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Frequently Asked Questions About Mill Lake, MN
- How big is Mill Lake?
- How deep is Mill Lake?
- What kind of fish can you catch in Mill Lake?
- What are the closest cities to Mill Lake?
- Are there places to stay in the Mill Lake area?
- Are there boat launches on Mill Lake?
- Are there places to eat and drink near Mill Lake?
- What are the fishing regulations for Mill Lake?
- What is the average air temp for Mill Lake?
- Are there any state parks near Mill Lake?
How big is Mill Lake?
How deep is Mill Lake?
What kind of fish can you catch in Mill Lake?
Other fish species in the lake include Banded Killifish, Bluntnose Minnow, Brook Silverside, Central Mudminnow, Cisco (Tullibee), Fathead Minnow, Golden Shiner, Green Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish, Iowa Darter, Johnny Darter, Spottail Shiner, Tadpole Madtom and White Sucker.
What are the closest cities to Mill Lake?
Are there places to stay in the Mill Lake area?
More Lodging Options
Are there boat launches on Mill Lake?
Are there places to eat and drink near Mill Lake?
What are the fishing regulations for Mill Lake?
There are specific fishing regulations Mill Lake that you need to know. For complete fishing regulations visit the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. To report a violation call (800) 652-9093. Need a Minnesota fishing license?
Explore the Mill Lake area in a RV
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What aquatic invasive species are found in Mill Lake?
Join us in the fight to prevent the spread of invasive species These sneaky creatures can hitch a ride on boats, clinging onto propellers, anchor lines, and trailers. They can even survive in hidden places like bilge water and ballast tanks, or disguise themselves in dirt and sand that sticks to nets, buckets, anchors, and waders. But don't worry, we have the power to stop them in their tracks with just a few simple steps. So let's do our part and protect our waters from these unwanted invaders.
History & Status of the Fishery
Mill Lake is a 461-acre, moderately developed basin located about eight miles southwest of Alexandria in Douglas County. Maximum depth is 40.0 ft. Mean depth is 20.0 ft. Water clarity averages about 7.0 feet during summer months. Monitoring records describe a gradual increase in water clarity over the past 20 years.
The lake is fertile and supports an abundant and diverse aquatic plant community. Emergent vegetation such as hardstem bulrush is common and helps protect shorelines from erosion while also providing valuable fish and wildlife habitat. Bulrush is effective at absorbing in-lake nutrients that would otherwise fuel the growth of nuisance algae. Submergent plants growth to a depth of 12.0 feet.
Walleyes, northern pike, largemouth bass, bluegills and black crappies are moderately abundant. Walleyes captured during the 2012 survey ranged from 10.0- to 29.0-inches and averaged almost 16-inches. These 16-inch fish are part of a strong 2008 year class that should provide good angling in 2013. Northern pike captures ranged from 12.0- to 32.0-inches in length. At present, most pike are young. Due to the high proportion of young fish in the population sample, average size captured in gillnets was 20.3 inches.
Habitat conditions are well suited for sunfishes. The black crappie population supports a popular spring fishery. Survey catch rates have often exceeded normal or expected catches for similar lakes. Reproductive success and annual recruitment have proven irregular, thus age and size distributions, as well as, fishing quality can vary dependent upon loss of old fish or variable contributions of young fish to population abundance. Largemouth bass are very abundant. Older bass don't grow well, thus the lake doesn't support many bass over 15.0 inches in length. Most bluegills captured during the 2012 survey were three-year-old fish. Average size caught in 2012 was 5.8 inches, but 8.0 inch and larger bluegills are present.
Yellow perch, the preferred forage for top predators, are currently plentiful. Perch have adapted to predation by maturing earlier and at a smaller size. Rather than putting energy into maximal growth, available protein goes into reproduction. Few perch are large enough to harvest.
In summary, Mill Lake can best be described as relatively quiet, highly productive lake that retains a good amount of natural shoreline and areas of emergent vegetation. The lake has lush submergent plant growth and can become a bit green during the height of summer. Gamefishes are abundant and angler catch rates can be very good. Mill Lake offers excellent family fishing experiences and can also yield some large walleye for specialized anglers.
What is the average air temp for Mill Lake?
Are there any state parks near Mill Lake?
For more Minnesota State Park information see our State Park Guide.
More Nearby Lakes To Explore
There's more lake's to explore around Mill Lake...| DISTANCE | ACRES | MAX DEPTH | |
| Grill Lake | 0.7 mi | 67 | 11 ft |
| Round Lake | 1.3 mi | 81 | 30 ft |
| Crooked Lake | 1.6 mi | 281 | 35 ft |
| Grants Lake | 1.8 mi | 177 | 60 ft |
| Lobster Lake | 1.8 mi | 1,329 | 65 ft |
| Blackwell Lake | 2.2 mi | 307 | 42 ft |
| Indian Lake | 2.5 mi | 76 | 38 ft |
| Echo Lake | 2.7 mi | 107 | 40 ft |
| Cook Lake | 2.8 mi | 101 | 50 ft |
| Lake Mary | 2.8 mi | 2,450 | 40 ft |
