Mille Lacs Smallmouth Bass Fishing at All Time High

Mille Lacs Does Offer Other Great Options for Fishing

Although many anglers feel that Mille Lacs is down due to walleye harvest limits and size of walleyes being able to be kept, fact is it has another fish which is filling the gaps these days. That’s right, the Mille Lacs lake smallmouth!

The Minnesota DNR has liberalized fishing regulations this year on both bass and northern pike to help stabilize the economic impacts felt around the lake due to tougher regulation on walleye. What this means is that it is legal to fish for bass on Mille Lacs right now where’s around the state in many other lakes it is not. This little known snippet of information has not been very well broadcasted and many who are fishing the lake today do not know this.

The Mille Lacs lake smallmouth bass population is healthy throughout the spectrum.  The best part is the great population of trophy fish to be had. Possibly even a state record. Owner of Terry’s Boat Harbor near Garrison recently said “The bass fishing here is phenomenal. But most Minnesota people are not huge bass fishermen. There’s some, but when they go to Mille Lacs they want walleyes.”.

The new regulations state anglers can keep six smallmouth or largemouth bass per day from Mille Lacs, though only one smallmouth may be larger than 18 inches. And the Minnesota DNR has exempted the lake’s bass from the catch-and-release requirement that takes effect elsewhere in mid-September. The lake’s northern pike limit has increased to 10. On the harder side through, anglers can keep only two walleyes, and they must be between 18 and 20 inches long though one can be longer than 28 inches. Walleyes are what people go to Mille Lacs for but with tougher regulations on them and the other species regulations being lifted, Mille Lacs lake is not dead be any means.

IceFishingMilleLacs.com is more than a website structured towards just ice fishing Mille Lacs. We fish the lake year round just like many of the lakes anglers do. During our summer hiatus we plan on doing a series of articles geared towards smallmouth fishing and offering in-depth details that will get you catching large fish during your next trip. Stay tuned for further information on the rocketing small mouth population within Mille Lacs Lake, even though it has been no secret that Mille Lacs Lake has been a trophy smallmouth destination for many decades.

Smallmouth bass are just fun to catch and certainly a great reason to head up this weekend and back your boat into the harbor of your choice on Mille Lacs.

IceFishingMilleLacs.com Staff