Condition of Wild Rice “Mixed” as Harvest Season Nears

photo courtesy of MN DNR

DETROIT LAKES (KDLM) – The Wild Rice harvest season opens up across the state of Minnesota on August 15.

The DNR is reminding harvesters that rice stands must also ripe before they may be legally harvested. Wild rice harvesters going out during the upcoming season will find variable conditions this year in many areas of Minnesota.

“While we’ve heard reports of good rice in some places this year, a cooler early spring meant many lakes had late ice-out and the wild rice growing season was pushed back up to two weeks,” said Ricky Lien, DNR wetland habitat team supervisor. “Consequently, wild rice may ripen later than normal. Ricers need to remember that it is illegal to harvest green rice.”

As people consider harvesting, they need to know the regulations that help protect wild rice stands for future years. Harvesters are allowed to take ripe wild rice each year during the wild rice season that runs 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.

Early reports from DNR and tribal biologists on the condition of this year’s wild rice have been mixed across central and northern Minnesota.

“People interested in harvesting wild rice should do some scouting to look for good stands of rice,” Lien said. “Although we’re hearing of some places with good wild rice this year, other areas were hit by multiple heavy storms that had negative impacts.”