Lake Vermilion Fishing Report- Week of October 2, 2023  Final Fishing Report for the season.

Jake Hyppa of Hyppa’s Guide Service: https://www.hyppaguideservice.com/

Another fair week of fall fishing has passed on the east side of Lake Vermilion. The abnormally warm temperatures have led to a tougher than usual walleye bite for this time of year on Lake Vermilion. Water temperatures are still ranging from 61.1F to 68.9F which is incredibly warm for this time of year. Looking ahead to this week, some colder temperatures are in the forecast which should help to improve the walleye bite. As of right now water temperatures have pretty much been at a standstill for the past several weeks. The buoys marking rocks and navigational channels are still out on Lake Vermilion and will likely get removed sometime in mid-October. 

Walleye

Walleye fishing on the east end of Vermilion had a tougher bite this past week. Walleyes have been found in the same types of locations and depths for the past several weeks. However, this past week the most success was found up shallow, likely because of the warmer weather. Walleyes were found in 12’ to 16’ of water over sand or gravel either on subtle underwater points adjacent to gravel flats or on the gravel flats themselves. Use the wind to your favor if possible. A great way to cover ground in the target depth area along the edges of these gravel flats is to slow troll a ¼ ounce lindy rig with a #2 hook and green bead and minnow from 0.5 mph to 0.7 mph. Once you find a concentration of fish switch over to a ¼ Northland Fireball jig in orange or purple tipped with a minnow and jig to boat walleyes. This past week on warmer days with sunshine that the wind was pushing bait into shore walleyes were also caught from 7’ to 11’ of water on the edges of remaining weed lines. Think about weed lines you fished for walleyes or pike during the summer months and begin your search there. Fishing on the edges of these weed lines can be done with a ¼ ounce jig tipped with a minnow or Rapala #7 jigging rap. A few walleyes continue to be found in the deeper water of 26’ to 32’. If and when colder weather comes through and drops the surface temperatures, there will be an increase of active fish in these areas. Continue to search the edges of aggressive summertime structure in 26’ to 30’ of water in areas that the rock transitions to hardpan. Fish caught in these locations were still found on the gravel/sand side of this transition zone. Walleyes that were found over deep water on mud bottoms were mostly hanging on the edge of deep main lake basin holes or areas that are 2’ to 3’ deeper than the surrounding basin in 26’ to 30’ of water. Think of the same locations you caught walleyes in the early spring and start by working those areas. Hoping for a change of weather to kick the walleye bite into high gear!

Pike 

Again, not much change in the pike fishing this week. Pike on the east end of Vermilion are still being caught roaming suspended over windblown main lake basin shorelines and roaming over the main lake basins. The most success for pike was found on days with clouds and a strong wind, which posed the most aggressive bite and pushed baitfish into a shoreline where trolling could be done. Troll the windward shoreline break in 11’ to 16’ of water while keeping your bait suspended in around 7’ to 10’ of water. Troll your baits over the steep edge of these shoreline breaks and over the main lake basins where there is baitfish present. Once again trolling with Rapala Husky Jerks in fire tiger and chrome blue yielded fish while making sure to use a 40lb or 50lb steel leader to avoid being bit off. As always, fishing for pike in front of pressure changes will yield more success than steady weather.

Bass

Smallmouth bass on the east side of the lake saw a better last week. This is likely because of the extremely warm weather and continued warm surface temperatures similar to summertime when the smallmouth are very aggressive. Smallmouth were found over sunken rock points, roaming deeper shoreline drops, and sitting over deep rockpiles. Look for sunken points that range from 14’ to 18’ of water that emerge from shore or main lake locations. Fish these locations with 3/8th ounce blade baits in silver or red. For deeper shoreline drops, look for areas that quickly drop off into 20’ plus of water and have heavy rock cover on shore. Fish these drops with Rapala X-Raps in a twitch-reel-pause fashion to elicit a bite. X raps will not typically dive to this depth so you can put a rubber grip lead sinker or egg weight in 3/8th ounce 18” to 24” in front of your bait. Fishing Rapala DT 14’s in Moss or Rootbeer Crawdad color also caught fish. For deep rockpiles in 16’ to 19’ of water, the best method is to pick a handful of locations in this depth via contour mapping and give each one no more than 10 minutes. Using 3/8th ounce Ned Rigs in green or brown in a jig pause motion boated the most smallmouth on the rockpiles. 

Panfish 

Panfish on the east side of the lake had a fair week. Quality sized jumbo perch are being found mixed in with walleyes roaming the sand flats in 12’ to 16’ of water. Jumbo perch are also being found on the edge of deep holes in the mud basins in 26’ to 29’ of water. Most perch of keepable size were found either in walleye locations or mixed in with walleyes. Spend time working an area if a perch is caught as larger ones are starting to school up right now meaning there is likely more around. For perch in both these locations, fishing can be done with a ¼ ounce jig in orange tipped with a minnow or Lindy Rigging. 

MN DNR Need-to-Knows

Please note Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit differs from the statewide limit. Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit is 4 fish, with all walleyes 20” to 26” having to be immediately released. All seasons are open for fish present in Lake Vermilion. Special northern pike regulations are in place for Lake Vermilion as it is in the northeast zone for pike. The limit for pike is two, with only one allowed over 40” and every fish from 30” to 40” having to be immediately released.

 Please refer to the MN DNR Fishing Regulations for a full set of rules and regulations for Lake Vermilion and the surrounding area.

Lake Vermilion Fishing Report- Week of September 25, 2023

Jake Hyppa of Hyppa’s Guide Service: https://www.hyppaguideservice.com/

A fair week of fall fishing has surpassed us on the west side of Lake Vermilion. With warmer weather holding on the water temperatures have stayed from the 62.3F to 67.0F which is fairly warm for this time of year. Along with the drawn-out period of ‘late summer/early fall’ fishing for walleyes has been a little tougher on both the east and west sides of the lake. Water temperatures hit a standstill and were largely unchanged the past week which allowed fish to get set up in some early fall locations, however during times when the water is dropping or climbing fish will similarly be transitioning which can make for a generally tougher bite. Anglers should expect the walleye fishing, especially the jig bite to greatly improve when fall weather gets here. 

