Sure, you know Lake Mille Lacs is beautiful and you’ve heard the fishing is great, but is that enough for the ultimate Minnesota lake vacation? We don’t think so. Good thing a Mille Lacs lake vacation at The Red Door Resort offers so much more!
Quick answer: For the 2026 open water season on Mille Lacs Lake (opener: Saturday, May 9, 2026), state-licensed anglers can keep three walleye per day, all 17 inches or longer, with only one over 20 inches. The open-water walleye regulation is in place through November 30, 2026. Night fishing is closed from May 11 through August 31 (10 p.m.–6 a.m.), with exceptions for muskie, pike, and bowfishing. Full species-by-species regulations are below. Always verify current rules with the Minnesota DNR. Last updated November 6, 2026. This page covers the 2026 open water season on Mille Lacs Lake and replaces our [...]
Update: this post covers the March 2025 perch limit change. For current limits, see our 2026 Mille Lacs Lake Open Water Fishing Regulations. Mille Lacs Lake Perch Limited Reduced March 10, 2025 Today the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) announced that starting tomorrow, Tuesday, March 11th, and lasting through Sunday, November 30, 2025, the limit for perch on Mille Lacs Lake will be reduced from 20 fish to 5 fish per angler per day. The angler possession limit will also be reduced from 40 fish to 5 fish. The fantastic winter perch bite caused anglers to harvest an estimated [...]
We’ve all heard the idiom, “There are plenty of fish in the sea.” It’s usually used to encourage and remind someone not to worry, assuring them that there are plenty of suitable matches out there. Here at The Red Door Resort, when we hear the word “fish” our ears automatically perk up. But nobody’s perk higher than Captain John Wersal’s - fishing guide extraordinaire, the Catch King, the Fish Whisperer. When he hears “fish,” he thinks of the endless possibilities on Lake Mille Lacs, those he can teach, the fish they’ll catch together, the memories that will inevitably be made. [...]
It’s summertime in Minnesota and you know what that means, vacation! PTO has been taken, dates are booked (at The Red Door Resort, obvi), and the kids are ecstatic. When you read the numerous iterations of the word vacation, you’ll see synonyms such as relax, leisure, escape, and respite. Nowhere does it say kids are the only ones who get to reap the benefits of time away at a picturesque, fun-filled resort. Heck, we could argue kids’ entire lives are relaxing, amiright? We want to make it easy on all of you hard-working parents. We want you to be prepared [...]
“My name is John, and I have a problem.” While some people collect stamps or accumulate antiques, Captain John Wersal, the preferred fishing guide at The Red Door Resort, is a fishing enthusiast with a boat (and shed…and maybe basement?) full of lures, gear technology, bobbers, and more. And he sports his angler aficionado prowess with pride. John grew up on Lake Mille Lacs and after college, he began his career as a police officer. He’s always fished for pleasure, relaxation, and a mental health break, but after retiring from the force he turned his passion into a profession in [...]
What’s that glow? If you squint a little, you can definitely make it out. Ahhhh… it’s the light at the end of the dark and unpredictable winter tunnel. Kids are entering their last trimester of school, the birds are singing, and new life seems to be infused into everything around you. It feels like there’s non-stop service to summer, and oh the weight of excitement that that one word carries. Summer vacation. You’re feeling a little antsy and you need to do something, plan something, look forward to something. Boy, do we have a solution for you! Introducing our Adventure [...]
Relaxing, intimate vacations with your family of four (or three or five, we’re talking nuclear family here) get so much attention. “I can’t wait to have some alone time, just the four of us,” or “We can’t wait to have a peaceful getaway,” or “What we need is some time away from the hustle and bustle.” BORING. Don’t get us wrong, all of this is nice, it really is. “Quiet”, “relaxing”, “bonding time”, “unplugged” … but now that the seasons are officially changing, and we feel comfortable tucking away the lurking dread of an impending snowstorm until next year (fingers [...]
Ah, sleep, it’s what I live for. That and those soft, chewy treats my mom pulls out of the pantry when I do a trick, after bath time, and simply for being a good boy (which is all the time if you ask me.) I lead a pretty basic life, but that’s how I like it. It consists of eating (my favorite), sleeping (my second favorite), and belly rubs (there are never enough.) Home is where my tail-wagging heart is, but put me in a car going literally anywhere, and I’m elated. Put me in a car going on vacation? [...]
Updated November 6, 2026. Winter doesn’t always evoke the warmest of feelings. If you’re a parent, you might be in the heart of your busiest season. Extracurriculars, homework help, and juggling like the most talented magician ever. All this bustling doesn’t leave a whole lot of time to think about, much less plan, a romantic getaway. If you’re not a parent or your kids have left the nest, you might be hunkering down at work or finally getting onto that long ‘honey-do’ list. Or maybe you’re simply feeling lackadaisical and a bit stuck in the gloom. Again, who has time [...]
In Minnesota, the weather is always a conversation starter, ender, and everything in between. Why? Because here we get it all. Humidity you can cut with a knife, freezing rain, tornadoes, below-zero temperatures, hailstorms, thundersnow, hoarfrost (we had to look this one up - it’s when ice crystals form on surfaces, FYI) and so much more. After the question “I wonder if it’ll rain today?” next up is, “What the heck should I wear?” And the real doozy, “What in the world should I pack?” We’ve all been in the position of starting the day with a crisp, chilly morning [...]
Updated November 6, 2026. Reaaaal funny, Mother Nature. Hilarious. You got us! You’re so funny, we forgot to laugh. Okay, we give up. Where’s the snow and cold? Where’s the ice?? While we (im)patiently wait for you to get your seasons straight, don’t worry about us. We’ll be over here happily checking off this simple yet fun list of indoor family activities to keep us occupied in our cabin. We don’t need no stinking ice. I mean, we don’t need it, The Red Door Resort is more than a memory-making, well-loved fishing lodge in Minnesota, but we want it. Bad. [...]
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We are located on the North Shore of Lake Mille Lacs, adjacent to the Wealthwood State Forest.
Monday – Thursday: 9am to 5pm
Friday: 9am to 7pm
Saturday: 9am to 6pm
Sunday: 9am to 2pm
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(218) 678-3686
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38421 State Hwy 18,
Aitkin, MN 56431
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