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

• Overview

  In Michigan, Mud Lake belongs to Grand Traverse County. It sits at 830 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to about 11 acres — small enough to read in one session. On size it sits at the modest end of our Grand Traverse County list. Traverse City lies 11 miles from the water. Greilickville follows at 11 miles, then Kingsley at 12 miles. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Public occurrence data for Grand Traverse County names rock bass, yellow perch, white sucker, smallmouth bass and bluegill. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. The near bank of Mud Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 68°F on average, January about 20°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early April. The water is typically free of ice between early April and mid December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Plan around that when you fish Mud Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. The car has to stay half a mile away, which shapes how much tackle you bring. A jetty or pier is mapped about half a mile from here. A campsite is mapped about 0.9 miles away, which makes an early start easier. Toilets show in mapping about half a mile away. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. If the gate is shut, Tonawanda Lake at 0.6 miles is the nearest alternative. None of that is settled for Mud Lake in what we hold.