Mille Lacs Lake

Published: Nov 1, 2018Updated: May 28, 2025

Species

Smallmouth Bass

Season

Spring (Current)

346 Fishing Reports

2046 Followers

Overview
Current Conditions
Fishing Reports (346)
Techniques

Mille Lacs Lake Overview

SLOWWind (mph)FAST

01020406080100

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Top Techniques Reported for Smallmouth Bass + Spring

Ned Rigs
30
Hard Jerkbaits
24
Finesse Hair Jigs
22
Drop Shot
16
Soft Body Swimbaits (Small/Medium)
15

Total Fishing Reports

346

Top Species Reported for Spring

Smallmouth Bass131 Reports
Walleye15 Reports
Largemouth Bass3 Reports
Northern Pike2 Reports

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Fishing Reports

346 Reports on Mille Lacs Lake

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Daniel Sidle
Blue Ambassador
5/26/25
- Species
  Smallmouth Bass
- Season
  Spring (Spawn)
- Technique
  Ned Rigs
- Structure
  Boulders
- Water Temperature
  58°
I did 2 days on Mille Lacs over Memorial Day weekend. Lake is moving along fast. Fish were locked on beds on the west side of the lake. But most were easy to get to go. Wind really laid down both days so even deeper beds were easy to see with the naked eye. I’d give 2-3 flips with a ned rig per bed and if the fish wouldn’t take, just move on. This isn’t my favorite thing to do to the smallies but for me, it was the only successful method. Couple random fish on a hair jig but no pattern there. Keep in mind bed fishing is stressful on these fish. Those beds in 3-5ft get absolutely hammered. I had more quality fish out on the beds in 6-8 ft or more. Take a quick photo and release them to produce more trophies!
Omnia Community Member
Bronze Ambassador
5/25/25
- Species
  Smallmouth Bass
- Season
  Spring (Spawn)
- Technique
  Underspins
- Structure
  Rock Pile
- Water Temperature
  65°
Water warmed up quickly, fish more active moving back to spawning areas. Some fish back on beds.
Trevor Lo
Gold Ambassador
5/21/25
- Species
  Smallmouth Bass
- Season
  Spring (Spawn)
- Technique
  Soft Swimbaits (Sm/Md)
- Structure
  Rock Pile
- Forage
  Crawfish
- Water Temperature
  50°
The cold fronts this week have dropped the water temps pretty significantly around the lake. Most of the fish have pushed out of the shallows due to this and have relocated into the 8-12 foot depth range. Most of our success came outside of spawning flats off the first "edge" with some sort of cover and structure for the bass to hold onto. This cover/structure consisted of drop offs (some of small as 1-2 feet), bottom composition transitions, and rock piles. If these areas also had the presence of baitfish such as perch, you would find the smallmouth and walleye close by. The small swimbait and the football were the two baits we locked in our hands to put all of our fish in the boat. If you're interested in booking a guide trip with me, visit https://www.trevorlofishing.com/mille-lacs-lake-fishing-guide