Fishing at Mud Lake, Todd County, Minnesota

• Overview

  This water sits in Todd County, Minnesota. Everything around it is rolling bush. This is a pocket water of some 11 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Our Todd County list holds plenty of bigger water. The town to know is Long Prairie, 11 miles out. The big place round here is Minneapolis, 98 miles distant. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Survey and observation records for Todd County include largemouth bass, bluegill, black crappie and northern pike. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. The shape of Mud Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 69°F at the top of summer and 9°F at the bottom of winter. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Look for the thaw near mid April; the fishing lifts straight after. In an average year the thaw lands around mid April and the freeze near late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Time your trip to Mud Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Beauty Lake at 2.4 miles is the sensible second choice. The position on Mud Lake is worth confirming on the day.