Walleye

Walleye fishing on the west end of Vermilion had a fair week of fishing. Once again the best fishing for walleyes on the west end was found in the Niles Bay, Wolf Bay and Norwegian Bay basins. Walleyes were found in loosely scattered pods of several fish mostly in areas over hardpan or mud bottom. Similarly, walleyes were also found in shallow and deep water. For those walleyes in shallow water, fishing in depths of 12’ to 16’ over sand or gravel flats had the most success. Search for flats adjacent to main lake mud basins that contain summertime structure or that held fish in the summertime. Utilize side scan or 2D sonar to work these flats until fish are found. Using spot lock to sit over a pod of fish while using a ¼ Northland Fireball jig tipped with a minnow or #7 Rapala jigging rap snap jigged in an aggressive fashion boated the most fish. If anglers prefer to troll these gravel flats while covering ground for walleyes, use a ¼ ounce lindy rig with a #2 hook and green bead and minnow to boat walleyes. For the fish found in deeper water, search the edges of summertime structure in 26’ to 30’ of water in areas that the rock transitions to hardpan. Fish caught in these locations were still found on the gravel/sand side of this transition zone. Walleyes that were found over deep water on mud bottoms were mostly hanging on the edge of deep main lake basin holes or areas that are 2’ to 3’ deeper than the surrounding basin in 27’ to 31’ of water. Think of the same locations you caught walleyes in the early spring and start by working those areas. These areas will continue to improve as fall progresses and the water temperature drops. Fish both the edge of structure and the edges of deep holes with jigs, Lindy Rigs, snap jigs, and minnows. Some walleyes are still being found roaming the deep mud basins in 26’ of water plus with no relation to any sort of structure as a result of the steady weather we have been seeing. 

Pike 

Again, not much change in the pike fishing this week. Pike on the west end of Vermilion are still being caught roaming suspended over windblown main lake basin shorelines and roaming over the main lake basins. The most success for pike was found on days with clouds and a strong wind, which posed the most aggressive bite and pushed baitfish into a shoreline where trolling could be done. Troll the windward shoreline break in 13’ to 18’ of water while keeping your bait suspended in around 7’ to 10’ of water. Troll your baits over the steep edge of these shoreline breaks and over the main lake basins as there is an abundance of whitefish and tullibee for forage on the west side of the lake. Once again trolling with Rapala Husky Jerks in fire tiger and chrome blue yielded fish while making sure to use a 40lb or 50lb steel leader to avoid being bit off. As always, fishing for pike in front of pressure changes will yield more success than steady weather.

Bass

Largemouth bass on west end of Lake Vermilion had a tougher past week. The largemouth that were caught were found just off the deep edge of what remaining weed beds are left in 13’ to 15’ of water where they can transition out to roaming shallow mud basins. Largemouth were caught on 3/8th ounce weedless green pumpkin jigs tipped with a craw chunk in dark green or black, wacky rigged Senko’s, and Rapala DT 12’s in bluegill color. The best days for largemouth were those with high sun that would warm the water temperature up several degrees by afternoon. Smallmouth were found over sunken rock points and fingers spanning out from shore and roaming deeper shoreline drops. Look for sunken points that range from 14’ to 18’ of water that emerge from shore or main lake locations. Fish these locations with 3/8th ounce blade baits in silver or red. For deeper shoreline drops, look for areas that quickly drop off into 20’ plus of water and have heavy rock cover on shore. Fish these drops with Rapala X-Raps in a twitch-reel-pause fashion to elicit a bite. Bass will see tougher fishing as the water cools. 

Panfish 

Crappie fishing on the west end of Vermilion once again had a good week. Crappie were found suspended over 24’ to 30’ of water over mud basins. Fish seemed to be hanging at around the 18’ to 22’ mark in these locations. The easiest way to find these fish is to utilize panoptix livescope, however fish can still be found and caught without this. Troll leadcore line with #5 Rapala shad raps in these areas until you catch a fish or see a school on your graph. Mark the location and go back over these fish with a ¼ ounce jig tipped with a minnow and fish vertically while always keeping your bait above the fish. Fishing can also be done with strictly artificial tails as the water cools and the crappies get more and more aggressive.  

MN DNR Need-to-Knows

Please note Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit differs from the statewide limit. Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit is 4 fish, with all walleyes 20” to 26” having to be immediately released. All seasons are open for fish present in Lake Vermilion. Special northern pike regulations are in place for Lake Vermilion as it is in the northeast zone for pike. The limit for pike is two, with only one allowed over 40” and every fish from 30” to 40” having to be immediately released.

 Please refer to the MN DNR Fishing Regulations for a full set of rules and regulations for Lake Vermilion and the surrounding area.

Lake Vermilion Fishing Report- Week of September 18, 2023

Jake Hyppa of Hyppa’s Guide Service: https://www.hyppaguideservice.com/

A great week of fall fishing has passed on the east side of Lake Vermilion. The east side of the lake side a fantastic week for walleye fishing as the water temperature continues to cool and the fish are setting up nicely in typical fall time locations. Water temperatures this week ranged from 61.4F to 66.5F as we continue the steady cool down in surface temperatures. The rest of the fall should be a productive time to get out and fish walleyes and all the other species that Lake Vermilion has to offer. 

Walleye

Walleye fishing on the east end of Vermilion has a great week of fishing. It is time to break out the jigs and minnows for fall as this will be one of the mainstays until the open water season is done. Walleyes are being found in a variety of locations right now including sand and gravel flats adjacent to aggressive structure, the edges of deep basin holes, and a few remain on some shallower gravel flats. For those walleyes being found on the deeper sand flats, look for areas that quickly drop off in 26’ plus of water adjacent to reefs, rockpiles, and underwater points. Walleyes are being found on the sand in 24’ to 28’ of water in these areas. Search the transition zone between where the structure turns into sand and where the mud basin begins. For the walleyes being found on the edge of deeper mud basin holes, think of some of the structure that is fished early in the spring almost immediately after ice out. Use contour mapping to look for areas that are 2’ to 3’ deeper than the surrounding basin in 26’ to 30’ of water. These locations will continue to improve all fall carries on. For walleyes still hanging on the shallower sand flats, look for areas adjacent to large mud basins in 22’ to 26’ of water that gradually get shallower as you approach the shoreline. The mainstay for boating walleyes in all three of these locations right now are live minnows. In areas where fish were seen to be fairly concentrated, a ¼ ounce jig in blue or orange tipped with a minnow had the most success. On days with some wind, using a bit heavier 3/8th ounce jig helped to keep your bait more vertical to detect bites. ¼ ounce lindy rigs with a #2 hook and green bead and minnow are producing fish in these areas. Use a 4’ to 5’ leaders on these rigs which is keeping the bait around 30” off the bottom, right in the strike zone for walleye. Troll these Lindy Rigs or slow troll a jig on the bottom from 0.4 mph to 0.6 mph to cover some ground in these areas. 

Pike 

Not much change in the pike fishing this week. Pike on the east end of Vermilion are still being caught roaming suspended over windblown main lake basin shorelines. The most success for pike was found on days with clouds and a strong wind, which posed the most aggressive bite and pushed baitfish into a shoreline where trolling could be done. Troll the windward shoreline break in 15’ to 20’ of water while keep your bait suspended in around 7’ to 10’ of water. Troll your baits over the steep edge of these shoreline breaks. Once again trolling with Rapala Husky Jerks in fire tiger and chrome blue yielded fish while making sure to use a 40lb or 50lb steel leader to avoid being bit off. As always, fishing for pike in front of pressure changes will yield more success than steady weather.

