Water · Central Minnesota

Mille Lacs

The big round argument. A lake with more opinions per acre than most towns have people.

Boat kit

Usual tray for this water

Picks from the species that actually live here, already on the gear guides. Click a card if you want it in the boat. We still will not invent a bite.

Rapala Original Floater F03

Rapala

The wounded-minnow that started arguments in more Minnesota tackle boxes than we can count. Twitch it, drown it, or just believe in it.

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Johnson Standard Minnow Spoon, Gold, 2-3/4 inch, 3/4 oz

Johnson

The original weedless wonder still earns a seat in Minnesota pike boats. Cast it through pads and cabbage, keep a steady wobble, and tip it with a trailer if the fish want a little more meal. Gold 3/4 is the listing we can actually buy today.

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Storm WildEye Swim Shad 03, Fire Tiger

Storm

Pre-rigged soft shad with holographic flash and that WildEye stare that looks slightly judgmental. Cast it along weed edges and riprap when Minnesota bass want a baitfish without the drama of live bait.

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Mepps Musky Killer Inline Spinner Bucktail, Hot White

Mepps

The classic inline that muskie anglers argue about the way people argue about pizza toppings. Slow-roll early, burn it later — the blade starts spinning without needing a TED Talk.

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Rapala Shad Rap 07

Rapala

Balsa with a job. The Shad Rap is the crankbait people name the way they name a truck.

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Rapala Minnow Spoon RMS-10, Firetiger

Rapala

Minnow silhouette with spoon flash, built to slide through greenery without a speech. Firetiger is the loud outfit for stained summer water when pike are parked in the salad.

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Fish notes Walleye Northern pike Bass Muskie

Gear guides MN weekend rod & reel — wallet setups Minnesota walleye classics Spinners and cast days Walleye spinning & jigging setups

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Minnesota DNR

DNR Lake Intel

Official LakeFinder notes for this water — acres, depth, who shows up in the book, AIS, and special regs. Still not a bite chart.

Acres: 128,250 acres
Max depth: 42 ft
Nearest town: Garrison
County: Mille Lacs County

Fish species

Black bullhead
Black crappie
Bluegill
Bowfin (dogfish)
Brown bullhead
Burbot
Common carp
Green sunfish
Hybrid sunfish
Largemouth bass
Muskellunge
Northern pike
Pumpkinseed
Rock bass
Shorthead redhorse
Smallmouth bass
Tullibee (cisco)
Walleye
White sucker
Yellow bullhead
Yellow perch

Aquatic invasives

Eurasian watermilfoil
Spiny waterflea
Zebra mussel

Special fishing regs

Burbot (Eelpout)
All burbot must be immediately released.
including all tributaries from the mouth upstream to posted boundaries
Largemouth Bass
The catch-and-release season for largemouth bass is continuous on Mille Lacs Lake but there is a specific period where bass may be harvested. Beginning May 23, 2026 through Feb. 28, 2027, largemouth bass under 17 inches may be kept. Limit of three in combination with smallmouth bass. The remainder of the year all largemouth bass must be immediately released.
including all tributaries from the mouth upstream to posted boundaries
Northern Pike
Beginning May 9, 2026, through March 31, 2027, all northern pike greater than 30 inches must be immediately released. Limit of five. Same regulations for spearing, which concludes Sunday, Feb. 28, 2027.
including all tributaries from the mouth upstream to posted boundaries
Smallmouth Bass
The catch-and-release season for smallmouth bass is continuous on Mille Lacs Lake but there is a specific period where bass may be harvested. Beginning May 23, 2026 through Sep. 13, 2026, smallmouth bass under 17 inches may be kept. Limit of three in combination with largemouth bass. The remainder of the year all smallmouth bass must be immediately released.
including all tributaries from the mouth upstream to posted boundaries
Tullibee (Cisco)
Possession limit is five.
including all tributaries from the mouth upstream to posted boundaries
Walleye
Beginning May 9, 2026, and continuing through Feb. 28, 2027, the daily and possession limit for walleye is three fish, which must be greater than 17 inches in length and only one of which may be greater than 20 inches in length.
including all tributaries from the mouth upstream to posted boundaries
Yellow Perch
Daily and possession limit 5.
including all tributaries from the mouth upstream to posted boundaries
Special regulation
<b>No culling or live-well sorting:</b> Fish taken into possession are considered part of an angler's bag limit and cannot be exchanged with another fish. However, when the season for bass is open, smallmouth bass and largemouth bass may be culled following statewide culling rules.
including all tributaries from the mouth upstream to posted boundaries
Special regulation
<strong>Night Closure:</strong> <ul> <li>May 11 - Aug. 31, 2026: No fishing for any species from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. except for below exemptions</li> <li>Exceptions: <ul><li> Beginning June 6, 2026, muskellunge and northern pike may be targeted with artificial lures longer than 8 inches or sucker minnows longer than 8 inches. While fishing during the night closure, you may not possess or target any species other than muskellunge or northern pike.</li> <li>Beginning June 1, 2026, bowfishing is allowed but you may not possess angling equipment while bowfishing, and only non-game fish may be in possession.</li></ul> </li><li>Sept. 1: All night restrictions removed.</li> </ul>
including all tributaries from the mouth upstream to posted boundaries

Official LakeFinder

Lake page Survey Stocking Map Access Fish consumption

On mnFISHON

Reports What’s happening Gear Walleye Northern pike Bass Muskie

Data from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder .

Usual suspects: Walleye, Northern pike, Smallmouth bass, Muskie

Mille Lacs is the one people say like a password. Regulations move. Weather moves. The fish do not hold a press conference.

This is a short lake page — place, usual suspects, no invented bite. Live notes belong in Reports when something actually happened.

What’s happening

We are watching the calendar. Nothing on the books for this water that we can stand behind. When a real lake day shows up, it will land here — not a daydream with a date slapped on it. See all of Events.

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