Fishing at Mud Lake, Columbia County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Columbia County, Wisconsin, is where Mud Lake sits. Everything around it is rolling bush. At 421 acres this is proper open water rather than a pond. It ranks high for size among our Columbia County listings. Rio sits 3.5 miles from here and is the nearest stop. The nearest city of size is Madison, 24 miles away. Within a short run: Hawkos Pond 3.4 miles, Curtis Lake within 5.5 miles, Wyona Lake 6 miles, Grassy Lake within 6.2 miles and Willow Mill Pond 6.3 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Columbia County records list brown trout, common carp and rainbow trout among the fish reported. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Anyone new to Mud Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 71°F in July and bottoms out near 16°F in January. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early April. Ice usually gives way near early April, and forms again about early December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Mud Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. For a change of water, Hawkos Pond is 3.4 miles distant. Nothing here settles the position at Mud Lake for certain.