Lake Mille Lacs Fishing Resorts/Cabins/Campgrounds

I am contemplating taking my 72 year old mother to Lake Mille Lacs in the first part of July 2017 and I’m wondering if there are any resorts or camps to avoid over others. Anyone have a solid recommend? My mother doesn’t need luxurious. She needs a friendly resort and serious fishing. She doesn’t mess around with her fishing. She has a motorhome too if there is a good campground in the area. Usually she goes to Canada but the trip is getting to be too much for her. So I’m thinking closer…

Thoughts???

I’m admittedly biased since I grew up on the NE corner of the lake but you will not find a more family friendly resort than Fishers in Malmo. The same family has owned it for going on 70 years now and your grandma would have equally almost as much fun in their coffee shop talking with Greg as she would actually out on the water. Red Door on the North end is a close second.

Will

Awesome Will Thanks…

I agree with Will, also Agate Bay Resort has a nice two bedroom cabin that sleeps six (bunk beds in living room). Reasonable rates. They also have a smaller cabin, but I’ve never been in it.

I have been staying at Fishers for many years, they are great people!

I looked at Fisher’s website last night. Looks good. I’ll check out Agate Bay next. My mom loves walleye’s so the next step will be figuring out the best places to fish. I already ordered tutt’s map. So I hope that helps.

Hopefully mom likes the catching of walleyes more than the eating. Just to remind if you were unaware…last year was all C&R and this winter season is a 1 fish limit 19-21″. Who knows what we’ll see next year but I wouldn’t expect to see it liberalize much if at all. I certainly don’t want to discourage you but if past fishing was in Canada, the expectation for some walleye dinners will have to be lowered significantly.

Walleyestudent Andy Cox wrote:

Hopefully mom likes the catching of walleyes more than the eating. Just to remind if you were unaware…last year was all C&R and this winter season is a 1 fish limit 19-21″. Who knows what we’ll see next year but I wouldn’t expect to see it liberalize much if at all. I certainly don’t want to discourage you but if past fishing was in Canada, the expectation for some walleye dinners will have to be lowered significantly.

That is a good point. She likes Norhtern too. Smallies.

Okay so it’s looking more and more like Fisher’s Resort around mid July. Anyone fish that area of the lake much? Where are the go to spots? Malmo Bay? Agate Bay? Agate Bay Reef? Carlsona Sand Bal? How bout Flamingo Reef?

Might be worth booking the trip a little earlier. Fishing is a little tougher in late July and also there is risk of the DNR shutting the lake down due to meeting the allocation for the year. Would hate for all the effort to go out the window if things are shut down. Might be worth a consideration.

sktrwx2200 wrote:

Might be worth booking the trip a little earlier. Fishing is a little tougher in late July and also there is risk of the DNR shutting the lake down due to meeting the allocation for the year. Would hate for all the effort to go out the window if things are shut down. Might be worth a consideration.

Good point…

sktrwx2200 wrote:

Might be worth booking the trip a little earlier. Fishing is a little tougher in late July and also there is risk of the DNR shutting the lake down due to meeting the allocation for the year. Would hate for all the effort to go out the window if things are shut down. Might be worth a consideration.

Welp… Looks like July is the best I can do. So what happens if the DNR shuts the lake down? You can’t fish on it?

You can fish the lake but cannot “target” walleye. There are so many walleye in the lake that fishing for bass you will still catch walleyes. Great way to fish this way is a slip bobber and a leech. Can’t go wrong with that setup!

jmaj101 wrote:

You can fish the lake but cannot “target” walleye. There are so many <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>walleye in the lake that fishing for bass you will still catch walleyes. Great way to fish this way is a slip bobber and a leech. Can’t go wrong with that setup!

Any particular spots from Fishers Resort? ie. Carlson Sand Bar? Agate Bay Reef? Lakeside Reef? Coords to a honey hole? And BTW… if there are that many walleye in the lake then why is the DNR limiting them?

I am not a big bass fisherman but I have caught some true pigs of smallmouth bobber fishing shallow rock structure. Agate Bay Reef, Lakeside Reef, Flamingo Reef are all good spots. I fish out of Hunters Point and if targeting smallmouth I would hit up all these areas and any other “rocky” structure. Start deep off the structure and work your way shallower until you start catching them. Mille Lacs has some seriously huge smallmouth! If any bass guys want to chime in that would be nice, like I said I am no expert bass fisherman by any means but do catch them fishing for walleyes.

As far as the DNR limiting the fishing for walleyes… That subject will open a whole new can of worms!

jmaj101 wrote:

As far as the DNR limiting the fishing for walleyes… That subject will open a whole new can of worms!

I figured as much… LOL…

Anyone on Northerns and Muskie can chime in too..

I do not know this lake. I’ve only fished walleye on rocky structure trolling. Northerns in the rocks too. I understand Mille Lacs is 1/3 sand, 1/3 rocks and 1/3 mud. Do these different bottoms require different methods of fishing?

Dillon Sanders wrote:

Anyone on Northerns and Muskie can chime in too

If you are looking for Musky and northern you will likely want to trailer up, and head to the bays on the south end of the lake. Or if you don’t want to do that I’d head to the north or east side rock reefs. Fisher’s is in prime walleye and smallie territory though. Lindy rigging the sand or edges of mudflats can be good, or trolling lead on the mud is probably the most popular that time of year. Lighted bobbers over the rocks at dusk is effective all summer too.

