Mud Lake Fishing, SE of Northville, New York

• Overview

  Mud Lake sits in Hamilton County, out in New York. The ground round it is pine and birch. Small at around 21 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Supplies mean a trip to Northville, 21 miles off. Then Dolgeville, 23 miles, and Edinburg, 24 miles. Others close at hand: Spy Lake at about 1.2 miles, Owl Pond (1.4 miles), Lost Lake at about 2.2 miles, Piseco Lake (2.5 miles) and Sand Lake at about 3.2 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Survey and observation records for Hamilton County include lake trout, brook trout and yellow perch. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Anyone new to Mud Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 65°F in July and bottoms out near 15°F in January. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid April. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around early December. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Mud Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Should this one be busy, Spy Lake is 1.2 miles off. Check the position on Mud Lake before loading the car.