Slaughter Slough in Murray County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Slaughter Slough sits in Murray County, out in Minnesota. The land about it is mixed forest. Around 45 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. The edge runs 1.7 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. It is a small entry by Murray County standards. Supplies mean a trip to Tracy, 9.7 miles off. The nearest city of size is Sioux Falls, 67 miles away. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Slaughter Slough

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Murray County cover common carp, walleye and black bullhead. The county list is broader than any single water. Slaughter Slough responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 12°F and July at about 72°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early April. Ice clears near early April and comes back about late November in a typical year. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. That shapes the year on Slaughter Slough.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Walleye come to jigs worked slow near bottom, and to trolled crankbaits along the drops at dusk. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. For a change of water, Buffalo Lake is 2.4 miles distant. What applies at Slaughter Slough may have changed since it was mapped.