Bass

Smallmouth bass on the east side of the lake saw a tougher last week. This is typical as the water begins to cool and fall approaches smallmouth are not as grouped up nor as aggressive as in the summer months. Smallmouth were found over sunken rock points and fingers spanning out from shore and roaming deeper shoreline drops. Look for sunken points that range from 14’ to 18’ of water that emerge from shore or main lake locations. Fish these locations with 3/8th ounce blade baits in silver or red. For deeper shoreline drops, look for areas that quickly drop off into 20’ plus of water and have heavy rock cover on shore. Fish these drops with Rapala X-Raps in a twitch-reel-pause fashion to elicit a bite. X raps will not typically dive to this depth so you can put a rubber grip lead sinker or egg weight in 3/8th ounce 18” to 24” in front of your bait. Fishing Rapala DT 14’s in Moss or Rootbeer Crawdad color also caught fish. 

Panfish 

Panfish on the east side of the lake had a fair week. Bluegills are being found fishing the deeper edge of sparse weed lines in 9’ to 11’ of water. Several bluegill schools continue to be found roaming off the deeper edge of cabbage beds in 10’ to 14’ of water. Fishing for bluegills in both of these locations was done with a 1/8th -ounce jig tipped with a panfish leech under a slip bobber set 10” to 12” off the bottom or strictly jigging these fish with a 1/8th ounce jig and artificial tail. Utilizing side imaging sonar is a great way to find these roaming schools of both bluegills. A few quality sized jumbo perch are being found mixed in with walleyes roaming the sand flats in 22’ to 26’ of water. Jumbo perch are also still being found over the mud basins in 20’ to 26’ of water where walleyes were several weeks prior. Fishing for perch in both these locations can be done with a ¼ ounce jig in orange tipped with a minnow or trolling leadcore line with crankbaits over the mud basins. 

MN DNR Need-to-Knows

Please note Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit differs from the statewide limit. Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit is 4 fish, with all walleyes 20” to 26” having to be immediately released. All seasons are open for fish present in Lake Vermilion. Special northern pike regulations are in place for Lake Vermilion as it is in the northeast zone for pike. The limit for pike is two, with only one allowed over 40” and every fish from 30” to 40” having to be immediately released.

 Please refer to the MN DNR Fishing Regulations for a full set of rules and regulations for Lake Vermilion and the surrounding area.

Lake Vermilion Fishing Report- Week of September 11, 2023

Jake Hyppa of Hyppa’s Guide Service: https://www.hyppaguideservice.com/

A great week of early fall fishing has surpassed us on the west side of Lake Vermilion. Fall is definitely in the air as the leaves are turning and there is getting to be some cold early mornings on the water. Water temperatures this week fluctuated between 65.9F and 71.3F. Steadily cooling down now as the weather is much more typical of early fall fishing. Walleyes have set up in their early fall patterns along with crappie, which has resulted in an aggressive bite for both. September continues to be a great month to target walleyes as a wide variety of methods will bring success as fish are usually very aggressive as water temperatures are cooling. 

Walleye

Walleye fishing on the west end of Vermilion has a fair week of fishing. Once again the best fishing for walleyes on the west end was found in the Niles Bay, Wolf Bay and Norwegian Bay basins. Walleyes were found in loosely scattered pods of several fish, meaning seeing 4 to 5 fish in a small area was not uncommon, however they were not stacked on each other like in mid-summer. Walleyes on the west end are being found over deep mud basins and relating to the edge of sunken gravel points and deeper gravel drops. Most fish were found glued right to the bottom, especially while fishing over the deeper mud basins. For deeper gravel drops and sunken gravel points coming out from shoreline structure, begin your search in 23’ to 26’ of water in areas where you contour map shows contour lines very close together indicating a steep drop. There is a fair number of drops like this that are rock, so find one of the gravel ones and you will likely find fish. The most success fishing for these walleyes over gravel was done with a ¼ ounce or 3/8th ounce Northland Fireball jig in orange or green tipped with a rainbow or shiner minnow. Slowly trolling through these areas while picking your jig up and down off the bottom caught the most fish. Snap jigging hard baits such as the Northland Puppet Minnow or #7 Rapala Jigging raps also caught fish. Fishing these baits in the snap-glide-pause sequence while using 10lb or 12lb braid, 6’ to 8’ fluorocarbon leader, and a VMC crankbait snap for success. Walleyes roaming the bottoms of the deep mud basins were found in 25’ to 31’ of water. Looking for large expansions on your contour mapping of areas with minimal depth change in the target depth. The best method for boating these walleyes was trolling leadcore line and crank baits. Trolling leadcore was done by using 15lb test leadcore line with a 15’ 12lb fluorocarbon leader and trolling 1.8 to 2 mph over these areas, as walleyes are keying in on a variety of bait over these basins. The best baits this week to hook on behind leadcore were Cotton Cordell wally diver in red, #7 Berkely flickr shads in various greens, and #7 Rapala scatter raps in purple descent. Don’t be afraid to change your bait or speed at which you are trolling at if success isn’t found right away. 

Pike 

Pike on the West end of Vermilion are mostly being caught roaming suspended over windblown main lake basin shorelines. The most success for pike was found on days with clouds and a strong wind, where trolling could be done against the windward shoreline break in 15’ to 20’ of water. Troll your baits over the steep edge of these shoreline breaks. Try to be trolling your bait at around half of the depth, so in 20’ have your bait running at 10’ as pike are mostly suspended in these situations. Once again trolling with Rapala Husky Jerks in fire tiger and chrome blue yielded fish while making sure to use a 40lb or 50lb steel leader to avoid being bit off. As always, fishing for pike in front of pressure changes will yield more success than steady weather.

Bass

Largemouth bass on west end of Lake Vermilion had a slower past week, however smallmouth made up for the slower largemouth bite. The largemouth that were caught were found on the deep edge of what remaining weed beds are left in 10’ to 12’ of water where they can transition between weed cover and roaming shallow mud basins. Largemouth were caught on 3/8th ounce weedless green pumpkin jigs tipped with a craw chunk in dark green or black, wacky rigged Senko’s, and Rapala DT 8’s in bluegill color. The best days for largemouth were those with high sun that would warm the water temperature up several degrees by afternoon. Smallmouth were found over sunken rock points and fingers spanning out from shore and roaming deeper shoreline drops. Look for sunken points that range from 14’ to 18’ of water that emerge from shore or main lake locations. Fish these locations with 3/8th ounce blade baits in silver or red. For deeper shoreline drops, look for areas that quickly drop off into 20’ plus of water and have heavy rock cover on shore. Fish these drops with Rapala X-Raps in a twitch-reel-pause fashion to elicit a bite. 

