Mud Lakes in Washtenaw County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Mud Lakes lies in Washtenaw County, Michigan. Country round the bank runs to lake country bush. This is a tiny water, and one quiet approach covers all of it. Our Washtenaw County list holds plenty of bigger water. Chelsea is the closest town at 4.1 miles. Ann Arbor is the closest city, 19 miles away. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lakes

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. 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. Records held for Washtenaw County cover bluegill, largemouth bass and rock bass. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Anyone new to Mud Lakes should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 71°F and January reads 22°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. After late March the shallows warm and the fish move up. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late March and starts locking again about mid December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Mud Lakes.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. The nearest car park is half a mile from the water. A pier or jetty stands half a mile away, which helps on a crowded bank. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Cavanaugh Lake, 0.5 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm before you fish Mud Lakes.