Minnesota · St. Louis County
Mud Hen Lake Fishing guide
Mud Hen Lake is a 161-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota, reaching 9 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 5.1 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 4 times, most recently in 2023, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
No recent survey rating.
No recent survey rating.
Northern pikeFair numbers7.6per gill net20"Typical30"Biggest
Lengths measured · 47 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 47 fish
2023Lengths measured · 120 fish
2013Lengths measured · 79 fish
2008Lengths measured · 44 fish
2001No recent survey rating.
Yellow perchExcellent numbers20per gill net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 148 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 148 fish
2023Lengths measured · 230 fish
2013Lengths measured · 211 fish
2008Lengths measured · 112 fish
2001Rates come from standard DNR survey gear (gill nets, trap nets, electrofishing), judged against statewide benchmarks for the same gear, so the same number of fish per net can read differently for two species. Where the standard gear can't count a species reliably, only presence and size are listed. Typical is the middle fish of those measured. Open a row for the full length spread, survey by survey.
How to fish Mud Hen Lake through the year
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth.
- Early summer
- Pike are on the outside weed edge and points.
- Summer
- Pike are on the deep weed edge and points near the coolest water they can find. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops. A 9-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds.
- Early summer
- Walleye are setting up on the outside weed edge, points and shallow structure.
- Summer
- Walleye are working the weed edge, points and any wind-blown structure. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows. A 9-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.
Size history
Biggest fish by survey year
| Survey year | Northern pike | Walleye | Yellow perch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 30" | — | 8" |
| 2013 | 31" | 17" | 10" |
| 2008 | 34" | 10" | 10" |
| 2001 | 34" | 24" | 10" |
Longest fish measured by DNR survey crews in each year's nets. Survey gear samples the population, so the lake usually holds larger fish than any survey measured.
Suggested tackle
What to bring
Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Jigs & bladed
Spinnerbait
3/8–1/2 oz safety-pin spinnerbait with tandem willow-leaf blades
Walleye · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Yellow perch · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Yellow perch · Soft plastics
Tungsten Jig + Micro Plastic
1–1.5" micro plastic
Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
DNR stocking records
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Stocked |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | 165,000 fry |
| 2023 | Walleye | 165,000 fry |
| 2022 | Walleye | 165,000 fry |
| 2021 | Walleye | 165,000 fry |
| 2018 | Walleye | 165,000 fry |
| 2016 | Walleye | 165,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2023 survey
Mud Hen is a 166-acre lake with 166 (100%) acres of littoral area and maximum depth of 9 feet. Mud Hen is located two miles east of Makinen, MN off St. Louis County Highway #16. Mud Hen Lake has a gravel, state-administered, back-in public access. Currently, Mud Hen is stocked with walleye fry every even year and in any odd year following a winterkill. Mud Hen was last assessed in 2013 and initially surveyed in 1992. Mud Hen was surveyed during the summer of 2023 to update information about fish populations and to evaluate the success of the walleye fry stocking program.
Walleye abundance of 0.0 per gillnet lift was down from 2013 (7.8) and was below average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. The absence of observed Walleye is likely due to a partial winterkill. Low dissolved oxygen measurements taken mid-winter and anecdotal evidence from lake residents suggests a partial winterkill event occurred during the winter of 2022-2023.
Read the full DNR narrative
Northern pike abundance of 7.6 per gillnet lift was down from 2013 (17.2) and was average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Mean length was 21.1 inches and growth was average when compared to other Duluth Area lakes. All year-classes from 2018 through 2022 were represented. The 2021 year-class was strong, contributing to 58% of the overall catch.
Yellow perch abundance of 20 per gillnet lift was down from 2013 (35.5) and was above average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Average length of perch was 6.8 inches and growth was average when compared to other Duluth Area lakes. All year-classes from 2017 to 2022 were represented.
Black crappie abundance of 0.0 per trapnet lift was down from 2013 (0.2) and was below average when compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. The suggested partial winterkill may be a contributing factor to the absence of Black Crappie in the 2023 survey.
Bluegill abundance of 0.2 per trapnet lift was down from 2013 (2.8) and below average when compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Both Bluegill observed were from the 2020 year class and averaged 6.1 inches in length.
No Largemouth Bass were sampled by electrofishing. The suggested partial winterkill may be a contributing factor to the absence of Largemouth Bass in the 2023 survey.
Bullhead (Black Bullhead and Brown Bullhead) abundance of 163 per gillnet lift was well above average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Measured Black Bullheads (124 fish) had a mean length of 7.9 inches and a maximum length of 12.3 inches. Measured Brown Bullheads (113 fish) had a mean length of 8.2 inches and a maximum length of 10.2 inches.
Other fish species sampled included Golden Shiner and White Sucker.
Low dissolved oxygen measurements taken mid-winter in addition to anecdotal evidence from lake residents suggests a partial winterkill event occurred during the winter of 2022-2023. The fish community is consistent with a lake subject to winterkills with a high density of Northern Pike and Black Bullheads. In addition to the bi-annual stocking, Walleye fry are stocked the spring following a suggested winterkill to attempt to achieve management goals of maintaining a Walleye population with a gillnet CPUE of 4 per lift.
Winterkill of fish occurs when the dissolved oxygen levels in a lake become too low and fish perish. Contributing factors to winterkill can include low water levels, early ice-up and/or a late ice-out that contributes to extended total days with ice cover. Some additional factors can be lake depth, thickness of ice and depth of snow cover, and larger than normal amounts of decomposing organic matter such as plants and algae.
A substantial percentage (42%) of lakeshore homeowners on Mud Hen Lake have open yards extending to the shoreline. Lakeshore owners can prevent excessive nutrient loading which leads to excessive plant growth and poor water quality by avoiding lawn fertilization, limiting aquatic vegetation removal, and implementing riparian best management practices.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Mud Hen Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Mud Hen Lake from guides, tournaments and regular anglers. Anything posted in the last two weeks also bumps the matching spots on the live map, so you'll see a "matches a recent report" tag on them.
Public water access
Getting on the water
- Mud Hen Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Mud Hen Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Coe Lake · 54 ac · 0.9 mi
- Loon Lake · 271 ac · 2.8 mi
- Long Lake · 374 ac · 3.9 mi
- Frying Pan Lake · 69 ac · 3.9 mi
- Lost Lake · 124 ac · 5.3 mi
- Bass Lake · 147 ac · 5.7 mi
- South Twin Lake · 118 ac · 6.1 mi
- North Twin Lake · 66 ac · 6.3 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Mud Hen Lake?
Mud Hen Lake reaches 9 ft at its deepest point; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Mud Hen Lake?
Mud Hen Lake covers 161 acres with about 2.3 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Mud Hen Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Mud Hen Lake average 5.1 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Mud Hen Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2023) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Mud Hen Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2024; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Mud Hen Lake have a public access?
Yes. Mud Hen Lake has one public access site: Mud Hen Lake (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Mud Hen Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 30"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2001.
When was Mud Hen Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Mud Hen Lake in 2023, the most recent of 4 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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