Mud Lake in Hubbard County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Mud Lake sits in Hubbard County, out in Minnesota. It stands 1,381 feet above sea level. It measures about 50 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Start from Park Rapids, 15 miles down the road. It is 96 miles to Fargo, the nearest city. Water in the same corner: Nagel Lake 0.6 miles off, Tripp Lake sits 0.7 miles out, Mow Lake 1.3 miles off, Kettle Lake sits 2.1 miles out and Bladder Lake 3 miles off. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Public occurrence data for Hubbard County names walleye, northern pike, black crappie and bluegill. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Read Mud Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 68°F and January near 5°F on the long-run figures. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid April. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near late November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Plan any trip to Mud Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Mapping shows a jetty some half a mile off. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Sort the permit out before you load the car. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, Nagel Lake is 0.6 miles distant. Treat access at Mud Lake as something to verify.