mille lacs 2020 Mille Lacs Lake Fishing Reports

[Stick in Mud]

Yes this time of year you can get plenty of dinks in the shallows towards dusk. Still not much in the 14-17" range if you ask me...

side note: with no min slot I've watched people keep those 11-12 inchers.

Yup, they get kept. I can't blame a guy, I guess....drives up, spends money on gas and bait, drives three miles to the flats, etc etc etc. Pushbutton and I let go of six or seven of them on Wednesday night. If we had kept them all, we MIGHT have had one meal. For me.

[Stick in Mud]

Decent day out on the mud today...fished for an hour before I had to zip back in to pick up my dad, and I had three (with one keeper) in that time. Went back out for another hour and a half and picked up five. Spinners were a no-go today...all fish on Lindy rigs and big leeches. If I coulda caught 1 of 15 fish I had marked today, I'd've been getting my own TV show. As it was, I caught about 1 of every 30. Tried rainbows, crawlers, and leeches on Lindy's, slow death rigs, and spinners with gold, silver, white, copper, etc etc. Even pulled some plugs on three-ways.

I spent the night working the launch. Caught 45 or so. Fishing has definitely slowed down, at least at night for the big boats.

[fetch]

caught 10 last night from 5pm-830.. fished the . mud with bobbers went to a gps spot away from the cluster f of boats and soon the crowd mutated to me. i picked up and went home. huge flats lots of area to fish and never fails someone will drop anchor 40' from me after watching 2 back to back double headers get boated. fish are definately hungry bobbers were under 3'! good night of fishing

[Kettle]

Today was unreal, got out to the flats at 1pm, caught two, winds came up and and one point 4-5 foot whitecaps, ended up calling it a day, boat control was non existent. Took 50 minutes to go 4 miles.

Kettle

[Fish Taco]

Don't forget to stop at Moreys Fish market on your way to or from Mille Lacs if you want a walleye dinner. You will be putting 99 percent of them back! The other one percent are to small. Just sayin.

[MidCoast]

Mille Lacs is a catch and release lake for Walleyes. I was there last week and I released 100 % of my Walleye catch.

[walleyeking19]

Mille Lacs is a catch and release lake for Walleyes. I was there last week and I released 100 % of my Walleye catch.

thats proving to be normal this year

[jay83196]

Better than no fish dead sea, we have had years of that too, ill take this any year.

[Rather_B_Fishing]

Amen to that Jay83196. In my 7+ years of fishing Mille Lacs, this is the best bite I have ever seen. I really enjoy catching these walleyes, even if I don't get any keepers.

Some people complain about anything.........

[CaptainMusky]

Amen to that Jay83196. In my 7+ years of fishing Mille Lacs, this is the best bite I have ever seen. I really enjoy catching these walleyes, even if I don't get any keepers.

Some people complain about anything.........

I guess some people cannot see the forest for the trees. The few keeper walleyes is a sign of a significant problem in the lake. Is it fun/great to catch 20 to 25 inchers at will? Yeah, its awesome. But the fact that there are few fish under 19 inches is a sign of a deep problem and one that you should be concerned about. It goes beyond just being able to take something home, its the long term welfare of the lake itself which as the DNR admits, is in jeopardy right now.

[Rather_B_Fishing]

I don't know what the future of the lake, fishing wise, is nor do I claim to know. I also do not think that my 5 days of fishing Mille Lacs this season has had much of an impact on the fishery. I just enjoy fishing, especially when they are biting.

[jay83196]

True if those year classes are not present as strong that's not great but that size I don't believe is the main staple for reproduction in the lake anyway. It's my understanding the lake often can have weak year classes due to water level and varies natural factors, so that can also be a natural factor. The arguement was that people are complaining regarding not being able to keep enough fish to bring home not that that class of fish is low and can or will effect reproduction down the line. I disagree I've seen a lot of 18 19 20" range and the 10, 11"+ dinks. Where have you read the dnr has real concern of the future of the lake? I think the dnr is aware and not overly concerned or they would change it....but I am no expert maybe you are?

