Mud Lake, North Dakota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Mud Lake lies within the bounds of Stutsman County, North Dakota. Height above sea level is 1,798 feet. About 830 acres, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. The shoreline runs about 7.2 miles, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. Carrington lies 29 miles from the water. Jamestown is 32 miles and New Rockford 44 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Records held for Stutsman County cover Iowa darter, pikeperch, black bullhead and northern pike. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Work Mud Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 69°F at the top of summer and 5°F at the bottom of winter. Winter shuts the surface down for months. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. The open-water window runs from around mid April to about late November in an average year. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. That shapes the year on Mud Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. If the gate is shut, Pearl Lake at 1.4 miles is the nearest alternative. Nothing on Mud Lake should be assumed from this page alone.