Manoomin Harvest Regulations

Tribal wild rice harvest permits are required for off-reservation wild rice harvest in Wisconsin. The dates that a regulated lake is open for harvesting will be posted at the access points to the lake. 

Permits: You must carry your permit and your tribal ID with you when ricing off-reservation. Contact your tribal conservation department or GLIFWC to obtain an off-reservation ricing permit.

Ricing Sticks: You must use smooth, rounded, cedar rods or sticks, no longer than 38 inches in length to harvest wild rice (note: "binding" the rice stalks is not permitted).

Boats: Boats can be no longer than 17 feet; and no 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 a push pole or canoe paddle.

Hours: Wild rice can only be harvested between the hours of 10:00 am and sunset on all public rice waters.

Date-Regulated Lakes: No ricing is allowed on off-reservation date-regulated lakes, except for the days they have been named open by the tribal ricing authority (listed on the GLIFWC website). 

Tribal wild rice harvest permits are required for off-reservation wild rice harvest in Minnesota. 

Permits: You must carry your permit and your tribal ID with you when ricing off-reservation. Contact your tribal conservation department or GLIFWC to obtain an off-reservation ricing permit.

Ricing Sticks: You must use smooth, rounded, cedar rods or sticks, no longer than 32 inches in length to harvest wild rice.

Boats: Boats can be no longer than 18 feet; and no 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 a push pole or canoe paddle.

Hours: Wild rice can only be harvested between the hours of 9:00 am and sunset on all public waters.

Open Season: No member shall harvest wild rice in any body of water, except during the time(s) that such body of water is posted as open by the Mille Lacs Band Wild Rice Authority. Posting a body of water as open will be done on the shores of, and at places of access to, the wild rice waters.

Rice Abundance Information for Manoomin Waters Aerial Photos & Surveys

NOTE: click on a column heading to sort table.

General Notes: This summary report is provided as a courtesy to harvesters. The estimates of rice abundance are compiled from air surveys in Minnesota, and both air and ground surveys in Wisconsin. Persistent cloud cover and smoke from wildfires have hampered aerial surveys this year. Preliminary maps and survey information derived from satellite data are provided. 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!