Fishing Mud Lake in Douglas County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Mud Lake is set in Douglas County, Minnesota. The country round it is mixed forest from end to end. It runs to roughly 69 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Roughly 1.2 miles of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Douglas County. The closest town, Alexandria, is 6.2 miles distant. Glenwood is 11 miles away, with Starbuck at 14 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Douglas County records list largemouth bass, common carp and bluegill among the fish reported. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. The near bank of Mud Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 70°F in July and bottoms out near 9°F in January. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about late November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Mud Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Should this one be busy, Lake Andrew is 1.4 miles off. Check the position on Mud Lake before loading the car.