Fishing at Mud Lake, Watonwan County, Minnesota

• Overview

  The Watonwan County end of Minnesota holds Mud Lake. Elevation runs to 1,194 feet. This is a pocket water of some 10 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Watonwan County. Start from Mountain Lake, 6.8 miles down the road. Saint James is 9.6 miles away, with Windom at 16 miles. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Reported across Watonwan County: common carp, walleye, black bullhead, yellow perch and black crappie. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Mud Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 13°F and July at about 72°F, the water has a wide range to work through. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. After early April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Average temperatures cross freezing around early April in spring and again near late November in autumn. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. The season on Mud Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Failing this one, try School Lake, 1.4 miles away. What applies at Mud Lake may have changed since it was mapped.