Lakes / Minnesota / Mille Lacs
Mille Lacs, Minnesota
128,250 acres
Surface Area
42 ft
Max Depth
28.5 ft
Average Depth
105.47 mi
Shoreline
1,253 ft
Surface Elevation
Where It Sits, and How Deep It Goes
Locator - Minnesota
46.24 degrees N, 93.64 degrees W - Mille Lacs County. State and county outlines drawn from Census boundary data; the lake marker is placed by its Minnesota DNR coordinates, not by eye. Schematic - not a survey map.
Depth Profile - Mille Lacs
Schematic cross-section drawn to one shared depth scale - not a survey or bathymetric map.
How Mille Lacs Stacks Up
- Ranks #3 for surface area among the Minnesota lakes counted so far - 128,250 acres.
- The largest lake in Mille Lacs County among those counted.
- Its average depth of 28.5 ft is more than 2 times a typical shallow Minnesota lake, which averages under 10 ft.
- About 28 miles from Brainerd, as the crow flies.
Fish Species
WalleyeNorthern PikeMuskellungeSmallmouth BassLargemouth BassBlack CrappieBluegillPumpkinseedYellow PerchCiscoBurbotRock BassBluntnose MinnowBrook SilversideBrown BullheadCommon CarpGolden ShinerHybrid SunfishJohnny DarterLogperchMimic ShinerMottled SculpinSpottail ShinerTrout-PerchWhite Sucker
Species recorded for this lake. Presence only - no abundance ratings.
Facts and Figures
Lake ID (DOW)48000200
CountyMille Lacs
Average Water Clarity11 ft
Coordinates46.2387, -93.6436
Deepest Natural Lakes in Minnesota
| # | Lake | County | Surface Area | Max Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mahnomen, Alstead & Arco Mine | Crow Wing | 272 acres | 525 ft |
| 2 | Sabin | St. Louis | 156 acres | 465 ft |
| 3 | Gilbert Pit | St. Louis | 243 acres | 443 ft |
| 4 | Portsmouth Mine | Crow Wing | 149 acres | 395 ft |
| 5 | St James Pit | St. Louis | 124 acres | 381 ft |
Largest Lakes in Minnesota
| # | Lake | County | Surface Area | Max Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake of the Woods | Lake of the Woods | 725,583 acres | 210 ft |
| 2 | Rainy | St. Louis | 210,200 acres | 161 ft |
| 3 | Mille Lacs | Mille Lacs | 128,250 acres | 42 ft |
| 4 | Red (Upper Red) | Beltrami | 119,294 acres | 15 ft |
| 5 | Leech | Cass | 103,444 acres | 150 ft |
Sources: Minnesota DNR lake data (ID 48000200); USGS. Verified October 30, 2026.