Mud Lake near Boyne City: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Look for Mud Lake in Charlevoix County, Michigan. The surface lies 617 feet up. Surface area runs to about 17 acres — small enough to read in one session. Most waters listed here for Charlevoix County are larger. Boyne City at 3.7 miles is the nearest place to stop. For a city, Green Bay is 152 miles off. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. County-wide records name rainbow smelt, alewife, shortjaw cisco, bloater and shortnose cisco. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Work Mud Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 68°F in July and bottom out at 20°F in January. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about mid December. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. The season on Mud Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. The nearest alternative is Lake Charlevoix, 1.6 miles out. For Mud Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.