Fishing at Mud Lake, St. Francis County, Arkansas

• Overview

  Within St. Francis County, Arkansas, you have Mud Lake. The setting is dry hill on every side. Surface area runs to roughly 463 acres, so plan for one area rather than the whole. Among the waters listed for St. Francis County, none is wider. Hughes sits 3.5 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Tunica Resorts lies 12 miles off, Forrest City another 16 miles. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Public occurrence data for St. Francis County names green sunfish, cypress darter, rainbow darter, longear sunfish and warmouth. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. At Mud Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 81°F in July and bottom out at 39°F in January. Fishing runs all year, with summer the awkward season. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer squeezes it into the edges of the day. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. Anyone fishing Mud Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. Catfish want bait on the bottom: cut bait or worms, a simple running rig, and patience after dark. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. If the gate is shut, Horseshoe Lake at 11 miles is the nearest alternative. None of that is settled for Mud Lake in what we hold.