Well into Winter on Mille Lacs

We are well into winter here on Mille Lacs. We’ve had a good ice season with cold temps early and not much snow cover the lake has a fairly consistent 24″ of ice and for the most part the bite has been strong most of the season. Anglers have been finding some good fish fairly shallow recently. Rocks and gravel have been holding both perch and walleye. The best and most productive bites have come on overcast days and when we have had a warm up or a few days of consistent weather. The cold snaps have slowed things down for a day or two when they arrive. When the cold fronts hit the most helpful hints are to downsize. Finicky eaters seem to take more readily to a smaller presentation. Set lines can also be effective when the bite is slow. Large fathead minnows or rainbows have been preferred over shiners or suckers for the walleye though a pike will take a nice sized shiner or sucker on a set line or tip up.

Our snowmobile trails haven’t been in good condition for riding most of the season so far. We are hoping for some early February snow so we can exit winter on a good trail riding note. The trails are groomed with a decent base, a good six inches would put us in great condition for trail riding. We have been able to get out on the lake with some guided rides and will continue to offer rentals with guide as conditions allow.