Panfish 

Crappie and bluegill fishing on the west end of Vermilion saw a better past week. Both bluegill and crappie alike were found suspended over 22’ to 28’ of water over mud basins. Fish seemed to be hanging at around the 16’ to 20’ mark in these locations. The easiest way to find these fish is to utilize panoptix livescope, however fish can still be found and caught without this. Troll leadcore line with #5 Rapala shad raps in these areas until you catch a fish or see a school on your graph. Mark the location and go back over these fish with a 1/8th ounce jig tipped with a minnow and fish vertically while always keeping your bait above the fish. Crappie fishing should continue to improve as fall progresses. 

MN DNR Need-to-Knows

Please note Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit differs from the statewide limit. Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit is 4 fish, with all walleyes 20” to 26” having to be immediately released. All seasons are open for fish present in Lake Vermilion. Special northern pike regulations are in place for Lake Vermilion as it is in the northeast zone for pike. The limit for pike is two, with only one allowed over 40” and every fish from 30” to 40” having to be immediately released.

 Please refer to the MN DNR Fishing Regulations for a full set of rules and regulations for Lake Vermilion and the surrounding area.

Lake Vermilion Fishing Report- Week of September 4, 2023

Jake Hyppa of Hyppa’s Guide Service: https://www.hyppaguideservice.com/

A great week of late summertime fishing has passed on the east side of Lake Vermilion. Summer seems to be holding on as an impressively and unseasonably warm Labor Day weekend has gone by. Water temperatures are still holding steady while ranging from 66.7F to 73.8F as it looks like a hint of fall fishing will be in the air this next week. Fishing for walleyes on the east end has remained strong, along with good fishing for smallmouth and pike. September is a great month to target walleyes as a wide variety of methods will bring success as fish are usually very aggressive as water temperatures are cooling. 

Walleye

Walleye fishing on the east end of Vermilion had a very productive last week. The best size for walleyes was found in the Big Bay basin, with a consistent average of ‘eater’ sized walleyes being caught. Size of fish in other basins on the east side of the lake saw a smaller size average ranging from 10” to 13”. Walleyes were once again caught on a variety of methods including trolling leadcore and cranks, utilizing live bait in the form of slip bobbers and jigs, and snap jigging. Walleyes were found in several locations including roaming mud basins, on the edge of sunken gravel points, and even a few were still sitting over main lake gravel humps. For the fish over mud basins, look for large expansions of a fairly consistent depth with not more than a 2’ to 3’ change. Fish were found over basins ranging from 15’ to 18’ of water and again basins ranging from 24’ to 27’ of water. Walleyes were scattered throughout these basins, so trolling leadcore with crankbaits posed the most effective method to boat fish. Trolling leadcore was done using 15lb test leadcore with a 10’ 12lb fluorocarbon leader and trolling 2 to 2.2 mph over these areas. #7 Berkley flicker shads or #5 Rapala shad raps in various colors of green, red, and purple boated the most walleyes. Sunken gravel points coming out from shoreline structure also held a good number of walleyes in 22’ to 24’ of water. These walleyes were caught on ¼ ounce jigs tipped with minnows, a slip bobber set 12” to 18” off the bottom tipped with a #2 red hook and jumbo leech, and by snap jigging #7 Rapala jigging raps or Northland puppet minnows. These fish were found to be loosely schooled up so vertically fishing them was the most productive. A great way to find the most aggressive walleyes and most times the biggest in an area like this is to cast and swim a jigging rap through the school back to the boat. A few walleyes were found over main lake gravel humps in 20’ to 22’ of water in which the same methods were used with success. 

Pike 

Pike on the east end of Vermilion are still being caught on the deeper edge of remaining cabbage beds casting ¾ ounce Mepp’s bucktails and Johnson silver minnows tipped with a white mister twister. These cabbage beds are beginning to die off as sunlight hours are significantly decreasing. Pike will continue to move out of these areas and roam suspended over windblown main lake basin shorelines. Pike were caught trolling these windblown shorelines with Rapala Husky Jerks in fire tiger and chrome blue. Troll over the main lake basins of 20’ to 30’ next to a windward shoreline that quickly drops off into at least 20’ of water as this creates essentially a wall that baitfish are driven into and a feeding opportunity for pike. As always, fishing for pike in front of pressure changes will yield more success than steady weather.

Bass

Smallmouth bass fishing saw a great past week with the high sun and warm temperatures making for ideal weather for fishing smallies. Smallmouth were once again found over main lake humps that top out in 12’ to 16’ of water, with those windblown rockpiles yielding the most success. The go-to bait for smallmouth continues to be a slip bobber and jumbo leech set 12” to 18” off the bottom with a #2 red hook. Artificial baits mimicking rusty crayfish in different variations of brown, red, and orange such as the Yum 2.75” craw chunk paired with a 1/8th ounce shroom head jig also produced smallmouth. Fish this bait in a twitch-sink motion on the bottom of these rockpiles. Some smallmouth are beginning to move out to sunken rock points and fingers spanning out from shore. Look for these sunken points that range from 14’ to 18’ of water that emerge from shore or main lake locations. Fish these locations with Rapala DT 14’s in crayfish patterns or 3/8th ounce blade baits in silver. On colder days and early mornings when the water temps have dropped from the previous night, smallmouth will be occupying these areas and will continue to do so as fall approaches. 

Panfish 

Bluegills are being found fishing the edges of remaining weed lines in 8’ to 10’ of water, as very few bluegills remain in shallow water or near manmade shoreline structure. Several bluegill schools are being found roaming off the deeper edge of cabbage beds in 10’ to 14’ of water. Fishing for bluegills in both of these locations was done with a 1/8th -ounce jig tipped with a piece of a night crawler or panfish leech under a slip bobber set 6” to 12” off the bottom. Utilizing side imaging sonar is a great way to find these roaming schools of both bluegills and crappies. Some quality sized jumbo perch are being found mixed in with walleyes in 15’ to 19’ of water over the mud basins and were caught trolling leadcore on the same baits as walleyes. 

MN DNR Need-to-Knows

Please note Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit differs from the statewide limit. Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit is 4 fish, with all walleyes 20” to 26” having to be immediately released. All seasons are open for fish present in Lake Vermilion. Special northern pike regulations are in place for Lake Vermilion as it is in the northeast zone for pike. The limit for pike is two, with only one allowed over 40” and every fish from 30” to 40” having to be immediately released.

 Please refer to the MN DNR Fishing Regulations for a full set of rules and regulations for Lake Vermilion and the surrounding area.

