Guide Reports

We haven't been posting reports as many of our guides have their own web sites with their own fishing reports. Please look at the right margin for links to those guides and their web sites. Overall, as of the end of June, fishing on Mille Lacs has been very good. Thanks!

South Shore Fishing Reports --- SLOW!

I spent five hours in a fish house Friday with a buddy, catching one small perch the whole time. I'm not going to name where I was fishing out of for this update, but I can report that everyone I talked to this week said fishing was extremly slow on the south shore of Mille Lacs. The fish just don't seem that hungry. Typical light perch bite, with alot of bobber bobs, but nothing really going after the wax worms or minnows.

I heard that the only ones catching substantial fish are those with snowmobiles pulling portables, getting to untapped areas, especially mud flats and even some gravel.

You'd have to see our ice page reports from various resorts to get a feel for what is happening all over, but for the most part it's pretty slow. Tough fishing was probably due to the massive cold front that besieged Mille Lacs this week, resulting in reading as low as 39 below zero on Thursday morning.

I did hear from the owner of KJ's Fish House Rentals on the southeast end that his outfit has produced a pair of 30-inch walleyes this winter. He also said that fishing was slow overall, citing that only about 4-6 walleyes were caught in the last couple days collectively.

Rocky Reef Foam Houses Very Nice

If you get a chance to go ice fishing at Mille Lacs you should checkout the new foam fish houses at Rocky Reef Resort on the southwest end of the lake. Owner John Odle has purchased four new foam fish houses for the 2008-09 ice season. At 1200 pounds, these things can get out early on only 5 inches of ice and be pulled easily with a four wheeler (they are mounted on steel skids), yet with eight holes, four bunks, two doors and a wonderful knotty pine interior, these things are sharp and energy efficient. They offer LED lighting across the ceiling and under the small counters so you can easily see all your holes at night. It's powered by nifty, energy efficient propane heater. Here are a couple of pictures so you can see for yourself... Call John or Patti at 320-532-3431 to book one for some ice fishing. Oh, and they have been successful so far. A couple people out in one last weekend caught six walleye and six jumbo perch in a day...

They're Ready For "You" At Mille Lacs

By all accounts, resort owners and fish house folks have been busy this week. A trip around the lake on Friday revealed that all resorts are into full swing of the ice season; many have plowed roads; some are allowing vehicle traffic; and few are reporting great fishing for the time being.

See the Slide Show Below for actual conditions on the Big Pond from Sunup to around 1 pm today (Friday, December 19th). We hit many resorts, asked questions and have the report below. No DNR accesses had more than snowmobile trails onto the ice. All private accesses we can across charged $10 per day. Rates vary by week and season.



We started on the West End and worked our way all the way back to Jerry Brandt's.

Rocky Reef had several of their new foam houses out and a road plowed. John Odle has an update on his website on our ice page.

Eddy's had about 18 houses out and wouldn't yet let us drive on the ice, stating they had 12-14 in spots but several places with 8.5. They had a nice jumbo perch bite in a couple houses yesterday and somebody caught a 37-inch northern, according to Kyle Nelson.

Terry's Boat Harbor had an access road plowed and houses out.

Twin Pines had houses in a staging area and was pulling houses out.

Garrison Sports had several small houses out but owner Kari Hough said he was limited his access to ATV and sled only. There is a large heave one mile out right now.

Red Door owner Fred Dally had an ice bridge emplaced and was set to get houses onto the ice. He said locals were reporting good fishing on the mud 4.5 miles out and accessing via sled with tow portables.

Barnacles had roads to the sliver and barnacles and was towing out numerous houses and had a bridge emplaced.

Castaways owner Steve Macdonald's staff was busy towing out houses and had a plowed road linking to Fishers and heading toward Blue Jug. He had reports of walleye success out there.

Fisherman's Wharf was towing out houses and had numerous roads plowed. They have roads to Shaw's Reef and 2-mile but are avoiding Big Point for another weekend.

All South Shore Resorts are allowing vehicle traffic (, Lybacks, Chapman's, Hunter's Point, Walleye Dundee's with the possible exception of Brandt's (however, he has houses and a plowed road out to Sloppy Joe's).

Hard Water Season In full Swing!

It was the sort of weekend that one would call a "teaser". After many ventured out across the lake -- mostly with ATVS, sleds and a few vehicles, -- the blizzard hit Mille Lacs. From about 1-6 Sunday, it was NW winds at least 20-30 MPH and drifting was treacherous all across the south shore.

One example was the entrance to Jerry Brandt's. Filled with cars on Saturday parked just south of the stop signs and many out on the ice Saturday, Sunday was a dormat as it could get as you couldn't see further than 25-50 yards at most times. The snow turned to sleet and the drifts going into the road there were higher than four feet when I blasted my pickup through. Plows hadn't even hit the back roads as of Sunday night, probably because the drifting would have just closed up the roads quickly.

For those on the lake, I am sure more than a few stayed on the water in houses as it seemed to be impossible to see any beacon blinking lights. We should see a bevy of fishing reports tomorrow, probably with Lundeens, Rocky Reef and Lybacks posting.

If you are into snowmobiling, your dream has come true as there were sleds hitting the ditches along Highway 27. Estimated snowfall in this area is between 6-8 inches. With the blowing snow, it seems like alot more.

I had heard some early fishing reports about a mile out of Brandt's where one group caught 11 walleye on Friday later in the day. I have scanned the eastern resort reports, but Hunter's Point and Johnson's portside also always have very current reports.

It's truly a winter wonderland up here right now and we'll post some pictures here tomorrow to show you just how much things have drifted up. This is in major contrast to the Twin Cities which got rainy, icy snow. The deep freeze is on the way! Let's hope for a nice bite soon!

It's Icing Up Nicely!

This weekend should be "showtime" for main-lake ice seekers. Here are a couple south shore pictures. At right is Jerry Brandt readying his access with a four-wheeler team out checking depths on an access. On the left are actual vehicles just south of the mouth of Cove Bay.

Reports of thick ice (8 inches-plus)for ATV travel are coming from Hunter's Point, Lyback's, Castaways, Fishers and the like.

With temperatures over the next two days being down near zero at night and getting up to only 20 during the day, it's "ice making time" on the Big Pond. That means that we should have "fishable" in time for this weekend.

All people fishing are urged to use extreme caution, checking with resort owners before venturing out on the ice. Marked roads are your best bet all around the lake. These experienced folks have been doing this for years and won't send you out if it is unsafe.

Main Lake Ice Stubborn

After watching a nice buildup of ice for more than a week on the southern shore of the main lake, this morning we wake up to no ice. Apparently the wind shift pushed most of the ice up into piles on the southern shore, leaving us in "start over" mode. This will definitely put a large dent in main lake ice buildup and push back ice over, making it a tough bet to be on the Big Pond by December 15th. I was surfing the web and for a satellite picture of mille lacs ice try this http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/modis-today/index.php?satellite=a1&product=true_color&date=2008_11_21_326&overlay_sector=false&overlay_state=true&overlay_coastline=true§or=USA3&resolution=1000m