Lake Mille Lacs this week: walleye and muskie, depths and baits at 48°F

The fish right now

Walleye on Lake Mille Lacs are a solid pick. Walleye stay catchable in cold water, holding on deep structure with a slow bite. Good cool-water bite, best at dusk and after dark. At the marked spot, look for them around 32 to 36 ft; jig and minnow or crankbait along the edge.

Smallmouth bass here are catchable with patience. Cold smallmouth hug deep rock and eat sparingly, so slow, bottom-hugging baits work best. Look on rocky points and gravel. At the marked spot, look for them around 30 to 34 ft; try hair jig or blade bait, slow.

On the same water, muskie are in their comfort zone. Pike and muskie still bite in cold water, but they want big, slow baits near weed edges and drop-offs. At the marked spot, look for them around 28 to 32 ft; slow big swimbait.

Then there are yellow perch, in a good mood. Yellow perch school deep in cold water and bite small jigs and minnows. Schooled near weed edges and soft bottom. At the marked spot, look for them around 30 to 34 ft; try small jig or minnow near bottom.

A spot to start

On Lake Mille Lacs, start at the point drop-off marked on the map, fishing 28 to 32 ft. The bottom falls away fast off this point; fish rest deep and move up the slope to feed. Expect walleye and smallmouth bass there; jig and minnow or crankbait along the edge. The best window there is 6:30 am to 8:45 am. Down at that depth the water is about 48°F, against 50°F on top.

Depths below are worked out from the lake bed at that spot and the water temperature down there.

DamDeepest water N 3 miles

102030Depth, ft Free spot todayPlace to stay

See this spot in 3-D

About Lake Mille Lacs

Lake Mille Lacs covers about 132,000 acres at full pool. It runs around 40 ft at its deepest. Walleye, smallmouth bass and muskie are what most anglers on Lake Mille Lacs are after. Knowing which fish are comfortable at today's temperature narrows a big lake down to a few good spots.

The water level

The level reads 1,251.0 ft, about the same as a week ago. That puts it 0.5 ft below the usual level for this time of year. A steady level keeps fish on familiar spots, so what worked last week should still be close.

How to fish it this week

• Set your depth for 48°F water: The surface is 48°F (a few days ago). Fish the deeper end of the range and stay close to the drop: in water this cold fish move little.
• Tie on the right bait: At this spot, jig and minnow or crankbait along the edge. Walleye: good cool-water bite, best at dusk and after dark.
• Work the edge, not the middle: Slow everything down: long pauses, light line, small baits. Most bites come as the bait sits still. Position the boat in deep water and cast up onto the shallow side, so your bait falls down the slope the way fish face.
• Use the wind, carefully: Wednesday brings wind from the north with gusts near 15 mph: bait stacks up on the south side, and fish follow. A light chop is a good thing: it breaks up the light and makes fish bolder.

The week ahead

For the calmest weather, Tuesday is the pick of the next few days: mostly sunny, wind around 10 mph and a high near 53°F. The wind builds to its strongest on Thursday, out of the north at 15 mph. Highs slide from about 53°F to 37°F over the stretch, so dress in layers for the early start.

Circle Tuesday, Thursday and Friday on the calendar: 6 of the next 7 days rate good or better. On Tuesday the strongest window runs 6:30 am to 8:45 am, and Wednesday repeats it.