Mud Lake Fishing Guide, Montcalm County, Michigan

• Overview

  Out in Montcalm County, Michigan, sits Mud Lake. It sits at 807 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to about 4 acres — small enough to read in one session. Most waters listed here for Montcalm County are larger. Belding lies 3.5 miles from the water. For a city, Grand Rapids is 27 miles off. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. County-wide records name bluegill, largemouth bass, white sucker, johnny darter and pink salmon. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Take Mud Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 71°F on average, January about 21°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early April. Break-up sits around early April on average, with the water closing again about mid December. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Mud Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Parking sits half a mile out, which makes for a walk with tackle. Part of this sits inside or beside Flat River State Game Area, so read the notices. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. For a change of water, Race Lake is 0.4 miles distant. Where Mud Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.