Mud Lake Fishing near Saint Francis, Minnesota

• Overview

  Mud Lake sits within Anoka County in Minnesota. It stands 886 feet above sea level. At about 79 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Around 1.3 miles of margin, front to back. It lies lower than most water we list in Minnesota. The nearest town is Saint Francis, 1.9 miles away. Minneapolis sits 27 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Public occurrence data for Anoka County names bluegill, common carp, black crappie and largemouth bass. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. At Mud Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 71°F and January near 11°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early April. Break-up near early April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Anyone fishing Mud Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. The nearest alternative is Norris Lake, 0.7 miles out. Check the position at Mud Lake before loading the car.