Mud Lake Fishing Guide, Dane County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  This water sits in Dane County, Wisconsin. The water sits 850 feet up. With some 34 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. With about 0.9 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. It lies lower than most water we list in Wisconsin. Some 4 miles away sits Deerfield, the nearest settlement. For a city, Madison is 18 miles off. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Fish documented in Dane County include brown trout, common carp, bluegill and rainbow trout. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Mud Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 71°F on average, January about 17°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. The lid usually goes in early April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Averages place the thaw at early April and the freeze at early December. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. On Mud Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. You will be walking about 0.9 miles from the nearest car park. The water borders Goose Lake Wildlife Area, so expect the reserve rules to apply. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Goose Lake, 0.7 miles out. Check the current arrangement for Mud Lake.