Mud Lake Fishing near Morris, Minnesota

• Overview

  Stevens County in Minnesota is where Mud Lake sits. The country here is pine and birch. With some 90 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The bank runs about 1.3 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our Stevens County list. The town to know is Morris, 13 miles out. For a city, Fargo is 88 miles off. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Fish documented in Stevens County include common carp, black bullhead, northern pike, yellow perch and walleye. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. At Mud Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 71°F and January about 9°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. After early April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Averages place the thaw at early April and the freeze at late November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Expect Mud Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Everglade Marshes Wildlife Management Area covers this ground, which means extra rules to check. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try Fish Lake, 1.6 miles away. For Mud Lake in particular, ask before you travel.