Mud Lake Fishing near Cloquet, Minnesota

• Overview

  Mud Lake lies in Saint Louis County, Minnesota. The water sits 1,306 feet up. At about 92 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. With about 1.4 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Cloquet at 20 miles is the nearest place to stop. Minneapolis is the closest city, 126 miles away. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Reported across Saint Louis County: yellow perch, northern pike, white sucker and rainbow trout. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Mud Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 67°F; the cold one sits at 7°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around late November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. That is the shape of the year on Mud Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. The nearest alternative is Heikkila Lake, 0.9 miles out. Rules at Mud Lake are worth checking on the day.