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Fishing Mud Lake (upper): what the data says
26-acre lake near Lapeer County. The lake tops out around 28 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Yellow Perch fishing at Mud Lake (upper)
Spring yellow perch on Mud Lake (upper) hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 28 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 28 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 24 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 8 to 28 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 8 to 28 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Northern Pike fishing at Mud Lake (upper)
Spring northern pike on Mud Lake (upper) hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 14 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Mud Lake (upper)
Spring smallmouth bass on Mud Lake (upper) hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 28 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 28 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 8 to 28 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Mud Lake (upper)
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 28 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Rock Bass fishing at Mud Lake (upper)
In spring, rock bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 28 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 9 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening. A ned rig (small) or a marabou jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + grub, Small inline spinner |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft | dusk | Ned rig (small), Marabou jig |
| Fall | 8 to 22 ft | midday | Small tube jig, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + plastic, Small spoon + spike |
Crappie fishing at Mud Lake (upper)
Spring crappie on Mud Lake (upper) hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 28 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 24 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 8 to 28 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Mud Lake (upper) also holds bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 24 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 14 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 9 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 7 ft
Common questions
How deep is Mud Lake (upper)?
Mud Lake (upper) is about 28 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Mud Lake (upper)?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch, rock bass, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Mud Lake (upper). This isn't a survey of the lake — none is on record for it — but an informed estimate from the species listed for the nearest surveyed lakes in the region, filtered to this lake's depth and habitat.
Where is the best fishing spot on Mud Lake (upper)?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 24 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Mud Lake (upper)?
For yellow perch, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Davison Lake · Big Fish Lake · Seymour Lake · Louise, Lake · Bald Eagle Lake · Stony Lake
See how Mud Lake (upper) stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Michigan · best smallmouth bass lakes in Michigan · best northern pike lakes in Michigan · best crappie lakes in Michigan
Browse all Michigan fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.