Anyway enough said ill leave this for reports, any good reports past couple days?

[CaptainMusky]

Where have you read the dnr has real concern of the future of the lake? I think the dnr is aware and not overly concerned or they would change it....but I am no expert maybe you are?

Visit the "DNR Blaming" thread. Its all in there. Whether people are complaining about not taking fish home OR the fact there are few fish being caught under 19" the issue is still the same. These are male fish predominantly and without them, it doesnt matter how many fat sassy females you have, you need a larger number of small males to fertilize them.

[1eyeReD]

Please Report: What are the smallies doing?

[BrdHunter01]

I guess some people cannot see the forest for the trees. The few keeper walleyes is a sign of a significant problem in the lake. Is it fun/great to catch 20 to 25 inchers at will? Yeah, its awesome. But the fact that there are few fish under 19 inches is a sign of a deep problem and one that you should be concerned about. It goes beyond just being able to take something home, its the long term welfare of the lake itself which as the DNR admits, is in jeopardy right now.

+1

[BrdHunter01]

True if those year classes are not present as strong that's not great but that size I don't believe is the main staple for reproduction in the lake anyway. It's my understanding the lake often can have weak year classes due to water level and varies natural factors, so that can also be a natural factor. The arguement was that people are complaining regarding not being able to keep enough fish to bring home not that that class of fish is low and can or will effect reproduction down the line. I disagree I've seen a lot of 18 19 20" range and the 10, 11"+ dinks. Where have you read the dnr has real concern of the future of the lake? I think the dnr is aware and not overly concerned or they would change it....but I am no expert maybe you are?

Anyway enough said ill leave this for reports, any good reports past couple days?

Not sure where you have been the last couple years, but this has been a concern for the DNR for a couple years now.

The 13-18 inch fish are very scarce. I believe that is more that just 1 or 2 year classes. Remember it takes about 7-8 male walleyes to fertilize 1 female. Without those male's the future of the fishery is in serious danger!

[jay83196]

Again I said I'm no expert (like you guys apparently are) and I don't claim to be. I have this year and last caught my share of 17-21, for me it varies from area on the lake (out on flats been typically larger females) shallower the smaller males. I would say if your that worried about it stop keeping fish or fishing the lake and take it up with your legislature.

[maxpower117]

Sick of the sensless whining. If you guys are really concerned, do something worth while instead of whining online.

Any reports????????????

[gregg52]

Amen to that Jay83196. In my 7+ years of fishing Mille Lacs, this is the best bite I have ever seen. I really enjoy catching these walleyes, even if I don't get any keepers.

Some people complain about anything.........

there was a bite similiar to this a few yrs back

even a better bit really

i presuming theres a lack of food in the lake again

but as far as the year class and there being no fish to take home to eat is

aggravating forsure but in my humble opinion they have messed with one of if not the best reproducing walleye lake in the world year after year and nobody knows like mother nature so its not a big surprise you have years like this so unbalanced

i'm not a biologist,,i'm just talking from experience of fishing the lake for at least 20 some yrs now

for different reasons i have been over there more this year than yrs past

it is fun to catch like that i hcaught 2 over 28 last friday and a 27.5 aguy fishing next to me had a 29.5

in my opinion i think they should close the lake when the temp of the lake gets above 70 cuz you will start seeing lots of dead fish if the bit continues and i would say history says it will continue for awhile

[BrdHunter01]

Sick of the sensless whining. If you guys are really concerned, do something worth while instead of whining online.

Any reports????????????

Not much you can do unless your a lawyer or a supreme court judge. I've contacted my legislature and donated to Fellegy's fight. Other than that there isn't much else to do....

You want a report? Last weekend, friday night we were fishing 30 feet. Kept one 16" walleye and one 12 inch perch. Plenty of walleyes to throw back from to small - to big. Sat night the wind was blowing like crazy. We fished shallow shoreline structure trying to target smaller keepers and stay out of the wind. Kept 1 14" eye and threw back a 8-10 that were all to big.

