Carp fishing on Mille Lacs & wondering where to start?

[Cove]

Not bowfishing, just angling for carp. Corn, bread, crawlers...that sort of thing. Want to do this on south end of Mille Lacs since that is where my boat is up on lift.

Any ideas on good location to start? My cabin is on a big sand expanse & I doubt that is good.

Near by Cove BAy is choked with weeds & would be hard to fish, so not sure about Cove, though I have seen them spawn in the reeds on the south side of Cove, near the mouth of the bay. Perhaps that area holds some carp mid summer. Rocky reef as you head along the west shore. In short, I know there are lots of big carp in the lake but never fished em & not sure where I'll find them.

Ideas?

[Jim Almquist]

There was a show on TV and I believe it was the Infisherman and they were fishing the bay just south of Indian Point. I have seen guys bow-fishing around the area were the Run river starts. Might be a few spots for you to check out.

[pureinsanity]

Id try an inlet from the river going into mille lacs. Youll probably catch some dog fish. Ive caught some big ones on the south east end right off my dock

[Harmonica Bear]

I'd thnk some harbors might work as well.

[MN Musky]

I always see giant carp off the shallow rock/mud/sand area directly West of the MYR MAR inlet along the shore. Scarry big carp in mille lacs.

[pureinsanity]

Ive seen some monsterous carp in the white fish chain! I swear it was a baluga(sp) whale!

[IRISHSOBNO4]

what lake in the WFC has carp?

[ozzie]

none!! the white fish chain in Cross Lake does not have carp but they do have red horse suckers

[pureinsanity]

none!! the white fish chain in Cross Lake does not have carp but they do have red horse suckers

Maybe thats what I saw, whatever they were they were HUGE

[Ralph Wiggum]

Redhorse aren't huge. If they were huge, they may have been buffalo (not sure if they are present there, though).

[pureinsanity]

This was many many years ago. I just remember being by a small creek or channel that had a small area hard to get a bigger boat into. I looked over the side and two huge 25+ lb suckers or whatever were swimming under the boat into that channel

[ozzie]

yeah the suckers only get to 7 pounds maybe a little higher but not much.....there are sheephead in the chain and also dogfish but as for fish getting in the 20lb range I would say that would have to be either Lake Trout or Northern........hard to believe anything else would get that big.....maybe walleye..hahaha

[pureinsanity]

It was a rough fish.

[Eyewitness]

I would bet what you saw were dogfish. My grandparents had a place on Pelican Lake by Breezy for many years and the dogfish would come in to the creek by their place every year in the early part of the season. I saw a couple that were bigger than any I've ever seen since. My guess is 15-20#. I've caught them up to 10# and these were twice that size easily. Whitefish is a similar type of lake so it would not suprise me. Carp don't exist in the WF chain and suckers just don't get that big...Wow, that really drummed some memories! Thanks!

[pureinsanity]

It wasnt a dog fish. I catch pretty big ones on mille lacs often.

[ozzie]

now you got me wondering what else lies in the chain that could get that big......hmmmmmmm have to look it up....interesting!!

[ozzie]

well after checking the DNR lake finder and going through all the lakes on the WFC there is nothing that would really get that big other than Northern or Lake Trout but dogfish, burbot, or walleye and possibly but the last 3 would all be records at 20lbs!!!!!

[Eyewitness]

Now I am thinking lake trout. On Pokegama near Grand Rapids, we'vwe seen them come in to shallow water occasionally. In fact someone I know that lives on the lake saw one 20-30# in close to shore while snorkeling and scared the holy hannah out of him....lol

[Stick500]

Most likely Bigmouth Buffalo fish. Actually in the sucker family. Many mistake them for carp due to their size and shape. That’s about the only thing that makes sense and they are native fish rarely caught on hook and line and they do spawn shallow.