI | Oneida | Big Lake Thoroughfare | No Data | Opening date has not been determined | |
WI | Oneida | Spur Lake | No Data | Opening date has not been determined | |
WI | Sawyer | Pacwawong Lake | No Data | Opening date has not been determined | |
WI | Vilas | Allequash Lake | No Data | Opening date has not been determined | |
WI | Vilas | Aurora Lake | No Data | Opening date has not been determined | |
WI | Vilas | Irving Lake | No Data | Opening date has not been determined | |
WI | Vilas | Island Lake | No Data | Opening date has not been determined | |
WI | Vilas | Little Rice Lake | No Data | Opening date has not been determined | |
WI | Vilas | Nixon Lake | No Data | Opening date has not been determined | |
WI | Vilas | West Plum Lake | No Data | Opening date has not been determined | |
WI | Washburn | Spring Lake (Minong Township) | No Data | Opening date has not been determined | |
WI | Washburn | Tranus Lake | No Data | Opening date has not been determined |
General Notes: This summary report is provided as a service to harvesters. The estimates of rice abundance are compiled from air surveys in Minnesota, and both air and ground surveys in Wisconsin. Wisconsin waters are divided into date-regulated lakes and non-date regulated waters. If the water you are interested in is not on the list of date-regulated waters, you may harvest it whenever the rice is ripe. (All other ricing regulations still apply.)
For each water, the crop is listed as either Poor, Fair, Average, Good or Very Good; these relative terms compare the crop to other recent years for that individual water. A "Fair" crop on a lake that generally supports large beds may represent more rice than a "Good" crop on a smaller water. Air surveys are not yet completed; additional waters will be flown if conditions permit.
Remember, if the rice is not falling well, and still has empty hulls or milky seeds, PLEASE stop ricing and give the bed more time to mature.
It is important to note that even where rice plants appear to be relatively abundant, seed production can be poor due to disease or other factors. In addition, heavy rain events and other factors can change the status of the beds after surveys have been conducted. You are encouraged to use this information as an initial guide, and conduct your own scouting trips to the waters you are considering harvesting.
Best wishes for a great season!