Wild rice harvest outlook posted

Each year we round up wild rice condition reports from DNR area wildlife staff and shallow lakes specialists across the state. The reports are available here in a PDF file and on the DNR wild rice page.

Wild rice harvesters going out during the 2025 season will find mixed conditions. Early reports from Minnesota DNR and Tribal biologists indicate highly variable conditions across central and northern Minnesota, with individual waters ranging from poor to great. Numerous rainstorms this season raised lake and river levels and washed out many rice stands. But there are also many rice beds that survived the storms.

Every year, DNR wildlife staff remind harvesters of the importance of scouting waters before the season begins. This year scouting will be especially important to find sites with harvestable beds. Higher water levels on lakes and rivers means most rice stands should be accessible by canoe.

When is wild rice season?

Wild rice harvesters are allowed to take ripe wild rice each year between Aug. 15 and Sept. 30, but Minnesota’s green rice law makes it illegal to harvest unripe or “green” rice, even within the dates of the harvest season. So although rice beds may look like they are ready, ricers must make sure the grain is ripe and falling easily from the stalk before attempting to harvest it. Check the DNR website for wild rice harvesting regulations.

Harvesters are required to be licensed unless they are residents under 18 years of age and accompanied by a licensed harvester. Tribal band members who possess a valid Tribal identification card from a federally recognized Tribe located in Minnesota are deemed to have a license to harvest wild rice, and do not need the additional state wild rice harvesting license.

Know the boundaries of Tribal lands before harvesting

Wild rice (manoomin/psiŋ) is spiritually, culturally, nutritionally and economically significant to Tribal communities. Wild rice plays a key spiritual and cultural role in Ojibwe, Dakota and other Tribal traditions. Additionally, a significant portion of the wild rice in Minnesota is located within Ojibwe reservations or treaty ceded territory.

It is unlawful for any person to take wild rice grain from any of the waters within the original boundaries at the White Earth, Leech Lake, Nett Lake, Vermilion Lake, Grand Portage, Fond du Lac and Mille Lacs reservations except for Native Americans or residents of the reservation upon which said wild rice grain is taken.

In addition, all nontribal members wishing to harvest or buy wild rice within the boundaries of the Leech Lake Reservation must have a Leech Lake Reservation permit. Find these and other wild rice harvesting regulations on the DNR website.

Teal hunting season awareness

Since wild rice is ripening at the same time as Minnesota’s early waterfowl hunting seasons, over-water waterfowl hunters are urged to be aware of and cautious about wild ricers no matter where they hunt. Those who plan to hunt the early teal season on the Leech Lake, White Earth, or Mille Lacs reservations should be aware of hunting restrictions on or near wild rice waters.

Early-season teal hunters may not hunt teal within one-half mile of wild rice beds posted as open to harvest by Tribal authorities within the boundaries of the Leech Lake Reservation during the early-teal season. On the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation, early-season teal hunters may not hunt teal on wild rice beds posted by Tribal authorities as open to rice harvest. On the White Earth Reservation, the taking of teal during the early-teal season is prohibited on wild rice waters identified by Tribal authorities. All waterfowl hunters who plan to hunt within the boundaries of the Leech Lake, Mille Lacs, or White Earth reservations are advised to contact the appropriate reservation for more information: Leech Lake Division of Resource Management at 218-368-4767; White Earth Division of Natural Resources wild rice office at 218-935-3933; Mille Lacs Department of Natural Resources at 320-532-7896. Minnesota’s early teal season is Sept. 6-10, and early goose season is Sept. 6-21. These restrictions are also available on page 9 of the Waterfowl Hunting Regulations available on the DNR website.

Photo courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Learn to harvest wild rice

Do you want to learn how to harvest wild rice and get lots of other important information about wild rice harvesting? We have a couple webinars for you! You can watch the webinars online. To find them, click on the “past webinars” tab and search “wild rice.”

The webinars were part of the DNR’s Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship Series, which aims to give participants quick, relevant information on upcoming seasons and events, as well as skills to enjoy these opportunities.