Mud Lake

[maghunter]

Anybody checked out Mud Lake to see if there are any perch in there this year? My Dad has an elk tag out there, thought we might do a cast and blast if there are any fish to be caught.
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[Belasko]

I just email F&G this week about this very question. Here is the information I got back. At this point it's the most detailed (probably most accurate) report I've had on the lake in a few years.

Mud Lake does still contain perch, but the population is limited by water management. The Mud Lake Water Users manage the lake for irrigation storage and delivery. Starting in the mid-2000’s, they changed their management some and now draw the lake down low during the fall and through the winter. When that happens (and even before they did that), winter kills occur. The lake does not store enough oxygen to sustain a lot of fish through the winter, and the population dies off substantially. I was out there during December, and did see lots of little perch swimming around under the ice. However, I would not expect the fishery to rebound to where it was in the early 2000’s until water management changes.
Thanks for pointing out that the website is not up to date. I’ll see if we can get that updated.
Dan Garren
Regional Fisheries Manager
208-525-7290
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[windriver]

Thanks for the information.

Windriver
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[MMDon]

Very . . .
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[psanders71]

Plus 1 on the very comment...

Also heard there may be remnant populations of largemouth and tiger muskie in there.

Too bad that water management folks cannot take the fish into consideration. Too many posts about low water and dead fish this fall...[frown]
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[StacyR]

It's too bad there's no aeration system to keep the fish alive over the winter.
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[kentd71]

Or make an area with deeper water that will be there if it is drained way down.
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[MMDon]

I think this is a lake where the F&G could make a difference by negotiating water levels and herbicides used in the lake.

There are hundreds of families on the ice when the perch fishing is good!

Might be dollars well spent for a family fishing water for winter!
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[Tazasorus]

I called up F&G last week, the officer that I spoke with said it would be money wasted to even try Mud lake. He gave me the same reasons that you guys stated. What a bummer, that lake provided some fun perch fishing in the past.
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