Fishing Mud Lake in Kalamazoo County, Michigan

• Overview

  Kalamazoo County, Michigan, is where Mud Lake sits. Elevation runs to 843 feet. At about 32 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The edge runs 1.0 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Vicksburg lies 1.6 miles from the water. South Bend is the closest city, 49 miles away. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Reported across Kalamazoo County: bluegill, largemouth bass, yellow perch, rock bass and pumpkinseed. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. The shape of Mud Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 23°F in January to roughly 72°F in July. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. After late March the shallows warm and the fish move up. Open water usually runs from late March until about mid December. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Plan any trip to Mud Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Thrall Lake sits 0.7 miles off and takes the overflow. Where Mud Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.