Mud Lake Fishing in Mackinac County, Michigan

• Overview

  In Michigan, Mud Lake belongs to Mackinac County. The bank gives way to pine and birch. At 9 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Mackinac County. Head to Saint Ignace, 20 miles away, for anything you forgot. It is 165 miles to Greater Sudbury, the nearest city. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Public occurrence data for Mackinac County names white sucker, rainbow smelt, yellow perch, rock bass and alewife. The county list is broader than any single water. Mud Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 14°F and July at about 65°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near early December. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. It holds true on Mud Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Failing this one, try Leach Lake, 0.7 miles away. Treat access at Mud Lake as something to verify.