Mud Lake Fishing near Fergus Falls, Minnesota

• Overview

  Mud Lake is listed under Otter Tail County, Minnesota. It sits at 1,152 feet above sea level. This is sizeable water at about 248 acres, and a boat opens up most of it. The edge runs 2.5 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Fergus Falls is the closest place, 9.8 miles off. Further out sit Elbow Lake (11 miles) and Breckenridge (28 miles). It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Fish documented in Otter Tail County include largemouth bass, black crappie and walleye. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Mud Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 70°F at the top of summer and 8°F at the bottom of winter. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The season between ice runs from about mid April to late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Time your trip to Mud Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Recorded parking is half a mile off, far enough to travel light. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. If the gate is shut, Alkali Lake at 1.7 miles is the nearest alternative. For Mud Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.