Lake Vermilion Fishing Report- Week of August 28, 2023

Jake Hyppa of Hyppa’s Guide Service: https://www.hyppaguideservice.com/

The west end of Lake Vermilion saw a better week for walleye fishing particularly in the Niles Bay basin along with fair fishing in the Wolf Bay and Norwegian Bay basins. Multi-species action for pike, panfish, and both smallmouth and largemouth bass again remained strong. The surface temperatures once again fell this week and were ranging from 66.9F to 70.7F as we are in the steady decline as we approach early fall. The walleye bite is very aggressive right now as multiple methods are working to catch fish. Find walleyes this time of year and there is a good chance they will bite. August remains a great multi-species month and is typically overlooked for good fishing as compared to fall and spring.

Walleye

The walleyes on the west end of Vermilion are being found dispersed over both mud basins and the deeper edge of gravel breaks right now. Most of the walleyes found were in pods of 2 to 3 fish rather than larger schools. For the walleyes found over mud bottoms, fish were found in 15’ to 17’ of water. Looking for larger expansions of a bay or single area with a consistent depth in this range yielded the most success. For the walleyes found over gravel breaks, fish were found in 17’ to 20’ of water on the edge of these breaks between a shallower flat and a deeper basin. To identify these long gravel breaks ideal for trolling, use your contour mapping to search for areas where the contour lines on your map are very close together, indicating a rapid depth change between a main lake basin (a large expansion of 25’ to 35’) and a shallow flat (fair sized area that is relatively flat in 9’ to 14’ of water). Troll the edges of these gravel breaks in the target depth. The size of walleyes this week was mostly mixed with no particular depth or structure holding bigger or smaller walleyes. Once again trolling leadcore posed the most effective way to catch these walleyes. Trolling leadcore can be done by using 15lb test leadcore line with a 10’ 12lb fluorocarbon leader and trolling 2 to 2.2 mph over these areas, as walleyes are keying in on rusty crayfish and young of the year perch minnows. #7 Berkley flicker shads or #5 Rapala shad raps in various colors of green, red, and maroon boated the most walleyes as fish are feeding on various bugs, perch minnows, and crayfish in these basins and flats. Walleyes are still in a ‘late summertime’ pattern, so trolling leadcore to cover larger amounts of water as fish are not as grouped up as in early and mid-summer will get the most fish in the boat. In instances where several walleyes were seen together while fishing over these flats and breaks, a slip bobber set 12” to 18” off the bottom tipped with a #2 red hook and jumbo leech or a Rapala #7 jigging rap was fired back behind the boat with success. 

Pike 

Pike on the West end of Vermilion are mostly being caught on the deeper edge of well-developed cabbage beds and roaming suspended over windblown main lake basins. Trolling posed the most effective method for pike these week as it is a great method to cover ground for pike. Trolling was done with Rapala Husky Jerks in various bright colors, while making sure a 40lb or 50lb steel leader is used to avoid being bit off. Trolling over main lake basins of 20’ to 30’ next to a windward shore yielded the most success as this will push a variety of baitfish into shore and the pike will follow. Look for shorelines that quickly drop off into at least 20’ of water and this creates essentially a wall that baitfish are driven into. While casting or trolling the main lake basin, try to keep your lure 7’ to 12’ under the surface rather than fish the bottom of the water column. Casting ½ ounce to ¾ ounce Mepp’s bucktail spinners along the edges of well-developed weed beds also caught pike. As always, fishing for pike in front of pressure changes will yield more success than steady weather.

Bass

Largemouth bass on west end of Lake Vermilion are being caught on the deeper edge of heavy weed cover in 7’ to 11’ of water, with some still being found hanging around manmade shoreline structure. Fishing the edge of this heavy weed cover where growth diminishes seemed to produce the most largemouth. Largemouth were caught on 3/8th ounce weedless green pumpkin jigs tipped with a craw chunk in dark green or black and wacky rigged Senko’s. Fishing near manmade structure along the shorelines in 4’ to 6’ of water also boated fish. During calm periods of dawn and dusk, weedless topwater frogs saw action in thick weed and lily pad beds. Smallmouth bass continue to be found over main lake isolated rock piles that top out in around 12’ to 16’ of water. Fishing on the top of these rock piles can be done with a ¼ ounce ned rig, dropshotting a YUM artificial crayfish, or with a slip bobber and a leech. 

Panfish 

Perch and bluegill fishing on the west end of Vermilion saw a slower week. Bluegills are being found fishing the edges of weed lines and within weed beds in 7’ to 9’ of water. Some bluegills were also found over rock piles in 16’ to 18’ of water. Fishing for bluegills in both of these locations with a 1/16 ounce jig tipped with a piece of night crawler or panfish leech under a slip bobber yielded success. Some quality sized jumbo perch are being found mixed in with walleyes in 15’ to 17’ of water over the mud basins and were caught trolling leadcore on the same baits as walleyes. Perch are typically grouped up in small pods so where one is found there is likely to be more. 

MN DNR Need-to-Knows

Please note Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit differs from the statewide limit. Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit is 4 fish, with all walleyes 20” to 26” having to be immediately released. All seasons are open for fish present in Lake Vermilion. Special northern pike regulations are in place for Lake Vermilion as it is in the northeast zone for pike. The limit for pike is two, with only one allowed over 40” and every fish from 30” to 40” having to be immediately released. 

Please refer to the MN DNR Fishing Regulations for a full set of rules and regulations for Lake Vermilion and the surrounding area.

Lake Vermilion Fishing Report- Week of August 21, 2023

Jake Hyppa of Hyppa’s Guide Service: https://www.hyppaguideservice.com/

The east end of Lake Vermilion saw another great week for both walleye and multiple other species including smallmouth bass, pike, and panfish. August poses a great time to fish Lake Vermilion as bite is fairly consistent and there is typically less anglers and people in general out on the water. August is a great multi-species month and is typically overlooked for good fishing as compared to fall and spring. Water temperatures this week once again cooled down and are ranging from 67.2F to 71.9F as we are in the steady decline as we approach early fall. Walleyes are very aggressive right now and looking ahead to the next week of weather we will likely surface temperatures continue to cool which will keep the aggressive walleye bite going.

