mille lacs lake information mnlakeplace.com

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Lake information report

Name: Mille Lacs

Nearest Town: Garrison
Primary County: Mille Lacs Survey Date: 09/04/2007
Inventory Number: 48000200

Public Access Information


Ownership Type Description
Township Earthen
County Earthen
DNR Concrete
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Lake Characteristics

Lake Area (acres): 128223.89
Littoral Area (acres): 33129
Maximum Depth (ft): 42
Water Clarity (ft): 10.3 (6-13.5) Dominant Bottom Substrate: N/A
Abundance of Aquatic Plants: N/A
Maximum Depth of Plant Growth (ft): N/A



Did you know? Fisheries personnel monitor and regulate aquaculture, fishing tournaments, commercial fishing operations, aquatic plant management, and aeration.

Fish Sampled for the 2007 Survey Year

Species Gear Used
Number of fish per net Average Fish Weight (lbs)
Normal Range (lbs)
Caught Normal Range

Black Crappie
Gill net 0.17 0.1 - 0.7 0.60 0.2 - 0.5
Burbot Gill net 0.04 0.0 - 0.2 1.36 1.1 - 2.1
Largemouth Bass
Gill net 0.02 0.0 - 0.1 0.07 0.2 - 1.0
Muskellunge
Gill net 0.02 0.0 - 0.1 3.88 3.3 - 8.0
Northern Pike
Gill net 0.83 0.9 - 4.3 5.86 2.4 - 4.3
Rock Bass
Gill net 0.33 0.1 - 1.1 0.52 0.3 - 0.6
Smallmouth Bass
Gill net 0.12 0.0 - 0.2 1.54 0.8 - 1.5
Tullibee (cisco) Gill net 1.13 4.9 - 17.6 0.88 0.4 - 0.5
Walleye
Gill net 11.17 3.3 - 14.8 1.67 0.9 - 1.5
White Sucker Gill net 0.31 0.8 - 2.4 2.72 1.6 - 2.1
Yellow Perch Gill net 28.71 9.9 - 57.1 0.30 0.2 - 0.3
Normal Ranges represent typical catches for lakes with similar physical and chemical characteristics.

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Length of Selected Species (Trapnet, Gillnet) Sampled for the 2007 Survey Year

Species Number of fish caught in each category (inches)
0-5 6-8 9-11 12-14 15-19 20-24 25-29 30+ Total
black crappie 0 5 3 1 0 0 0 0 9
burbot 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2
largemouth bass 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
muskellunge 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
northern pike 0 0 0 1 0 6 22 14 43
rock bass 4 5 8 0 0 0 0 0 17
smallmouth bass 0 1 0 3 2 0 0 0 6
tullibee (cisco) 1 11 8 30 9 0 0 0 59
walleye 2 118 71 97 175 95 23 0 581
white sucker 0 0 1 0 14 1 0 0 16
yellow perch 401 544 530 18 0 0 0 0 1493



For the record, the largest Tiger Trout taken in Minnesota weighed 2 lbs., 9.12 oz. and was caught by:

Who: Chris Nelson, Stewartville, MN
Where: Mill Creek, Olmsted County
When: 8/7/99.
Statistics: 20" length, 9 5/8" girth

Fish Stocked by Species for the Last Five Years
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Year Species Age Number
2006 Muskellunge
Fingerling 3,000
2004 Muskellunge
Fingerling 3,000


Fish Consumption Guidelines

These fish consumption guidelines help people make choices about which fish to eat and how often. Following the guidelines enables people to reduce their exposure to contaminants while still enjoying the many benefits from fish.
Pregnant Women, Women who may become pregnant and Children under age 15
LAKE NAME
County, DOWID Species Meal Advice Contaminants
Unrestricted 1 meal/week 1 meal/month Do not eat
MILLE LACS
Mille Lacs Co., 48000200 Burbot All sizes Mercury
Carp All sizes Mercury
Cisco All sizes
Northern Pike All sizes Mercury
Smallmouth Bass All sizes Mercury
Sunfish All sizes Mercury
Walleye All sizes Mercury
White Sucker All sizes
Yellow Perch All sizes Mercury

General Population
LAKE NAME
County, DOWID Species Meal Advice Contaminants
Unrestricted 1 meal/week 1 meal/month Do not eat
MILLE LACS
Mille Lacs Co., 48000200 Burbot All sizes
Carp All sizes
Cisco All sizes
Northern Pike All sizes
Smallmouth Bass All sizes
Sunfish All sizes
Walleye All sizes
White Sucker All sizes
Yellow Perch All sizes

