Mud Lake Fishing near Aurora, Minnesota

• Overview

  The Saint Louis County end of Minnesota holds Mud Lake. The country here is lake country bush. Small at around 20 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Saint Louis County. Aurora lies 17 miles from the water. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 159 miles distant. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Reported across Saint Louis County: yellow perch, northern pike and white sucker. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Read Mud Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 4°F in January to roughly 65°F in July. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late April. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Mud Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. The nearest alternative is Hay Lake, 1.3 miles out. What applies at Mud Lake may have changed since it was mapped.