mille lacs 2020 Mille Lacs Lake Fishing Reports

[ChompChomp_YANK]

We got on the lake @ 8:30 fri night. We had 2 wheel houses that we set up in the Graveyard area 21' and 25' on a sharp break with rock. We only got one 8" eye for the night and only seen 1 other swim by on the camera. Saturday morning another friend came up I told him to try Popes pt. they got into some nice perch in 16-17 fow we went over to join them and as soon as the sun burned the fog off they shut off. Saturday evening we set the three houses up on Banana bar in 29-32 fow with only three eye's by sunday morning 10", 15", 25.5". Sunday after breakfast we headed back over to Popes pt. We had 3 augers going and 6 guys hopping around trying to find fish that were there the day before. We punched over a 100 holes with only a handful of jumbo's to show for it. We pulled off the lake @ 1:30 with 20 perch 9"-12.5" and 1-15" eye for the weekend. We went on the lake out of Chapmans and used the Father Henipin State park access to go off. All the areas we fished had 18" or more of ice.

[RiverChuckNorris]

Went out of Hunters Saturday morning at 7:30. We moved to 6 different locations on the lake (which was entertaining in the fog) and didn't catch a fish until almost 4:00. We found nothing on the rocks or gravel or transitions. Only the mud had action for us. Caught 3 eyes (1 slot), the biggest was a very plump 25" and each of us lost a pig. Also caught several tulibee.

Heading back up next weekend for an overnight in the castle with the girls. 18"+ of ice everywhere we were.

[MG JG]

I second the notes about cracks. Drove on Saturday afternoon, left Sunday morning, and saw bigger cracks on the road than I remembered driving on. Without a stretch of cold weather there isn't much time left.

[Bluka]

Me and my bud went out on the nw side Saturday. Didnt want to go pass the CRACK. We drilled 60 holes from 23 to 17FOW. Caught 2 eaters at 8pm. No perch all day

[TRZ II]

Got a limit of perch this weekend on deep mud 35-38ft, few eater eyes and a few slot fish. Fish were in thick schools got 5 at once then nothing for an hour or 2. Seen a guy catch a 41 inch pike that was up with me. Great weather and a decent bite.

[The Grebe]

Three of us went out of Lybacks Monday morning. We went and fished in the area of the tullibee hole and let me tell you, it must have been a whole different time when they named it the tullibee hole...or the anything hole for that matter.

We fished from about 10:30 to about 5:00, we tried the deep stuff, the transition areas, up on the deep rocks, from probably around 40 feet up to 30 feet, with minimal success. Very little was showing up on the camera, a small perch here and there. Must have been the same for all the others that were out there also, because first you could see them moving around, then standing with their hands in their pockets, then they were gone.

One crew said they drilled close to 100 holes and didn't mark a fish. For a combined approximate 18 hours of fishing, we wound up with about 2 dozen dink perch, a huge, mongo smallmouth bass that just about filled up the 8" hole, and a kinda skinny looking 26 inch walleye....that was a hoot, watched him come in with the camera and right up to the rainbow minnow I was using on the dead stick.

It was a fantastic day for fishing with the weaather the way it was, not so much for catching, not for our crew anyways. I guess we should have been there the day before....thats how it usually shakes out?

[james_walleye]

My 7 year old and I headed up to my sleeper for the weekend out of the red door. I was pleasantly surprised with the walleye action considering the pressure. Friday night we had a 2am wakeup call from a 24". That was it for that night. Saturday found us icing a couple 10" perch and 3 tullys. Saturday night about 830 is when the fun started. 2 hours of almost nonstop runs. Every fish was 21-24". Unfortunately we had a problem with fish coming unbuttoned, including a giant. Orange glow was hot again. White glow had a little action as well. Shiners were hot but after running out of them, fatheads also got bit. My son played 2 24" just perfectly. Needless to say, his first weekend in the sleeper has him hooked.

[The Grebe]

Nice!

[pushbutton]

Very Nice!

[rbs]

James_walleye, your report is right on with how we did as well...even to the times of the bite!

[BartmanMN]

Nice report James. That sounds like fun to me.

[Mr_Iceman]

Well... So far I agree with most. Fish are in where people are not and orange is the color of choice. I did find pink/white to be fairly effective as well 3 weeks ago on my last ML fishing trip.

What I don't know is current West Side ice conditions. I'd like to take the truck across to the Mud Flats from Garrison or Terry's however I'm hearing crossing the 'shaddy' pressure ridge areas is 13" +/- in areas and recommended only quads or sleds. Anyone able to verify this? I'm heading up in a week for 3 days and need to stategize a little. I understand East side is fairly good ice but my crew is staying on the west side... so...

[RiverChuckNorris]

I've been told the same Mr_Iceman. These cold temps may change that though.

[northender]

Are the resort guys driving to the mudflats themselves? No. That should be enough to answer any questions about west side ice to the mudflats. Maybe next week they will be. No doubt, the guys checking ice where the open water was last, are finding around 11 to 13 inches for now. That's between shore and the mudflats on the north and west side. Then add the usual crack to that. Check with and believe the resort guys.

[Mr_Iceman]

Agreed Northender. My latest updates has shown that from Wakhkon on the South around the East up to Barnacles on the NE are somewhat safe for driving trucks but I guess we'll wait and see with access from the West until after this next artic wave rolls through and chills things up a bit. For now its Polaris only from the West I guess.

[Dan Brelje]

Fished the mud flats yesterday from 7:30am to 3pm. Caught two fish all day, one 11" and one 15". Fishing was very slow. Punched holes and moved frequently to try to find active fish. Tried 5 different flats and then tried Banana bar to end the day. The few fish that were marked were very slow moving.

Sometimes you have days like this, makes the good ones that much better!

