Lake Mille Lac Physical Features
At 132,500 acres (536 km^2), 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 to 38 foot depth ranges. The northern half contains most of the lake’s mud flats and the southern half of the lake has more 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 dozens of mud flats in the north half of the lake. Shoreline break fishing on varied bottom types occurs all around the lake. The weed line is at nine to ten feet.
The lake has many species of fish including walleye, northern pike, muskie, jumbo perch, small mouth bass and tullibee. It is one of Minnesota’s most popular fishing lakes in the summer and is also popular for ice fishing in the winter, when hundreds of temporary 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.