Photo by Ron Anlauf.

Once mockingly called the Dead Sea, Mille Lacs Lake is again a favored destination for Minnesota anglers hoping to strike walleye gold.

Consecutive years of poor management and unfavorable conditions in the 1990s spelled near-disaster for the state’s second largest lake.

Kevin McQuiod, owner of Mac’s Twin Bay Resort, grew up on the lake. He’s seen these things happen before.

“All lakes go through cycles that can either stack the odds against you or with you, depending on the existing conditions,” he said. “Baitfish populations and dominant year-classes of fish definitely play a role in how dramatic the cycle becomes, and how long it lasts.

“We’ve actually had excellent ice-fishing for the past couple of seasons and it should be great again this year. The open-water action has been phenomenal since opening day and that should carry us right through the ice-fishing season. In fact, the action and pressure had been so intense that the DNR was forced to tighten the slot restrictions to control the open-water harvest, but they should be relaxed again for the start of the ice-fishing season.” (Continued)

Explosions of bait and a shortage of top end predators like walleyes can spell disaster for anglers. On the other hand, an abundance of predators and a shortage of bait can result in a windfall for those aware of the situation. Jumbo perch also fit into the equation, as they will feed on some of the same food supplies as walleyes, which includes plenty of immature perch. Good numbers of jumbo perch present in the system can help quickly correct an overabundance of baitfish, and right now the big lake’s carrying a solid population of big perch.

Trends are what you look for when trying to size up the opportunity for a good ice bite and the trends have been positive.

Those hitting Mille Lacs at first ice have plenty of great options to choose from, including shallower rocky reefs and bars, old weedbeds and sand breaks like those found on the north end of the lake. Where you start your quest is more a matter of where you can safely get to, and that can vary greatly from year to year but almost always is restricted to the shallows. Because of its sheer size, Mille Lacs is affected by a stiff wind more so than shallower protected lakes and a new sheet of good ice can literally move, leaving some areas with dangerously thin ice and that can create a deadly situation. Before giving it a go, make some calls, check with the resorts and be sure it’s safe before you get on the ice.

Some of the early-ice hotspots include Jack’s Twin Bay (where Mac’s is located) where there are all kinds of shoreline rocks, including a rocky point in the bay, and Hawkbill Point at the mouth where it meets the main lake. Heading up the east side there are Big Point, Hunter’s Point, Lakeside Reef, Agate Reef and many more rocky points and smaller reefs that are still unnamed. From the northeast corner and across most of the north end of the lake are shallow sand flats that drop into deeper water, which can hold plenty of first-ice walleyes. Heading down the west side there are Garrison Reef, Brown’s Point, Indian Point and Rocky Reef. The bays between the points are mostly sand and have accompanying breaklines that can also hold fish. Across the south end, there are big shallow bays, including Cove, Wahkon and Isle and is where you can find productive weedbeds.