Also... I wouldn't call it "whining" its more frustration and trying to get the word out so other people will contact legislation because the lake isn't in "excellent" shape like a lot of people seem to think it is.

[gregg52]

i dont know if its whining...i guess it is

but i like to fish and catch fish as much as any body

but i also enjoy eating as does my sweetie so 4 fish doesnt go very far let alone 2or 3 i got a limit last friday luckly but 2 other days not one in the box

i could even live with taking home 2-3 every time i went but zippo

thats not cool

as i said mother nature is mad people are fooling with her magnificant

creation i think let nature take its coarse see what happens then every body will learn something

[CaptainMusky]

Sick of the sensless whining. If you guys are really concerned, do something worth while instead of whining online.

Any reports????????????

First of all reports? Yeah, they are biting. All over the lake any depth any presentation, any time of day. In all honesty you have to be a complete baffoon if you cannot catch more walleyes on Mille Lacs in a day than you have ever done so on any other lake. And they will be nice ones too.

Whining? I dont think so. Its bringing up awareness to a problem that many people seem clueless about. Yeah, the fishing for big fish is fantastic, you will have a blast, but if something doesnt happen, this will be short lived and we will have issues in 3 or 4 years (if that long).

[aanderud]

If the bite's still going strong this weekend I might make it up for a few of the boring 25 inchers myself. Sounds like a blast.

[maxpower117]

Quote:

Also... I wouldn't call it "whining" its more frustration and trying to get the word out so other people will contact legislation because the lake isn't in "excellent" shape like a lot of people seem to think it is.

Not one word until now about legislators. I'd call it whining.

I've fished there the last two weekend and know the fish are biting. I'm just sick of the whining.

[BrdHunter01]

Not one word until now about legislators. I'd call it whining.

I've fished there the last two weekend and know the fish are biting. I'm just sick of the whining.

I mentioned policitians and legisilators in the other thread a few days ago. I have told people to contact them this spring and last spring and the year before that.

I also mentioned the shortage of male walleyed in the lake earlier this year and last year. Everyone keeps telling me the lake is in "excellent" condition. It's more apparent this year than any, the lake is in trouble.

Keep turning a blind eye to reality and enjoy the fishing while it lasts.

[maxpower117]

I'm just bitter because I commented on something other than a fishing report earlier and some do-gooder went and told me to keep this thread to fishing reports. Now it's no big deal.

I don't get it.

[Stick in Mud]

An actual report: Went out on Monday night for a bit...caught almost a dozen with three keepers. Fish were everywhere from 11 ft to 32. Couldn't find a real consistent bite anywhere, but found a fish or two every time we dropped anchor and/or trolled.

Went out last night for five minutes. Saw lightning and scurried back in. Caught one fish, though.

[Faner50]

Max I think you are correct. This lake is in trouble. I have fished it for the last 30 years and within the last 10 the males were getting fewer and fewer. 6-7 years ago we boated amost 70 fish and only 2 were keepers. Same thing now happening this year. In my opinion, we are lucky that there is no feed in the lake which is causing the big bite. If there was feed in the lake we wouldn't be catching anything ! (full females not biting and no males). Boy, you'd see whinning then eh!

[Mike_Top]

Was up there last saturday afternoon on the North end flats, and in between rain and high wind managed to catch a couple big walleyes...the big ones hit so hard and fight too, its the most fun walleye fishing I've ever had.

Going back up this saturday, can't wait. Maybe we'll try the evening bite this time with slip bobbers?? Who knows but it will for sure be fun

[Kettle]

Was out today on the flats, wind was pretty strong some good 4 footers at times, I fish out of an old lund tyee, with drifting we were at 1.2 mph and caught two that way, then just kept marking fish in 30-31 feet of water on the windward side of the flat we were fishing anchored and threw out a slip bobber, I caught one and within 15 minutes my friend caught 4 vertical jigging. Red jigs and white twister tails, thought it was weird to jig the mud but we sat there for 4 hrs and totaled 11 fish for the day. Largest one at 27.5''

Kettle