Mud Lake Fishing in Clearwater County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Minnesota holds Mud Lake, in Clearwater County. Height above sea level is 1,509 feet. Around 48 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. The full circuit measures close to 1.2 miles on foot. The town to know is Bagley, 16 miles out. Beyond it, Bemidji at 24 miles and Park Rapids at 28 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Survey and observation records for Clearwater County include bluegill, northern pike, largemouth bass, yellow perch and walleye. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Mud Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 67°F and January near 4°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid April. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Time your trip to Mud Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. A slipway half a mile out gives trailer access. There is a mapped landing stage half a mile away. A campsite is mapped about half a mile away, which makes an early start easier. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Long Lake, 1.3 miles away. Treat Mud Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.