Grill

Grill Lake is a small, shallow, and lightly developed basin located about eight miles southwest of Alexandria in Douglas County. There is no public access; however, small fishing boats can access through a shallow channel on the northeast shore of Mill Lake. Grill Lake is thought to provide spawning and nursery habitat for Mill Lake. Submerged aquatic vegetation is common throughout the lake and is dense in many areas. Fish management activities are limited to periodic lake surveys in conjunction with surveys scheduled for Mill Lake. Fish community structure and gamefish abundance can change abruptly in response to mild or severe winterkill events. The fish community in Grill Lake during the 2009 was considered typical of small, densely vegetated lakes in west-central Minnesota. Largemouth bass, bluegill, black crappie, and northern pike provide most of the angling opportunities. Northern pike are relatively abundant. Captured pike ranged from 10.9 to 34.1 inches in total length. Black crappies were also relatively abundant in 2009. Most crappie captured were between 5.6 and 11.0 inches in length. Walleye are not stocked, but they are present due to migrations between Mill and Mary lakes. Abundance is very limited. Five walleye captures were recorded. Lengths ranged from 19.6 - 28.5 inches.

Grill Lake is a small, shallow, and lightly developed basin located about eight miles southwest of Alexandria in Douglas County. There is no public access, however small fishing boats can access through a shallow channel on the northeast shore of Mill Lake. Grill Lake is thought to provide a spawning and nursery area for Mill Lake. Submerged aquatic vegetation is common throughout the lake and is dense in many areas. Fish management activities are limited to periodic lake surveys in conjunction with surveys scheduled for Mill Lake. The fish community in Grill Lake is typical of small, densely vegetated lakes in west-central Minnesota. Largemouth bass, bluegill, black crappie, and northern pike provide most of the angling opportunities. Northern pike are relatively abundant. Fish ranged from 19.6 to 29.7 inches in total length. Mean weight of fish captured was 3.4 pounds. Black crappie were also relatively abundant in 2004. Most of the fish captured were between 7.5 and 9.5 inches in length. Walleye numbers were limited. One walleye measuring 19.6 inches in total length was captured in the gill net and two walleye between 26.5 and 27.0 inches in length were captured in trap nets.

Grill Lake is a small, shallow, and lightly developed basin located two miles north of Holmes City. There is no public access on the Lake. Access can be made via a shallow channel on the northeast shoreof Mill Lake. The clear and shallow nature of the lake results in an abundance of submerged aquaticplants. The north arm of the lake can develop dense algae blooms during summer months which can limitrecreational pursuits.Grill Lake can provide some quick fishing action. Northern pike are extremely abundant and shouldprovide ample angling opportunities. Fish averaged about 20 inches in length with the largest fishmeasuring over 28 inches. Bluegill and largemouth bass are abundant, yet average size of these speciestends to be small. Walleye are present, but likely in low numbers. One fish was captured, but it wasover 28 inches in length and weighed 7.7 pounds. The north arm of the lake would provide an excellent opportunity for bow-fishing carp. Fish tend tocongregate in high numbers and are quite accessible during spawning in June.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Largemouth Bass, Black Crappie, Northern Pike, Walleye, and Pumpkinseed in Grill. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

We don't have a confirmed public access point on record for Grill. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for current access details before you go.

Grill has a maximum depth of 11 feet and a mean depth of 7 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Grill is from 2009. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

Yes — Grill has confirmed zebra mussel. Clean, drain, and dry your equipment to avoid spreading invasives to other waters.