Mille Lacs, MN

Mille Lacs Lake is also called Lake Mille Lacs or simply Mille Lacs. Originally French (Mille lacs means "one thousand lakes"}, the 's' is pronounced in Minnesota. Located in the counties of Mille Lacs, Aitkin and Crow Wing, it is a lake in the U.S. state of Minnesota, north of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area.

Mille Lacs is Minnesota's second-largest inland lake at 132,516 acres (536 km2). Maximum depth is 42 feet. 20 to 38 foot depth ranges covers much of the main lake. The northern half contains most of the lake's mud flats. Gravel and rock bars cover the southern half of the lake. Shallow reef-top fishing is offered on all sides of the lake. Deep-water angling takes place on the southern deep gravel and rocks as well as on dozens of mud flats in the north half of the lake. Shoreline break fishing on varied bottom types occurs all around the lake. The weed line is at nine to twelve feet.

The lake has many species of fish including walleye, northern pike, muskie, jumbo perch, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, black crappie, burbot, and tullibee. It is one of Minnesota's most popular fishing lakes. Ice fishing houses number in the thousands during the winter. It is a prime spawning grounds for walleye. Billions of walleye eggs and fry are produced there every year. In the absence of a thermocline, fish can travel the whole area of the lake.