Mud Lake Fishing Guide, Marquette County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Within Marquette County, Wisconsin, you have Mud Lake. Elevation runs to 817 feet. The water covers some 45 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. With about 1.2 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Ground here is low by Wisconsin standards. For supplies, Montello is 6.4 miles out. The nearest city of size is Madison, 56 miles away. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Across Marquette County, recorded fish include brown trout, bluegill, rainbow trout, largemouth bass and northern pike. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Mud Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 71°F, with January the cold end at about 15°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Once it clears, about early April, the fishing comes on quickly. The season between ice runs from about early April to early December. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. At Mud Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. If the gate is shut, Silver Lake at 0.8 miles is the nearest alternative. None of that is settled for Mud Lake in what we hold.