Mille Lacs Outdoors: Fishing, Hunting & ATV Trails Near Deer Lake Farmstead
By admin December 16, 2025 If you love being outside, the Lake Mille Lacs region is the kind of place that can fill an entire season—not just a single weekend. Big-water walleye and smallmouth, miles of ATV/UTV routes, thousands of acres of public land, and then (at the end of the day) a quieter, non-motorized lake where you can actually hear the loons.
That’s the rhythm at Deer Lake Farmstead—an RV park and campground near Mille Lacs Lake in Malmo, Minnesota, set on the south shore of non-motorized Deer Lake and just up the road from Malmo Bay. It’s an easy drive from the Twin Cities, but once you’re here, your weekends can revolve around fishing, riding, hunting, and paddling instead of traffic and to-do lists.
Mille Lacs Fishing: Walleye, Smallmouth, Musky
Ask most anglers what pulls them to Mille Lacs and you’ll hear the same few species come up fast: walleye, smallmouth bass, and musky. Mille Lacs is a clear-water, structure-rich lake that keeps both serious and casual anglers coming back.
If you like following events and tournament schedules, keep an eye on the Minnesota Tournament Trail—it’s a good way to see what’s happening around the state (and around Mille Lacs in many seasons).
Local guide services on Mille Lacs
If you want to shorten the learning curve, a couple of guide services are well known around the lake:
- Roach’s Guide Service (Tony Roach)
- Hawthorne’s Guide Service (Brad Hawthorne)
From Deer Lake Farmstead, you can mix it up: fish quieter water on Deer Lake when you want a slower pace, or tow the boat a short distance to Mille Lacs for big-water days. It’s a solid balance—go hard when the weather and bite line up, then come back to still water and quiet evenings.
ATV & UTV Trails Near Mille Lacs: Ride-Out Options and Big Loop
If your idea of fun includes knobby tires and dusty helmets, the Mille Lacs and Aitkin County trail network is a huge perk of having a seasonal home base in this area. Between the counties, you’ll find long stretches of connected riding with options ranging from easy cruising to more technical segments.
Good places to start planning:
The best part: you can spend the day riding, then come back to a calmer lakeside evening—no packing up, no unloading-and-reloading routine, no rushing to beat traffic home.
Fall Hunting: Deer, Grouse, and Waterfowl Country
When summer slips into fall, this region turns into classic Minnesota hunting season—deer stands, grouse walks, and waterfowl mornings.
A major public-land anchor nearby is the Mille Lacs Wildlife Management Area (WMA), and to the north end of the lake, the Wealthwood State Forest adds even more room to roam.
Depending on your season and your style, the area gives you realistic options for:
- Deer hunting
- Grouse and upland birds
- Waterfowl
As always, plan with current regulations and season dates before you go.
Quiet Days on Deer Lake: Paddling, Loons, and Reset Evenings
All that “go big” outdoor energy makes the calm days feel even better. Because Deer Lake is non-motorized, it’s built for the simple stuff:
- Kayak and canoe laps along the shoreline
- Birdwatching (loons are a regular soundtrack)
- Slow sunsets over water and fields
This is the balance people love about camping near Mille Lacs from a quieter base: big days when you want them, softer days when you don’t.
Build a Season Around the Outdoors
A season here can look like:
- Spring / early summer: opener weekends, a guide trip, and early trail rides
- Mid-summer: a mix of Mille Lacs days and quieter Deer Lake evenings
- Fall: deer, grouse, and waterfowl—then fires and earlier nights
Because you’re set up for the season, your gear stays put, your routines get easier, and each trip starts with the same question: What do we feel like doing this time?
Ready to Make Deer Lake Your Outdoor Basecamp?
If you’re looking for an RV park and campground near Mille Lacs Lake that keeps you close to fishing, trails, and public land—while still giving you a calmer place to land at night—start here:
- Explore Seasonal RV Sites
- See what’s on site on our Amenities page
- Save this local planner: Things to Do Near Malmo and Mille Lacs (Area Guide)
- Questions? Contact us anytime
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