Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Access to the refuge, including parking lots, is open from a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset, unless otherwise posted or stated in hunting regulations. The refuge is not open to the public for nighttime access, including stargazing and northern lights viewing.

Prohibited Activities:

• Target Shooting or any non-hunting discharge of firearms
• Unauthorized use of firearms, fireworks, air guns, and all other weapons 
• Training pets and allowing pets off leash
• All types of motorized vehicles on all refuge land - including on frozen bodies of water, except on designated parking areas, access roads and public roads
• Watercraft use, except in designated areas - please see fishing regulations for more information.
• Fires (including cooking fires) 
• Camping and overnight parking
• Abandoning, discarding or otherwise leaving any personal property
• All property brought onto a refuge must be removed at the end of each day. This includes all common items like vehicles, boats, decoys, trail cameras, blinds, geo-caching items, photography equipment, portable stands, climbing sticks, ice fishing shelters and trash.
• Destructing, defacing, disturbing or unauthorized removal of any natural object, artifact, cultural resource or government property
• Flagging or marking devices
• Introducing, liberating or placing plants or animals or their parts taken elsewhere on refuge lands or waters
• Disposing of animal carcasses, trash, refuse, rocks, wood or other debris including shotgun shell casings.
• Cutting, mowing, sawing, digging, collecting, injuring or removing vegetation
• Launching, landing or disturbing of wildlife by aircraft, including drones, on the refuge for recreational or commercial purposes
• Commercial enterprise without a special use permit
• Commercial still photography does not require a special use permit, provided it lacks sets, props and models and images are not used for promotional purposes. Refuge regulations must be followed while conducting commercial still photography and public spaces cannot be blocked. See the Refuge Specific Regulations section below for details.
• Use or possession of any illegal drug or drug paraphernalia is prohibited
• Use or Possession of alcohol by minors
• Disturbing or interfering with any employee of the United States or of any local or State government engaged in official business, or with any private person engaged in the pursuit of an authorized activity on any national wildlife refuge national wildlife refuge
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• Any act of indecency or disorderly conduct
• The destruction, injury, defacement, disturbance, or the unauthorized removal of any public property including natural objects or private property 

• Hunting is an approved use on the refuge. See the hunting brochure for the species, method of take and additional requirements.
• Small game hunting is an approved use on the refuge
• Hunters using shotguns are required to use and possess only non-toxic shot
• During the small game and migratory bird seasons, hunting dogs must be under the immediate control of the hunter
• Refuge is open to woodcock and snipe only for migratory bird hunting.
• No waterfowl hunting.
• Hunters must wear an article of blaze orange or pink consistent with state regulations
• We prohibit constructing or occupying permanent stands or blinds
• We also prohibit the use of nails, wire, screws or bolts to attach a stand to a tree or hunting from a tree, into which a metal object has been driven to support a hunter
• Portable hunting stands must be set up and removed each day
• We prohibit the use or possession of alcoholic beverages while hunting
• We prohibit distribution of feed or bait, or hunting over bait - this includes salts and minerals

Trapping is an approved use on the refuge by special use permit only. Limited trapping opportunities may exist for management purposes. Contact the refuge office at 218-768-2402 for application information.

• Fishing is an approved use on the refuge. See the fishing brochure for additional regulations and designated areas open to fishing.
• We prohibit watercraft use except in designated areas. See the fishing brochure for more information.
• We prohibit all types of motorized vehicles on frozen water bodies
• We prohibit the taking of any turtle, frog, leech, minnow, crayfish, and mussel (clam) species by any method on the refuge 

You may not use a spotlight, headlight or other artificial light to spot, locate or take any wild animal in a refuge.

• Horses, dog sleds, skijoring, snowmobiles and all other off-highway vehicles are prohibited, including on the wildlife drive
• Hunting firearms and bows are not permitted in closed areas and no hunting zones
• Refuge is open to woodcock and snipe only for migratory bird hunting.
• No waterfowl hunting.
• Boats without motors or boats with electric motors are permitted on all fishing areas
• Commercial still photography is allowed and does not require a special use permit. Refuge regulations must be followed and sets and props, promotion and blocking public spaces are not permitted.
• Sets and props include, but are not limited to: backdrops, lighting banks, horses, camping equipment, campfires, couches, and so forth, when used to stage a specific scene
• The use of a camera on a tripod, without the use of any other equipment, is not considered a prop
• Images captured at the refuge, including wedding and senior photos, cannot be used on business cards, brochures, websites, social media or displays

• The information above is a partial list of rules and regulations. Consult the Rice Lake hiking, fishing and hunting brochures for details.
• Special use permits may be issued for compatible secondary uses upon approval of the refuge manager. Contact the refuge office for application information at 218-768-2402.