DOWID - MN DNR, Divion of Waters' lake ID number.
Contaminants listed were measured at levels high enough to warrant a recommendation to limit consumption.
Listing of consumption guidelines do not imply the fish are legal to keep, MN DNR fishing regulations should be consulted.
Dioxin
Mercury
PCBS - Polychlorinated biphenyls
PFOS - Perfluorooctane sulfanate

Status of the Fishery (as of 09/04/2007)
The walleye population appeared below average in the 2007 sampling. The inshore gill net catch rate, at half the long-term average, was the lowest observed. Below average catches were spread across most sizes of walleye, especially when compared to 2006. However, there was no good explanation as to why numbers decreased by so much. Furthermore, the walleye numbers were only seriously affected on the north shore. Trawling catches were average for fish older than age 1, which contradicted the abnormally low gill net catches on the north side. Ther are also conflicts between gears concerning the abundance of the 2006 year class. Nevertheless, the total weight per net in the inshore gill nets was the lowest observed since 1983, and pushed the fishery into "condition 3" according to the State harvest overage plan. This restricts State anglers to remaining within their allocation in 2008. A mark-recapture population estimate is planned for spring of 2008 to obtain a better estimate of walleye abundance.
The abundance of older yellow perch has declined as the 1996 year class has grown old and died off. The next strong year class was 2002, which contributed most of the large perch in 2007. An abundance of young-of-year yellow perch in 2007 will provide abundant forage in 2008, and is expected to moderate catch rates of walleye.
Recent warm summers may be affecting the abundance of temperature sensitive species. Obvious declines in abundance have been observed for burbot and tullibee, while more subtle declines may be occurring for white sucker. On the other hand, species like smallmouth bass, are showing a gradual increase in abundance as warmer temperatures lead to more favorable environments for warmwater species. Increases in the abundance of largemouth bass and other centrarchids are expected, but most of these species are not sampled well. Tullibee numbers fell to the lowest observed in both inshore and offshore gill nets for the second consecutive year. If the tullibee population is suffering a permanent decline, many impacts may be felt by other species in the lake. First, lack of a medium to large forage species may be increasing predation pressures on young walleye, and may be contributing to the declining year class strengths. Second, lack of tullibee may also increase energy required to feed, and decrease the quality of the food, which may in turn reduce growth rates and maximum size of walleye. Similar concerns can be applied to northern pike and muskellunge as well, and could even be exacerbated by the reduction in white sucker as well. Many muskellunge anglers are fishing Mille Lacs Lake because of the potential for very large fish, possibly even a state record. This dynamic would certainly change if maximum sizes decrease in the future. Furthermore, future muskellunge stocking rates need to consider changes in forage abundance and quality.
The muskellunge genetics study has confirmed that natural reproduction contributes significantly to the muskellunge population. Natural recruits contribute at least 25% and perhaps 50% of the adults. Many of the naturally reproduced muskellunge are hybrids between different stocked strains. As hybridization between the strains continues, it is likely that the Mille Lacs muskellunge population will carry genes from both of the Wisconsin strains for many generations. The continued presence of shoepack genes in some of the hybrid muskellunge was also a surprise, and demonstrates that that strain has persisted on natural reproduction alone for almost 30 years. In the spring of 2008, muskellunge will be sampled during spawning. Naturally reproduced fish from the four year stocking gap from 2000-2003 will be between 5 and 8 years old, which is a good compromise between being fully recruited to the spawning stock and being young enough for decent age assignment.
The discovery of zebra mussels in Mille Lacs Lake in 2005 represents a serious threat to Mille Lacs Lake and many others lakes to which zebra mussels from Mille Lacs Lake could be transported. Future effects to native invertebrates, walleye spawning areas, swimming beaches, the bait industry, and the local economy are unknown. In 2007, several new developments were observed. First, most of the zebra mussels found were small (less than 20 mm). Second, this was the first year that zebra mussels were collected in close enough proximity to confirm the ability to reproduce naturally. Third, zebra mussels were confirmed in the south end of the lake at three different sites. Fourth, veligers were collected in plankton tows. And finally, zebra mussels collected off a cinder block used to hold a data logger represented the first report of confirmed colonization of a temporary object. All of these developments support the classification of Mille Lacs Lake as "infested", and are evidence for significant natural reproduction. ?