Northwoods Adventure: Fish are Biting on Mille Lacs Lake

Walleye fishing has been in the slumps for Mille Lacs Lake. Back in August the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources shut down walleye fishing for the first time in history due to a record low population. For winter walleye regulations, anglers are allowed to keep one walleye fitting into the length requirements requested by the DNR to help ensure the future health of the lake.

The sub zero temperatures came at the right time for Mille Lacs Lake.

And numerous fish houses were out that day. Alongside Tony Roach, known as “Mr. Walleye Specialties,” we took to Mille Lacs Lake in a portable to find out what fish were biting. Drilling our holes, hooking our bait, and our line was dropped.

Minutes later we had our first catch.

One of the main reasons Mille Lacs was closed this summer was to protect this younger class and the remaining spawning fish. But regardless of the limitations, anglers are seeing fish both big and small widespread around the lake.

Every location we dropped different kinds of fish were biting, which meant only meant good things for the lake’s conditions.

The diversity of fish is what experts, anglers, and resorts like to see when it comes to the health of a fishery and the growth of maintaining Mille Lacs Lake as main source for a good catch.