Mud Lake Fishing near Pierz, Minnesota

• Overview

  Mud Lake lies in Morrison County, in Minnesota. It lies 1,250 feet above sea level. It measures about 28 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. For supplies, Pierz is 10 miles out. Further out sit Vineland (11 miles) and Little Falls (21 miles). Others within reach: 2.9 miles out stands Sullivan Lake, Round Lake a touch under 3.8 miles, 4.7 miles out stands Peavy Lake, Platte Lake a touch under 5 miles and 5.3 miles out stands Skunk Lake. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Open biodiversity records for Morrison County list largemouth bass, bluegill, northern pike and black crappie. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Read Mud Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 69°F and January about 8°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. The open-water window runs from around mid April to about late November in an average year. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. The season on Mud Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Sullivan Lake sits 2.9 miles off and takes the overflow. Ask locally about Mud Lake if anything is unclear.