Fishing Mud Lake in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Mud Lake lies in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota. The surroundings are mixed forest. Small at around 12 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Our Mille Lacs County list holds plenty of bigger water. The closest town, Vineland, is 3.7 miles away. Pierz follows at 18 miles, then Brainerd at 22 miles. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• 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. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. County-wide records name largemouth bass, northern pike and yellow perch. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Mud Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 69°F in July and bottom out at 8°F in January. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Mud Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. If the gate is shut, Spring Lake at 0.6 miles is the nearest alternative. Rules at Mud Lake are worth checking on the day.