Mille Lacs Lake water level today 10.28 ft, falling

Questions people ask about Mille Lacs Lake

Answered from the same readings as the rest of this page. Where we have no basis for an answer, there is no entry — spot-by-spot local knowledge is not something we can claim for Mille Lacs Lake.

Is it worth fishing Mille Lacs Lake today?

6 out of 10 — biting. Worth a cast. The strongest stretch is 12:27 AM–2:27 AM. That number is worked out fresh each morning from the solunar windows, the pressure trend, the water level.

What time should you fish Mille Lacs Lake?

Today's major windows run 12:27 AM–2:27 AM and 12:51 PM–2:51 PM, with minor windows at 7:49 AM–8:49 AM and 6:39 PM–7:39 PM. Sunrise is 7:08 AM and sunset 7:02 PM. A major landing on first or last light is the stretch worth setting an alarm for.

What is the water temperature at Mille Lacs Lake?

No gauge on Mille Lacs Lake measures it, so this is an estimate: roughly 55.5°F, worked out from the 7-day mean of air temperature at NOAA weather station KBRD (Brainerd - Crow Wing County Airport). Checked against the lakes that do have a thermometer, that method lands within about 4.5°F of the real reading and was off by 8.3°F at worst. Treat it as a ballpark, not a measurement — and note the bite index above ignores it entirely, because an error that size would move the verdict as often as it would fix it.

What is the water level at Mille Lacs Lake right now?

10.28 ft, read at 7:15 AM from USGS station 05284000. Over 24 hours it is down 0.06 ft.

Are water levels rising or falling at Mille Lacs Lake?

Falling. The lake is down 0.06 ft in 24 hours and down 0.07 ft over the week. Over the last 8 days it has held between 10.22 and 10.47 ft. Every figure here is a difference between two gauge readings, not a forecast — what the level does next depends on rain and on what the dam releases.

Can you eat the fish you catch in Mille Lacs Lake?

That is a health question, and it is answered officially rather than by us. Minnesota Department of Health publishes the fish consumption advisory covering these waters, where updated in March 2026 with new length-based limits for walleye and northern pike. Read it before you keep a meal — we give no eating advice.

MDH fish consumption advisory

Do you need a licence to fish Mille Lacs Lake?

Yes. A Minnesota fishing license covers this water, required from age 16. DNR sets the rules and is the one that counts.

What a Minnesota license costs, and who is exempt

What size fish can you keep in Minnesota?

It depends on the species, and several have slot limits rather than a simple minimum. Open to harvest today: walleye and sauger, northern pike, muskellunge (muskie), white and black crappie. Seasons here change mid-year by agency order, so the status is re-checked every morning.

Walleye and sauger limits · Northern pike limits · Muskellunge (muskie) limits · White and black crappie limits · Check a length against the rules