FTM Destinations

LAKE VERMILION MINNESOTA

In the past few years, Lake Vermilion in northern Minnesota has developed a reputation of being a bass and musky hotbed. While Vermilion certainly has great populations of bass and musky, don’t forget about the walleyes. We visited Lake Vermilion early last June and experienced some excellent walleye action. We caught plenty of walleyes, and when we got the pattern figured out, the size was pretty darn good also. We took several walleyes in the twenty-five to twenty-eight inch range off one rock hump in a fifteen minute flurry of activity. That is some quality fishing, and it’s not unusual on Lake Vermilion.

Lake Vermilion is just over forty thousand acres in size and has nearly 1,200 miles of shoreline. That means lots of islands, which means a new adventure around every corner. Eagles and osprey are common sights throughout much of the lake, and you could see a bear, timber wolf, or deer nearly anywhere. You could also catch a fish almost anywhere.

During our trip to Vermilion, we threw sixteenth and eighth Fire-Ball jigs tipped with minnows and leeches to weedlines and caught walleyes.

We vertically jigged the same jigs tipped with the same baits over rock reefs in deeper water. We caught walleyes doing that also.

Then we rigged sixteenth ounce Fire-Balls under slip-bobbers. A couple of Hot-Spot Split Shot were crimped onto the line about a foot above the jig, and a leech was added to the jig. The bobber stop was set so the bait was about a foot off the bottom. The result was one of the best bites for big walleyes we’ve experienced in some time. These were all nice fish, mostly in the six to eight pound range, and all are still swimming around Lake Vermilion.

Lake Vermilion is the southernmost Canadian Shield Lake, which means the water flows north here. Vermilion is right on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and much of this area truly has a wilderness feel.

A unique deal on Vermilion is mail delivery. Mail is delivered by boat. Folks who live on the lake have mail-boxes on the end of their docks, and that’s where their mail is delivered. Interesting!

Lake Vermilion is just off Highway 53, a modern thoroughfare that is four-lane much of the way. When you get to Virginia Minnesota you can take Highway 169 to Tower MN and the east end of the lake, or continue north on Highway 53 out of Virginia to Cook MN and the west end of the lake. Either way, you’re just a few miles from a fishing smorgasbord. Whether you’re looking for walleyes or wolves, bass or bears, Lake Vermilion is a very good place to be looking. Begin your search at www.visitvermilion.com or 800-648-5897.