Fishing at Mud Lake, Chisago County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Within Chisago County, Minnesota, you have Mud Lake. The setting is rolling bush. Around 196 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. There is roughly 2.2 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Few waters listed in Chisago County are bigger. Stacy sits 0.9 miles from the bank. Then Chisago City, 4.3 miles, and Wyoming, 4.8 miles. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Open biodiversity records for Chisago County list largemouth bass, common carp, bluegill, yellow perch and black crappie. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Mud Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 11°F in January and 71°F in July. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Once it clears, about early April, the fishing comes on quickly. Averages place the thaw at early April and the freeze at late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. It sets the rhythm of the year at Mud Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. The closest car park is half a mile away, so pack accordingly. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. If the gate is shut, Sunrise River Pool 1 at 1.3 miles is the nearest alternative. Where Mud Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.