Mud Lake Fishing in Bottineau County, North Dakota

• Overview

  Set in Bottineau County, North Dakota, this is Mud Lake. The setting is mixed forest. Around 28 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. Nearest town is Bottineau, 10 miles off. After that come Deloraine at 17 miles and Boissevain at 23 miles. Within a short drive: Lake Bessie lies 1 mile on, Metigoshe Lake at 1.2 miles, Lake Bennett lies 1.4 miles on, Lake Francis at 1.9 miles and Mud Lake lies 2.3 miles on. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Public occurrence data for Bottineau County names bluegill, brown bullhead, northern pike and smallmouth bass. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. The shape of Mud Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 65°F, with January the cold end at about 2°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly mid November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Anyone fishing Mud Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. You can launch from a ramp around half a mile away. The closest car park is half a mile away, so pack accordingly. There is a campsite half a mile from the water. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Should this one be busy, Lake Bessie is 1 mile off. Rules at Mud Lake are worth checking on the day.