Mud Lake in Washington County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Mud Lake lies in Washington County, in Minnesota. The land about it is rolling bush. It runs to roughly 87 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The edge runs 1.5 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. It is low-lying compared with other Minnesota water we list. The closest town, Scandia, is 5.8 miles away. After that come Hugo at 6.1 miles and Grant at 7 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Fish documented in Washington County include bluegill, largemouth bass, brown trout and northern pike. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Fish Mud Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 11°F and July at about 71°F, the water has a wide range to work through. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early April. Average temperatures cross freezing around early April in spring and again near late November in autumn. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Anyone fishing Mud Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Keystone Woods Wildlife Management Area covers ground next to the water; its rules will apply on that side. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. If the gate is shut, Turtle Lake at 0.4 miles is the nearest alternative. The position on Mud Lake is worth confirming on the day.