BigWerm wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Dillon Sanders wrote:</div>
Anyone on Northerns and <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>Muskie can chime in too

If you are looking for Musky and northern you will likely want to trailer up, and head to the bays on the south end of the lake. Or if you don’t want to do that I’d head to the north or east side rock reefs.

Not far at all from Fishers…troll up past Castaways and along the north shore sand dropoffs all the way past Red Door. Gene Miller’s “milk run”! He’s scored big out there along that stretch!

BigWerm wrote:

If you are looking for Musky and northern you will likely want to trailer up, and head to the bays on the south end of the lake.

This is good stuff Big Werm. So launch somewhere around Cove Bay Public Launch? A lot of rock in that area. Any particular depth? Weedlines? or strictly rocks. Anderson’s Reef or King’s Hump?

BigWerm wrote:

Fisher’s is in prime walleye and smallie territory though. Lindy rigging the sand or edges of mudflats can be good, or trolling lead on the mud is probably the most popular that time of year. Lighted bobbers over the rocks at dusk is effective all summer too.

If walleye are still fair game I’m all for that. Any particular colors of Lindy’s? I tie my own.

Could you by chance elaborate on the “trolling lead on the mud”?

Walleyestudent Andy Cox wrote:

Not far at all from Fishers…troll up past Castaways and along the north shore sand dropoffs all the way past Red Door. Gene Miller’s “milk run”! He’s scored big out there along that stretch!

Andy. I have the Tutt Map that shows the sand breakline on the north end of the lake in Bergstrom Bay. Is that where you’re talking?

What depth? Still trolling lindy’s? Is this more for Walleyes?

You can see/follow the the sharp sand break all along the north shore all the way west all the way to Wealthwood area. For muskie/pike, troll big crankbaits and big spoons…5 of Diamonds seem to work well, not sure why. If you’re staying at Fishers, will you keep your boat in their marina? So you wouldn’t necessarily have to pull the boat out and launch elsewhere to find good muskie and pike areas.
Although if there is a strong south southwest wind you may have to pull it and launch it on the south end. The Big lake kicks up a fury when the wind blows.

“Trolling lead on the mud” is trolling using leadcore line putting your walleye crankbaits at specific depths, usually at 25-32 feet over or just off the mud flats. No particular lure colors as you will need to find out what’s working once you find fish and see what gets them to bite.

Dillon Sanders wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>BigWerm wrote:</div>
If you are looking for Musky and northern you will likely want to trailer up, and head to the bays on the south end of the lake.

This is good stuff Big Werm. So launch somewhere around Cove Bay Public Launch? A lot of rock in that area. Any particular depth? Weedlines? or strictly rocks. Anderson’s Reef or King’s Hump?

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>BigWerm wrote:</div>
Fisher’s is in prime walleye and smallie territory though. Lindy rigging the sand or edges of mudflats can be good, or trolling lead on the mud is probably the most popular that time of year. Lighted bobbers over the rocks at dusk is effective all summer too.

If walleye are still fair game I’m all for that. Any particular colors of Lindy’s? I tie my own.

Could you by chance elaborate on the “trolling lead on the mud”?

Full disclosure I don’t fish pike, and rarely fish musky, I just know the south end is more popular for the toothy ones (pike in particular). For Lindy’s I keep it simple and like running a green bead and red hook, but I’m sure others have different favorites. On Mille Lacs for whatever reason I typically will run a 6′ or longer snell on my lindy’s. Andy hit the nail on the head w/ trolling leadcore. I usually run little cranks like Shad Raps and Salmo Hornets. Main forage is perch, crayfish, or tullibee so pretty much any color could be the hot color on that day.

It’s funny what you hear. From the north they say go south. From the south they say go north.

I’m on the south side and there are plenty of smaller eater pike. Sitting around a campfire last summer I queried a long time resident and retired pro walleye fisherman about where to find the big pike. His first two words, “go north”…. My eyes rolled, then I got the lecture about “if you’re going to fish the lake you have to fish the entire lake.” Man I learned a lot that night. Just wish I could remember it all.

Walleyestudent Andy Cox wrote:

For muskie/pike, troll big crankbaits and big spoons…5 of Diamonds seem to work well, not sure why.

“Trolling lead on the mud” is trolling using leadcore line putting your walleye crankbaits at specific depths, usually at 25-32 feet over or just off the mud flats. No particular lure colors as you will need to find out what’s working once you find fish and see what gets them to bite.

Any luck with Suicks? I have the yellow 5 of diamonds not sure if I still have the red and white one.

I have read about Leadcore. Sounds like a decent idea. Is it really all that effective? I know you have to spin some mono on the real first and then the leadcore and then a 6 foot mono leader. Correct. And then you just use any crankbait you want to get down to a certain depth. What was it. 100 feet of line for every 10 feet of drop? Reels seem easy enough but what bout poles? 7 foot long enough? Medium action or would I need heavier?

Thanks for the info Andy.

Kyhl wrote:

It’s funny what you hear. From the north they say go south. From the south they say go north.

I’m on the south side and there are plenty of smaller eater pike. Sitting around a campfire last summer I queried a long time resident and retired pro walleye fisherman about where to find the big pike. His first two words, “go north”…. My eyes rolled, then I got the lecture about “if you’re going to fish the lake you have to fish the entire lake.” Man I learned a lot that night. Just wish I could remember it all.

Ain’t it funny how that works Kyhl?

Big Werm… Any special size spinner work better than others? I have a lot of Colorado #5’s but I read somewhere on Mille Lacs the walleye’s tend to like a #2 or #3 a little better.

What are your thoughts?