Fishing at Mud Lake, Presque Isle County, Michigan

• Overview

  Look for Mud Lake in the Presque Isle County part of Michigan. It lies 781 feet above sea level. At about 34 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. With about 0.9 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Supplies mean a trip to Rogers City, 11 miles off. The big place round here is Greater Sudbury, 166 miles distant. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Fish documented in Presque Isle County include rainbow smelt, alewife, bloater and lake whitefish. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. At Mud Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 67°F, while January sits near 18°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around early December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Plan around that when you fish Mud Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. 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. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Bullhead Lake sits 0.4 miles off and takes the overflow. Confirm before you fish Mud Lake.