Mud Lake Fishing near Fredonia, New York

• Overview

  Mud Lake stands in Chautauqua County, New York. The surface lies 1,296 feet up. It covers about 5 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Our Chautauqua County list holds plenty of bigger water. Start from Fredonia, 6 miles down the road. Further out sit Brocton (6.8 miles) and Portland (8 miles). The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. County-wide records name yellow perch, walleye, pumpkinseed and muskellunge. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Read Mud Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 23°F in January to roughly 69°F in July. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early April. The water is typically free of ice between early April and late December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Mud Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. A ramp at Cassadaga Lakes Boat Launch is mapped half a mile away. A carry of half a mile from the nearest parking is the price of fishing here. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Upper Lake, 0.6 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the current arrangement for Mud Lake.