Mud Lake Fishing in Burnett County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Mud Lake is set in Burnett County, Wisconsin. The surface lies 935 feet up. It runs to roughly 26 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The bank runs about 0.8 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. The nearest place of any size is Spooner, 20 miles away. Shell Lake is 23 miles away, with Frederic at 26 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Open biodiversity records for Burnett County list brown trout, northern pike, largemouth bass, bluegill and pumpkinseed. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Mud Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 69°F, the coldest about 9°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. At Mud Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is a campsite 0.9 miles from the water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Eagle Lake at 0.6 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the position on Mud Lake before loading the car.