Walleye

Walleye fishing on the east end of Vermilion had a very productive last week. Smaller sized walleyes ranging from 10” to 14” were found on mid to late summertime spots. While quality size fish were found roaming basins in typical late summertime locations. Walleyes were caught on a variety of methods including trolling leadcore and cranks, utilizing live bait, and snap jigging. Smaller sized walleyes were primarily found in 19’ to 22’ of water over gravel bottoms. These fish were found over windblown gravel humps feeding on various bugs and larvae being blown in to the hump. Using contour mapping along with wind direction was crucial to finding the location of these fish. The most success for these walleyes over the gravel humps was done by using a slip bobber set 12” to 18” off the bottom tipped with a #2 red hook and jumbo leech. Walleyes were also caught using ¼ ounce walking sinker and a #2 hook and green bead with a 4’ to 5’ leader tipped with half of a night crawler or minnow and trolling over these gravel humps at 0.5mph to 0.7mph. If fish were marked on these locations that would not commit to live bait, using a #5 Northland puppet minnow or #7 Rapala jigging rap in perch or purple descent color was able to get these fish to commit. Fish these lures aggressively in a snap jigging motion, or by swimming them back to the boat by making long casts over the hump. Better sized walleyes were found over 14’ to 16’ of water over mud bottoms. These fish were mostly dispersed out over mud basins of this depth, so trolling leadcore posed the most effective way to catch these walleyes. Trolling leadcore can be done by using 15lb test leadcore line with a 10’ 12lb fluorocarbon leader and trolling 2 to 2.2 mph over these areas, as walleyes are keying in on rusty crayfish and young of the year perch minnows. #7 Berkley flicker shads or #5 Rapala shad raps in various colors of green boated the most walleyes. Walleyes will continue to disperse out over these mud basins so trolling leadcore will be a good go to for walleye anglers in the coming weeks.

Pike 

Not much change in the pike this week. Pike on the east end of Vermilion are being caught on the deeper edge of well-developed cabbage beds, over the tops of isolated reefs and rockpiles, and roaming suspended over main lake basins. The most success this week was found trolling over the tops of windblown isolated rock piles. Trolling was done with Rapala Husky Jerks in various bright colors. Casting over the tops of these reefs with Johnson silver minnows tipped with a white or silver mister twister tail or ½ ounce to ¾ ounce Mepp’s bucktail spinners in 4’ to 8’ of also caught pike. While casting or trolling the main lake basin, try to keep your lure 5’ to 10’ under the surface rather than fish the bottom of the water column. As always, fishing for pike in front of pressure changes will yield more success than steady weather.

Bass

Smallmouth bass on the east end of Vermilion continue to be found over mid lake reefs and rock piles. Windblown rockpiles in 11’ to 16’ of water held the most smallmouth. Days with wind and ample sunshine posed the best bite for smallmouth. Per usual, the tactic of giving each rock pile 5 to 10 minutes of fishing if a smallmouth is not caught before moving onto the next will be the most effective with the high number of rock piles that fall into this category of fishable water. The go-to bait for smallmouth continues to be a slip bobber and jumbo leech set 12” to 18” off the bottom with a #2 red hook. Artificial baits mimicking rusty crayfish in different variations of brown, red, and orange such as the Yum 2.75” craw chunk paired with a 1/8th ounce shroom head jig also produced smallmouth. Fish this bait in a twitch-sink motion on the bottom of these rockpiles. During dawn and dusk hours, success for smallmouth was also found on top water baits such as chug bugs and Rebel Pop’ N Frogs fishing in 4’ to 6’ of water near rocky shorelines.

Panfish 

Bluegills are being found fishing the edges of weed lines in 8’ to 10’ of water, with some still being found hanging in shallower water near manmade structure and reed beds during the high sun hours although less fish will be found here as water temperatures continue to drop. Fishing for bluegills in both of these locations was done with a 1/16-ounce jig tipped with a piece of a night crawler or panfish leech under a slip bobber set 6” to 12” off the bottom. Some quality sized jumbo perch are being found mixed in with walleyes in 13’ to 16’ of water over the mud basins and were caught trolling leadcore on the same baits as walleyes. Perch are typically grouped up in small pods so where one is found there is likely to be more. 

MN DNR Need-to-Knows

Please note Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit differs from the statewide limit. Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit is 4 fish, with all walleyes 20” to 26” having to be immediately released. All seasons are open for fish present in Lake Vermilion. Special northern pike regulations are in place for Lake Vermilion as it is in the northeast zone for pike. The limit for pike is two, with only one allowed over 40” and every fish from 30” to 40” having to be immediately released. Please refer to the MN DNR Fishing Regulations for a full set of rules and regulations for Lake Vermilion and the surrounding area.

Lake Vermilion Fishing Report- Week of August 14, 2023

Jake Hyppa of Hyppa’s Guide Service: https://www.hyppaguideservice.com/

The west end of Lake Vermilion saw a fair week for multi-species action of walleye, pike, panfish, and both smallmouth and largemouth bass. The most success for walleyes was once again found in the Niles, Wolf Bay, and Norwegian Bay basins. Walleyes have set up nicely in late summertime locations and although fairly dispersed, utilizing methods to catch these dispersed fish are yielding good success. Walleyes are very aggressive right now as the water has began a general cool down towards the fall temperatures with less sunlight and cooler mornings on the water. Water temperatures this week ranged from 68.2F to 75.5F. Looking ahead to the next week of weather we will likely see some warmer surface temperatures which will keep the aggressive walleye bite going. 

Walleye

The walleyes on the west end of Vermilion are being found generally dispersed over gravel and mud bottoms keying in on a variety of baits in the water column including insects and young of the year perch minnows. The most success for walleyes was found in the Niles and Wolf Bay basins while other basins on the west end of Vermilion saw a bit more of a challenge for walleyes. As the walleyes are in a ‘late summertime’ pattern, trolling leadcore to cover larger amounts of water as fish are not as grouped up as in early and mid-summer has yielded the most success. Use your contour mapping to search these basins for long gravel breaks that run in the 19’ to 24’ of water range indicated by areas where the contour lines on your map are very close together, indicating a rapid depth change between a main lake basin (a large expansion of 25’ to 35’) and a shallow flat (fair sized area that is relatively flat in 9’ to 14’ of water). Troll the edges of these gravel breaks on the gravel to mud transition zone, marked by a color change of the bottom on your sonar picture on your graph. Not much change in the leadcore setup for catching walleyes this week. Continually using 15lb test leadcore line with a 10’ 12lb fluorocarbon leader trolled around 2 to 2.2 mph over these areas caught the most fish. Primary baits included perch and green colored #5 Rapala shad raps and Berkley Flickr Shads as walleyes are keying in on rusty crayfish and young of the year perch minnows scattered across these breaks. Walleyes were also caught over main lake rock piles and reefs that top out from 8’ to 12’ of water. Narrowing down your search of rockpiles by looking for ones that are adjacent to 20’ plus of water and fishing these reefs very fast by giving each one three or four casts with a ¼ ounce Northland puppet minnows or #5 Rapala jigging rap produced the most fish. Fish these lures aggressively in a snap jigging motion, or by swimming them back to the boat by making long casts over the reef. 

