Mud Lake Fishing near Elbow Lake, Minnesota

• Overview

  Mud Lake is a Grant County water, Minnesota side. The ground round it is mixed forest. With some 60 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The full circuit measures close to 1.6 miles on foot. The closest town, Elbow Lake, is 8.8 miles away. For a city, Fargo is 66 miles off. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Species logged across Grant County include common carp, largemouth bass, walleye, bluegill and yellow perch. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Mud Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 71°F; by January the average is down near 8°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Mud Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mud Lake WPA covers ground next to the water; its rules will apply on that side. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. If the gate is shut, Ash Lake at 1.4 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the current arrangement for Mud Lake.