ICE CONDITIONS (1/6):
WE ARE ALLOWING OUT ALL VEHICLES AND WHEEL HOUSES!
What to Bring:
All of our sleeper houses include propane, heaters, stove tops, rattle reels and drilled holes.
Items you may want to bring:
- Fishing Poles & Tackle
- Fishing License (You can find them at most bait shops and gas stations in the area, or at the Morning Star gas station right down the road in Wahkon)
- Food and Beverages
- Pots and/or Pans and utensils for cooking. There are 3 different cafe/restaurant/bar options for food and drinks in Wahkon too!
- Sanitizing wipes for cleaning cooking area and hands.
- Pillows/sleeping bags and or blankets (We have mattress pads but there are not blankets and pillows)
If you have any questions, please call us at (320) 738-1420.
General Rules:
- Check is at 11:00 AM.
- Check out is 10:00 AM. If you want a late check out than you will need to ask in advance. Many times we will have people checking into the same house at 11 AM, which only gives us 1 hour to turn the house. So late checkouts need to be verified in advance.
- If you litter down a hole, under the fish house, or around your house, we will charge a $100 fee and we may report you to the DNR. We love Mille Lacs Lake and show it great respect and we expect the same of our customers. (DNR has a littering fine of $300)
- If you soil the banking around the fish house with anything, you will be charged up to $50 to re-bank or $100 to move the house. We want every customer to have a fresh looking area when they arrive so please help us out. If we have to move the house because the area is soiled than you will be charged for it,
- You must adhere to our speed limit which is 10-15 mph. Driving fast on the lake creates waves below the surface and safety concerns for you and others. Failing to abide by the speed limits will result in early termination with no refunds.
As of 11/6/2017 - Please check the DNR's link below for updates
Mille Lacs winter anglers allowed 1 walleye
November 3, 2017
Annual fall surveys support conservative harvest decision
Mille Lacs Lake walleye fishing will open on Friday, Dec. 1, with no bait restrictions and a limit of one walleye 20-22 inches or one longer than 28 inches.
“We’re glad results of fall population survey show Mille Lacs anglers will be able to keep some walleye during the winter walleye season,” said Don Pereira, fisheries section chief for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “We know this is important to resorts and businesses because the ice fishing season contributes a lot to the local economy.”
The DNR selected the size regulations to protect Mille Lacs’ walleye spawning population, which is largely comprised of walleyes hatched in 2013 (also known as a year class). Those fish currently range from 15 to 19 inches in length and represented about 40 percent of the walleyes sampled during this fall’s population survey.
Since the 2013 year class now is nearly fully mature, the DNR determined anglers could keep older and larger fish, something some anglers have been suggesting and requesting. In recent years, conservative regulations on Mille Lacs have protected the younger spawners to-be so they can replace the older spawners, which is necessary to sustain the population.
The DNR and members of the Mille Lacs Fisheries Advisory Committee did discuss setting the large fish limit at 26 inches. But feedback suggested that keeping those fish in the lake was preferred because the possibility of catching walleye 26 to 28 inches makes Mille Lacs an attractive destination. There also was concern that a 26-inch limit could result in a higher harvest level that would count against the 2018 allocation.
Insights from annual fall surveys
Mille Lacs fall walleye population survey, known as an “assessment,” showed that the 2013 year class continues to dominate the population. The catch of walleye hatched in 2014, 2015 and 2016 was below average. Fish hatched this spring were caught in good numbers but it’s uncertain if those numbers will remain as the 2017 year class progresses through its first, second and third years.
“During the past 15 years, our studies show fewer and fewer young walleye surviving to their third year,” Pereira said. “Young fish not surviving has put Mille Lacs’ walleye population in the unfortunate situation it is now. Whatever is causing that mortality is the root problem.”
The assessment also looks at food abundance and walleye health. Perch 1-2 years old were caught in low numbers and the number of young-of-year perch was above average. The number of young-of-year tullibee caught was near average.
Perch and tullibee are the primary food source for Mille Lacs’ walleye, which are showing negative effects from a lack of adequate food. That shortage may be driving the hot walleye bite anglers have experienced on Mille Lacs.
Complete winter regulation information for Mille Lacs Lake is available on the DNR website at mndnr.gov/millelacslake.
Ice House Bookings
Tax will be applied if you are booking online. It will be removed from any balance due after your reservation is confirmed and booked.