[broman]

Fished the mud flats yesterday from 7:30am to 3pm. Caught two fish all day, one 11" and one 15". Fishing was very slow. Punched holes and moved frequently to try to find active fish. Tried 5 different flats and then tried Banana bar to end the day. The few fish that were marked were very slow moving.

Sometimes you have days like this, makes the good ones that much better!

Maybe you already know this, but if you fished from 7:30 until 3pm... you missed the bite. 7:30 isn't terrible. Leaving at 3pm was definitely leaving too early.

[Dan Brelje]

Would have loved to stay but had prior commitments! Will be back for more fishing on the pond. Travel was great out of hunters!

[griff321]

I went up last week Wednesday to give the pond a try. I got up a bit late like 3pm and I wanted to fish anyway, so on a buddies recommendation I went out to Barnacles(he fishes there and he said it was a lot closer than the places on the west end that I wanted to hit). I've only fished Mille lacs once in the summer and I don't own a GPS, so my buddy sent me to that sand flat because it was a piece of structure that he knew and he said, "they'll let you know where to go." I didn't fully believe that last part and I should have stuck to my gut. I get into Barnacles and give them my whole spiel about how this is my first time on the pond, ect, ect.."Where should I go?" She said, "I don't know." Mmmmk. So I asked for a map that had the ice road on it and they didn't have one. She said, "you can either go off to the left or right." Yikes. I went to the old reliable and found a few permies where I though the flat was and drilled a few holes to check the depths and for marks. The lake was insane dead and this renewed a bit of my initial hope and excitement. Plus I reasoned that I have all of the next two days to mess around with the west end and figure something out. I found a couple good marks so I set up. I ended up fishing for about five or six hours and didn't get a fish. A lot of that time was spent after dark so I didn't do a lot of moving around looking for fish like I should have. I then got hurried off the lake by a bad bout of nausea. It didn't end once I got off the lake and I spent the next two days pretty much confined to my hotel room being sicker than a dog. Outside of a couple of cool hallucinations it was about the worst time I've ever had on a fishing trip.

I don't know what it is about Mille Lacs, but I'm cursed on this lake. If anything can go wrong for me, it will. I'm still going to head back up this Wednesday morning as long as I continue to recover. I'll be staying at the casino, but this time I'm going hit the west end like I wanted to. If anyone has any tips on the eyes after dark or what I should be doing please send me a PM. Thanks!

[griff321]

I mean I want to try the east end like, Hunters or Sunset.. not the west end. Sorry, I'm still a bit looped out haha.

[mosquitoman]

out on the lake saturday with my father. we only saw two fish all day and i have a feeling it was actually just one 4" perch that came back a second time. we moved around a few times and nothing....... better luck next weekend i guess.

we tried 35-40, 25-30, and 15-20....... only saw the little perch in 28'

[Predator]

Went out from Lyback's yesterday afternoon and fished til almost 8pm. Not much happening at the spots we tried (off Tullibee Rd). My buddy got one smallie that must have went about 20" (and made us both go "Huh?") but that was it. Tough day on the pond but it goes that way sometimes...

Lybacks asked us to drive only 5mph on their roads as they were trying to keep them from getting beat up. If anyone is heading out from there soon maybe allow yourself a little more time to get out to your spot...

[mnwild]

I am looking for a little help. I am heading up there Saturday and not to familiar with the lake. I am wondering where I can get on the lake and get into some jumbo perch possibly? Somewhere around Cove or Wahlkon area. Also how much ice is out there and is safe to drive out with a small pu truck on the ice. Any info is appreciated.

[The Grebe]

Sounds pretty much like our outting last week? 3 of us fished all over the place around tullibee road and got one huge smallie and a good sized walleye that looked like he could have used a few more square meals. We got a bunch of dink perch and that was it. Nothing much on the camera anywhere....seen that walleye come in though and that was pretty cool.

[B-man715]

Fished Friday though Today out of Walleye Dundees.

Got up after dark on Friday with nothing biting. Saturday kept a few perch and released a lot of small walleyes (6-12"). Late Saturday night we caught 2 nice slot fish (24,26"). I'll wake up anytime for fish like that

Sunday morning the bigger perch picked up, could have kept about a dozen of them (9-10.5 ")

We were lazy and never moved. Sat in 21'.

[tfin]

Fished Saturday 8am to 630pm with pretty good action. I caught 3 keeper walley with 2 that were to small. Also kept 14 perch and 3 tullies. Action was errattic throughtout the day with a flurry of perch action at about 1230. Fish were coming in fast at 6:30 but had to leave without getting the 4th walleye. I was in 34 fow off of mud and was no where near anyone else. Have to find out how to post pics

[BradB]

I had the best weekend yet and caught a lot of walleyes--good keepers, and some nice big ones to keep it interesting. The bite was overnight and in the AM. Rattle wheels kept us up both nights going off. Pretty simple presentations: #6 hooks and a small rainbow, and jigging I just used a 1/16 oz green jig with a rainbow or crappie minnow lip hooked.

[gizmoguy]

Sure, rub it in Brad. The one weekend I have missed all winter. I bought a snow blower this year too. See you next weekend.

[limited out]

Fished out of Rocky Saturday through early am and managed 4 walleyes and 1 nice perch. Fishing was pretty tough. Fish came on Red lindy rattler and blood red hook on dead stick.

[lispeej]

Just got home from mille lacs. It was a slow day for us today. We started out at the gravels, then moved to the muds, and back to the gravels.

Caught a few keeper eyes, a couple of tullies and a couple of jumbo perches.

Also caught several slot eyes that went back....those were fun to catch, especially with ultra light rods!!!

Today, I caught my biggest perch so far to date. It measured about 13 1/2 inches.