---
type: lake
name: "Union Lake"
county: "Rice"
nearest_town: "Little Chicago"
lake_type: "lake"
acres: 397
max_depth_ft: 10
latitude: 44.45847
longitude: -93.31248
lake_score: 31
dnr_lake_id: "66003200"
url: https://www.minnelakes.org/lakes/rice-county/union-lake
---

# Union Lake

Lake in Rice County, Minnesota, near Little Chicago

- **Surface Area**: 397 acres
- **Max Depth**: 10 ft
- **Shoreline**: 5.2 miles
- **Water Clarity**: 1.9 ft
- **Lake Type**: lake
- **Public Access**: 1 public boat launch (gravel or earth)
- **Lake Score**: 31/100 (composite of public data, not a visitor rating)

## About

Union Lake is a 397-acre lake near Little Chicago in Rice County, Minnesota. It reaches 10 feet at its deepest point, and has roughly 5.2 miles of shoreline. DNR surveys put average water clarity at about 1.9 feet, so expect stained or algae-tinted water in summer.

The DNR has no fish survey on file for this lake, so treat any fishing as exploratory.

There is one public boat launch (gravel or earth surface) managed by the county. Ice typically goes out around March 23, based on 12 years of DNR ice-out records.

## Access

- **Public access**: 1 public boat launch (gravel or earth)
- **Managed by**: county
- **Launch fee**: Free at DNR public water accesses

## Activities

Boating, Paddling

## Amenities

Boat Ramp

## Fish Species

No DNR fish survey on file

## Ice-Out

- **Median ice-out**: March 23
- **Years of record**: 12
- **Earliest**: 2024-02-29
- **Latest**: 2018-04-29

## Nearby Lakes

- [Circle Lake](https://www.minnelakes.org/lakes/rice-county/circle-lake) - 3.5 miles, 838 acres
- [Fox Lake](https://www.minnelakes.org/lakes/rice-county/fox-lake) - 4.6 miles, 312 acres
- [Mazaska Lake](https://www.minnelakes.org/lakes/rice-county/mazaska-lake) - 7.2 miles, 688 acres
- [Dudley Lake](https://www.minnelakes.org/lakes/rice-county/dudley-lake) - 7.5 miles, 128 acres
- [Chub Lake](https://www.minnelakes.org/lakes/dakota-county/chub-lake) - 8.7 miles, 228 acres
- [Shields Lake](https://www.minnelakes.org/lakes/rice-county/shields-lake) - 8.8 miles, 940 acres

## Links

- [Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=44.45847,-93.31248)
- [Minnesota DNR LakeFinder](https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lakefind/lake.html?id=66003200)
- [All lakes in Rice County](https://www.minnelakes.org/lakes/rice-county)

---
*Source: [MinneLakes.org](https://www.minnelakes.org/lakes/rice-county/union-lake)*