Mud Lake Fishing in Bear Lake County, Idaho

• Overview

  Mud Lake is one of the Bear Lake County listings for Idaho. Elevation runs to 5,919 feet. This is big water, about 4.9 sq miles, and in a wind it behaves like a small sea. There is not much shape to the outline, and the wind crosses it unbroken. It is the biggest water on our Bear Lake County list. The nearest place of any size is Montpelier, 13 miles away. The big place round here is Salt Lake City, 99 miles distant. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Species logged across Bear Lake County include rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, lake trout, bear lake whitefish and mountain whitefish. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. The shape of Mud Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 64°F, while January sits near 19°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. On average, mid April opens the water and late November closes it again. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Mud Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. If the gate is shut, Bear Lake at 9.6 miles is the nearest alternative. Treat Mud Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.