Mud Lake Fishing near Bagley, Minnesota

• Overview

  Mud Lake is a Clearwater County water, Minnesota side. Around the bank it is mixed forest. Surface area runs to about 23 acres — small enough to read in one session. Bagley lies 0.7 miles from the water. The big place round here is Fargo, 79 miles distant. Not far off: Lake Lomond at 1.3 miles, Sabe Lake sits 2.4 miles out, First Lake at 2.7 miles, Second Lake sits 3.6 miles out and Minnow Lake at 3.8 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Reported across Clearwater County: bluegill, northern pike and largemouth bass. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. At Mud Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 67°F for July and 3°F for January. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. Averages suggest open water from about mid April through to roughly mid November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. It holds true on Mud Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Expect a half a mile walk in from where the car goes. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Lake Lomond, 1.3 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm before you fish Mud Lake.