Fishing Mud Lake in Oneida County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  In Wisconsin, Mud Lake falls inside Oneida County. This is lake country bush country. Small at around 3 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Oneida County. Rhinelander is the closest place, 4.8 miles off. Then Eagle River, 17 miles, and Tomahawk, 22 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Reported across Oneida County: brown trout, walleye and largemouth bass. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Mud Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 10°F in January up to 66°F in July. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Look for the thaw near mid April; the fishing lifts straight after. Open water usually runs from mid April until about late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. It sets the rhythm of the year at Mud Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. The nearest car park we can see is half a mile out, so expect a walk with your gear. You can camp about half a mile away, going by the mapping. Mapping puts a reserve boundary across this water; check what it allows. 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, Little Bertram Lake is 0.4 miles off. Confirm before you fish Mud Lake.