Mille Lacs

Hey all – I posted a few weeks ago about my up coming trip to the Mille Lacs area. I am just wondering how the driving conditions are on the South end? Will we have to stay on the roads, or can we venture off? IF we have to stay on the roads, where is a good area to start off? Any recommendations to resorts etc that will let us drive on and point us in the right direction? Maybe we will be better off just fishing some smaller lake in the area. Thanks in advance.

My buddy Doug over at Mille Lacs Lake Fishing website has a forum with current ice updates from around the lake. It is a great one stop shop for reports and updates. Give it a look at:

http://millelacslakefishing.activeboard.com/f492275/ice-conditions/

This last weekend things really got rolling around the lake. So there are plenty of options right now. Good luck!

-J.

Was out last weekend exploring around in the SW corner out of cove bay (Mezomonie point/Kings area) and with my F-150 and watching carefully I could navigate around somewhat but the ice conditions are spotty. Few times I had to back out of deep snow and few times I had to back out of slush when I broke through the crust. Personally I would not recommend off road travel with a truck this year at all.

While drilling holes ice ranged from 23″ to 12″ in a matter of yards.

You can drive out from pretty much all the resorts but like previously mentioned I don’t think going off-road is a good idea. On the South end Lybacks is a nice place to head out on the South end

My dad lives on Cove bay. He told me yesterday that Brandt’s has a road to sloppy joe’s and the ice in that area is 18 inches.

Thanks for all the help and suggestion. I am still not sure what we are going to decide. Is there and area that is “hot” now. I have never fished the South end so any help would be appreciated

Personally, I would not try to focus on a “Hot Spot” but rather be completely set up and fishing hard during the 2 peak bites. That half hour to 45 minutes before and after sunrise and sunset. You do that and you will be way ahead of the game.

-J.