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    About MilleLacs Lake

    The word Mille Lacs is French in origin (the “s” is pronounced in Minnesota) and Mille Lacs Lake is referred to by some locals as simply, Mille.  Mille Lacs Lake is located in central Minnesota within the counties of Mille Lacs, Aitkin and Crow Wing.  It is approximately 90 minutes north of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area.  Mille Lacs Lake is called Misizaaga’igan (“grand lake”) in the Ojibwe language.  Brad Hawthorne and Mille Lacs Lake Guide service is located on the southeast side of the lake in Isle, MN.

     

    Physical features

  • At 132,500 acres, Mille Lacs is Minnesota’s second-largest inland lake.  Its maximum depth is 42 feet, while much of the main lake falls into the 20-38 depth ranges.  The northern half contains most of the lakes mud flats and the southern half of the lake has mostly gravel and rock bars.  All sides of the lake offer some shallow reef-top fishing.  Deep-water angling takes place on the southern deep gravel and rocks as well as on the dozens of mud flats in the north.  Shoreline break fishing on varied bottom types occurs all around the lake.  The weed line is at 9 to 10 feet.

  • Mille Lacs Lake is known as the “Walleye Capital” because it produces a harvest of 200,000 to 400,000 walleyes each year.   In addition, the lake has many species including northern pike, muskie, jumbo perch, smallmouth bass and tullibee.  It is one of Minnesota’s most popular fishing lakes in the summer and is also for ice fishing in the winter when up to 4,000 temporary ice shacks are erected and sports fishers drive their vehicles out onto the ice.  It is a prime spawning grounds for walleye and billions of walleye eggs and fry are produced there every year.  In the absence of a thermocline, fish can travel the whole area of the lake.