Pike 

Pike on the west end of Vermilion are still being caught on the deeper edge of well-developed cabbage beds, over the tops of isolated reefs and rockpiles, and roaming suspended over main lake basins. The best location this week was the deeper edge of well-developed cabbage beds fished with Johnson silver minnows tipped with a white or silver mister twister tail. Pike were also caught trolling and casting over the main lake basin and over rock piles. While fishing the main lake basin, try to keep your lure 5’ to 10’ under the surface rather than fish the bottom of the water column. Casting ½ ounce to ¾ ounce Mepp’s bucktail spinners over this type of structure produced pike while trolling Rapala Husky Jerks along the windward shore of the main lake basin also caught fish. As always, fishing for pike in front of pressure changes will yield more success than steady weather.

Bass

Largemouth bass on west end of Lake Vermilion continue to be caught in heavy weed cover in 6’ to 10’ of water and around manmade shoreline structure. Fishing the edge of this heavy weed cover where growth diminishes seemed to produce the most largemouth. Largemouth were caught on 3/8th ounce weedless green pumpkin jigs tipped with a craw chunk in dark green or black and wacky rigged Senko’s. Fishing near manmade structure along the shorelines in less than 5’ of water also yielded largemouth. During calm periods of dawn and dusk, weedless topwater frogs saw action in thick weed and lily pad beds. Smallmouth bass were primarily found over main lake isolated rock piles that top out in around 12’ to 16’ of water. Fishing on the top of these rock piles can be done with a ¼ ounce ned rig, dropshotting a YUM artificial crayfish, or with a slip bobber and a leech although a slip bobber set 12” to 18” off the bottom produced the greatest number of smallies. 

Panfish 

Crappie and bluegill fishing on the west end of Vermilion saw another productive week. Bluegills are being found fishing the edges of weed lines and within weed beds in 7’ to 9’ of water, with some still being found hanging in shallower water near manmade structure and reed beds during the high sun hours. Fishing for bluegills in both of these locations with a 1/16 ounce jig tipped with a piece of night crawler or panfish leech under a slip bobber yielded success. Crappies are still being found in a few small pods of fish suspended over deeper basins of 25’ to 35’ of water. Trolling number 5 shad raps in perch or purple descent color with leadcore line while using side imaging will yield the most success for these fish unit they group up again in fall over deeper isolated holes in the main lake basins. 

SPECIAL REPORT!!  TROUT LAKE

Trout Lake Fishing Report- Week of August 14, 2023

Trout Lake provides a unique boundary waters experience for the fisherman looking to get off the beaten path while having the luxury of up to a 25-horse motor. Trout lake is one of the few lakes in the northern Minnesota area that is home to Lake Trout. Direct access to Trout Lake can be achieved through Lake Vermilion and the mechanical portage that bridges the lakes. Trout Lake also provides opportunity for smallmouth bass, walleye, and northern pike. Water surface temperatures are currently ranging from 69.8F to 75.2F. Smallmouth fishing continues to be strong, while finding walleyes poses a challenge. Lake trout fishing will only continue to get better as the water cools and fall approaches bringing on the lake trout spawn. 

Trout

Lake trout were caught in depths of 55’ to 85’ of water. Several methods were used to boat trout including three-way swivels and vertically jigging trout. Other ways to get your bait down into the target depth of at least 50’ include utilizing dipsy divers and down riggers. For the three-way swivel method, which is probably the cheapest and most basic way to effectively troll trout with gear most anglers have. Grab a heavy trolling rod and reel equipped with 40lb to 60lb braid and tie on a three-way swivel. This is your main line point. Off another point tie a 20” to 30” leader of 15lb monofilament and tie on a 12- or 16-ounce triangle weight. This will be what gets your bait to the right depth efficiently and will be your sinker line. It is tied with a lighter pound test, so if it becomes snagged it will break off before your lure. Off the third point of the swivel, tie on a 40lb or 60lb fluorocarbon leader that is 3’ to 5’ in length. Tie on a snap swivel on the end and this is where you will place the spoon of your choice. During the daytime hours, the most success for lake trout was found trolling the windward break at 60’ to 80’ feet on the mud to rock transition and trolling baits across sunken points that are adjacent to deep water of greater than 80’ feet. Look for shorelines with steep structure, where contour lines are very close to each other and drop off rapidly into deeper water and begin fishing there. If there is not enough wind to identify a ‘windward’ shoreline, simply troll across the main lake mud basin in greater than 75’ of water. During calm periods, you can stop the boat after you mark a fish and vertically jig these trout with a heavy walleye rod, braid, and fluorocarbon leader. Jig a ½ ounce VMC swimbait jig paired with a Zoom 4” Fluke in white or shad color very aggressively to trigger a reaction bite in the trout. Most lake trout will forage on cisco so mimicking where the cisco schools will be present and what cisco look like will yield the most success. As always variations of blue or silver ‘hammered’ pattern trout spoons yielded the most success. 

Walleye

The ultra clear water of Trout Lake presents a unique challenge for targeting walleyes during the summertime. Walleyes are still occupying deeper water of 32’ to 36’. Fish were found over sand flats and on the rock to sand transition zone. Fishing sand near heavy boulder cover yielded the most success as walleyes would mainly utilize the boulder cover during high sun periods and then transition out to the sand flats during feeding windows when bait is pushed into the rock line. Fishing vertically on the transition zone with a ¼ ounce to 3/8 ounce blue or black jig tipped with a large shiner or chub has been producing along with number 5 or number 7 Rapala jigging raps in purple descent or perch color. During low light conditions walleyes are being found in shallower water of 12’ to 16’ over both rock and gravel. Trolling Berkley Flickr shads and Cotton Cordel Wally divers with lead core line in the evening hours in these depths caught both walleyes and smallmouth bass. As always staying mobile and using multiple techniques is the best way to boat Trout Lake walleyes. 

Smallmouth 

Trout Lake once again proved what a great smallmouth bass fishery it is. A good size mix of smallmouth were caught this past week with multiple smallmouth in the 18” plus range being boated. Smallmouth are being caught on both shoreline and main lake structure. Shorelines of heavy rock of 4’ to 8’ that quickly drop off into 30’ plus of water yielded the most success during both the daytime and dusk hours. Scan the shoreline for those areas primarily of jagged or broken up shelf rock. Smallmouth along this shorelines structure were mostly caught on jerk baits fished in a snap-pause-reel sequence. During the dusk hours these same areas were fished with topwater baits including chug bugs with success. For main lake structure, mainly isolated rock piles that top out in around 12’ to 16’ of water held the most smallies. Fishing windblown rockpiles will likely yield more success than others. For targeting these rockpiles, a red #2 hook tipped with a jumbo leech under a slip bobber set 12” to 18” off the bottom produced the most fish.

