Mud Lake Fishing near Manners Sutton, New Brunswick

• Overview

  New Brunswick holds Mud Lake, in York County. Elevation runs to 136 metres. Around 11 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. A shoreline of some 1.4 km keeps the choices simple. The nearest town is Manners Sutton, 13 km away. For a city, Dartmouth is 283 km off. Also within reach: Yoho Lake a shade over 7.5 km, Holland Lake out at 9.6 km, Grieve Lake a shade over 10 km, Harvey Cove out at 11 km and Harvey Lake Thoroughfare a shade over 14 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Survey and observation records for York County include smallmouth bass, Atlantic salmon, pumpkinseed, yellow perch and chain pickerel. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Fish Mud Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -10°C and July at about 19°C, the water has a wide range to work through. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and early December. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Mud Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Yoho Lake, 7.5 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat access at Mud Lake as something to verify.