Mill Lake

How big is Mill Lake?

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What kind of fish can you catch in Mill Lake?

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Are there boat launches on Mill Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Mill Lake?

An ice-out assessment was conducted in late April primarily to evaluate the Northern Pike and Walleye size structures in Mill Lake and to document whether significant winterkill occurred. In the past, gill nets indicated that the lake had the potential to produce quality size pike and a Walleye fingerling stocking program was initiated in 2016 in the hopes of developing a desirable Walleye population.

A total of 42 Northern Pike were captured in the 2023 ice-out assessment ranging in length from 19 to 38.7 inches. Mean length was exceptional for this work area at 29.2 inches. The 2023 length frequency data exhibited other quality characteristics such as 88% of pike exceeding 24 inches, 36% longer than 30 inches, and five fish over 36 Inches.

The 2023 assessment produced a sample of 35 Walleye which ranged from 9.6 to 25.2 inches in length. Ice-out assessment catches are usually dominated by spawning adults. In the case of Mill Lake, the largest Walleye could not be older than Age 7 thus few would be expected to exceed 25 inches. The 2023 size distribution shows good representation of many size classes indicating success from most if not all stocking events. The 2019 gill net assessment captured 2.83 Walleye per lift indicating a population level approaching management goals.

Catches of Black Crappie have been consistently high in all gear types used on Mill Lake indicating a historically elevated abundance level. A total of 442 Black Crappie were captured in the 2023 ice-out assessment ranging in size from 3.9 to 11.9 inches. Size structure has also been consistently poor and 89% of the 2023 sample was less than 9 inches long. Mean length was 6.8 inches. Aging results from electrofishing in 2019 indicate that growth rates are poor with growth slowing dramatically once the fish reach 8 inches and many older fish (Ages 6-10+) never reaching 9 inches. Size structure is not limited by harvest but the high population and slow growth. Excessive angler harvest is not a problem on Mill Lake.

The 2023 Bluegill sample consisted of 117 fish ranging from 3.4 to 8.6 inches in length with 42% greater than seven inches long and 5.2% over 8 inches. Bluegill over 9 inches have never been sampled in spring trap net assessments. Bluegill growth is slow with Age 6 fish averaging 6.5 inches and Age 8 fish
averaging 7 inches. The low prevalence of fish over 8 inches may be caused by poor growth, excessive angler harvest or both. A total of 21 Largemouth Bass between 6 and 14.1 inches long were also netted. Other species sampled in modest numbers included Hybrid Sunfish (20 fish) and Pumpkinseed (34 fish). Catches of gamefish species were good suggesting the winterkill was insignificant and should have little or no impact on the fishery.

What is the average air temp for Mill Lake?

Are there any state parks near Mill Lake?