Local News

Gather only ripe wild rice, DNR reminds ahead of season opener

KAXE

Published August 8, 2024 at 4:35 PM CDT

Two people sit in a canoe in a wild rice bed wearing life jackets and wide-brimmed hats — Two harvesters use carved cedar knockers to remove the ripened wild rice grains from the plant in 2021 in Floodwood, Minnesota.

Minnesota's wild rice harvesting season opens Aug. 15. The DNR says some stands are behind schedule in normal development this year, while others suffered because of storms and flooding.

As the Aug. 15 wild rice season opening date approaches, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reminded harvesters that rice stands must be ripe before they can be legally harvested.

Harvesters can take ripe wild rice each year during the harvesting season through Sept. 30, but Minnesota’s green rice law makes it illegal to harvest unripe rice, even during the season.

Ricers must make sure the grain is ripe and falls easily from the stalk before attempting to harvest it. According to the DNR's wild rice outlook for this year, some plants appear to be behind schedule compared to "normal" development. These observations were noted in the Aitkin area.

"On some waters plants are looking short, so bending seed heads into the canoe might be a problem," the DNR stated. "Scouting will be essential to find harvestable beds this year."

Harvesters going out during the upcoming season will find challenging conditions throughout much of Minnesota. In a news release, DNR wildlife lake specialist Ann Geisen said frequent and strong summer storms created high water levels and washed out many rice beds.

Spencer Cox and Elianne Farhat head out to harvest wild rice on Flowage Lake in McGregor during a public wild rice camp event on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023.

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Part of the cultural event was what organizers described as impromptu tours to nearby sites, including the Talon Metals mine site and the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline corridor, pointing out nearby lakes, rivers and wetlands.

Overall, rice stands this year range from poor to average, according to the DNR. Stands in much of north-central and northeastern Minnesota are reported to be spotty or gone entirely this year.

In the Cloquet area, no harvestable rice was observed on Leeman or Kettle lakes, two of the more notable ricing locations. Heavy summer flooding in the Arrowhead also negatively impacted rice stands in Tower and Two Harbors, though some lakes in Cook and Lake counties are looking better than expected, according to the DNR.

However, the conditions have also made the rice that is growing more accessible than in recent years, when low water levels prevented canoes from navigating some areas.

The outlook report is available each year on the Minnesota DNR’s wild rice management webpage, along with license, regulation and safety information. Anyone looking for more information on wild rice in their area can contact their local Minnesota DNR wildlife manager or Shallow Lakes Program specialist.