Mille Lacs Lake

Mille Lacs Lake
Lake in September 2011
Location	Aitkin / Mille Lacs / Crow Wing Counties, Minnesota, US
Coordinates	46°14′17.27″N 93°38′36.29″W / 46.2381306°N 93.6434139°W / 46.2381306; -93.6434139Coordinates: 46°14′17.27″N 93°38′36.29″W / 46.2381306°N 93.6434139°W / 46.2381306; -93.6434139
Type	moraine-dammed lake
Primary inflows	Garrison Creek, Seguchie Creek, Peterson Creek, and Thain's River
Primary outflows	Rum River
Basin countries	United States
Surface area	207 sq mi (536 km2)
Max. depth	42 ft (13 m)
Surface elevation	1,251 ft (381 m)
Settlements	see list

Mille Lacs Lake (also called Lake Mille Lacs or Mille Lacs) is a large but shallow lake in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is located in the counties of Mille Lacs, Aitkin, and Crow Wing, roughly 100 miles north of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area.

Mille Lacs means "thousand lakes" in French. In the Ojibwe language, the lake is called Misi-zaaga'igan ("grand lake").

Mille Lacs is Minnesota's second-largest inland lake at 132,516 acres (536 km²), after Red Lake. The maximum depth is 42 feet. 20- to 38-foot depth ranges cover much of the main lake. Gravel and rock bars cover the southern half of the lake. Two islands in the center make up Mille Lacs National Wildlife Refuge, the smallest in the United States.

Shallow reef-top fishing exists 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. There are many local fisherman's names for some features of the lake. Spirit Island, the small rock-made island in the south west region of the lake, is often referred to as Bird Crap Island or Stinky Stony Island.

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.