Mud Lake Fishing near Clintonville, Wisconsin

• Overview

  Mud Lake is a Waupaca County water, in Wisconsin. The surface lies 850 feet up. The water measures roughly 12 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. It lies lower than most water we list in Wisconsin. Start from Clintonville, 5.8 miles down the road. Then Marion, 5.9 miles, and Manawa, 8.8 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Mud Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. County-wide records name brown trout, flathead catfish and rainbow trout. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Mud Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 69°F in July and bottom out at 14°F in January. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. The lid usually goes in early April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Break-up near early April, freeze-up near early December: that is the shape of an average year. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Plan any trip to Mud Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Michael Lake, 3.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. For Mud Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.