Northern Pike

Pike were primarily caught in 6’ to 10’ of water over the few established weed beds of Trout Lake. Pike were caught on ½ ounce bucktail spinners in fire tiger, Johnson silver minnows tipped with a white mister twister. Several larger pike were found roaming the north end of the lake over the mud basins in 25’ to 30’ of water. Trolling for these pike can be done with size 14 Rapala Down Deep Husky Jerks in silver or pure chrome. As always fishing for pike in front of pressure changes will yield more success than steady weather. 

MN DNR Need-to-Knows

Please note Trout Lake’s walleye limit aligns with the statewide limit, which is different than Lake Vermilion’s. The walleye limit is 6 fish, with not more than one walleye over 20” allowed. The lake trout limit for Trout Lake is two, with no size restrictions. Special northern pike regulations are in place for Trout Lake as it is in the northeast zone for pike. The limit for pike is two, with only one allowed over 40” and every fish from 30” to 40” having to be immediately released. A BWCAW permit is required for day use motorboat anglers. 

Please refer to the MN DNR Fishing Regulations for a full set of rules and regulations for Trout Lake and the surrounding area.

Lake Vermilion Fishing Report- Week of August 7, 2023

Jake Hyppa of Hyppa’s Guide Service: https://www.hyppaguideservice.com/

The east end of Lake Vermilion saw another fair week for both walleye and multiple other species including smallmouth bass, pike, and panfish. There has been an “algae bloom” on the lake which has resulted in noticeable decreased water clarity on much of the east end of the lake. Water temperatures this week ranged from 68.9F to 76.1F. Another week of fairly warm temperatures has passed us, but looking ahead to the oncoming forecast we will likely see water temperatures start to drop and some cooler mornings on the lake. Walleyes are really starting to set up in their late summertime patterns with a good number of fish being found dispersed on main lake basins breaks foraging on a variety of bait. Additionally, the smallmouth bite is really starting to pick up for the trophy size smallmouth that Lake Vermilion has. 

Walleye

The east end of Lake Vermilion saw a fair week for walleyes. Fish were once again found in multiple locations, but generally everyday that passes walleyes are beginning to get more dispersed and are not in the large schools of mid-summer. Walleyes were found on the rock to mud or gravel transition in around 16’ to 18’ of water. Windblown transition zones yielded more success than others. Utilize your down imagining or side imagining to identify this transition zone on breaks identified on your contour mapping in the target depth. Knowing what the gravel to mud transition looks like on your graph is key, which is seen by a color change on the bottom as the return strength of the sonar beam changes over hardpan bottom. Fishing for these transition zone walleyes can be done with ¼ ounce Northland Fireball jigs tipped with a minnow or a ¼ ounce walking sinker and a #2 hook and green bead with a 4’ to 5’ leader tipped with half of a night crawler, although more success was seen on jigs. Troll Lindy Rigs or jigs anywhere from 0.4 to 0.7mph along the transition zone. Dispersed walleyes were also caught trolling leadcore along gravel breaks in 14’ to 19’ of water. Trolling leadcore will become more of a staple at producing walleyes as the month of August continues and walleyes continue to disperse out. Look for these gravel breaks indicated by areas where the contour lines on your map are very close together, indicating a rapid depth change between a main lake basin (a large expansion of 25’ to 35’) and a shallow flat (fair sized area that is relatively flat in 9’ to 14’ of water). Troll 15lb test leadcore line with a 10’ 12lb fluorocarbon leader around 2 to 2.2 mph over these areas as walleyes are keying in on rusty crayfish and young of the year perch minnows scattered across these breaks. The most success was found on perch and green colored #5 Rapala shad raps and Berkley Flickr Shads. 

Pike 

Pike on the east end of Vermilion are being caught in a variety of locations right now including the deeper edge of well-developed cabbage beds, over isolated reefs and rockpiles of less that 5’ of water and roaming suspended over main lake basins. Look for well-defined weed lines by using your electronics or by visualizing the edge of the weed bed and cast or troll the edge in 7’ to 11’ of water with ½ ounce bucktail spinners or Mepp’s in fire tiger and chartreuse, Johnson silver minnows tipped with a white mister twister, and 3.5” hammered spoons for pike. Fish the main lake basin of greater than 25’ of water by casting or trolling these same baits. When a pressure change is near or a strong wind is blowing into an isolated reef, rockpile, or shoreline change your location to fish these areas of less than 5’ of water for success as pike will move in shallow to feed. 

Bass

Not a lot of change in the smallmouth location on the east end of Lake Vermilion this week. Fish have set up on mid lake structure on isolated rock piles that top out in around 8’ to 12’ of water. Fishing windblown rockpiles will likely yield more success than others. There is a bountiful number of rockpiles that fall into this category so using the method of giving each rockpile five minutes of fishing, and if nothing bites move to the next. Smallmouth are extremely aggressive this time of year. Per usual, one of the best baits for smallmouth this week was again a red #2 hook tipped with a jumbo leech under a slip bobber set 12” to 18” off the bottom. If you are looking to fish artificial bait, using a 1/8th ounce shroom head jig tipped with a Yum 2.75” craw chunk in the color crawdad yielded success as it replicates the high numbers of rusty crayfish on the east end of Vermilion. Fish this bait in a twitch-sink motion on the bottom of these rockpiles. Some smallmouth were also caught fishing topwater during calm periods with chug bugs and Rebel Pop’ N Frogs. 

Panfish 

Bluegills are being found fishing the edges of weed lines in 8’ to 10’ of water, with some still being found hanging in shallower water near manmade structure and reed beds during the high sun hours. Fishing for bluegills in both of these locations was done with a 1/16-ounce jig tipped with a piece of a night crawler or panfish leech under a slip bobber set 6” to 12” off the bottom. Some quality sized jumbo perch are being found mixed in with walleyes on the rock to mud and rock to gravel transition zone in around 16’ to 18’ of water. Success for these jumbo perch was found with the same baits as for walleyes. Perch are typically grouped up in small pods so where one is found there is likely to be more. 

MN DNR Need-to-Knows

Please note Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit differs from the statewide limit. Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit is 4 fish, with all walleyes 20” to 26” having to be immediately released. All seasons are open for fish present in Lake Vermilion. Special northern pike regulations are in place for Lake Vermilion as it is in the northeast zone for pike. The limit for pike is two, with only one allowed over 40” and every fish from 30” to 40” having to be immediately released. Please refer to the MN DNR Fishing Regulations for a full set of rules and regulations for Lake Vermilion and the surrounding area. 

——————————————————————————————————————Vermilion Fishing Report- Week of July 31, 2023

Jake Hyppa of Hyppa’s Guide Service: https://www.hyppaguideservice.com/

The west end of Lake Vermilion saw a better week for walleye fishing in the Niles and Wolf Bay, and Norwegian Bay basins. Walleyes are being found in a variety of spots right now, as fish are transitioning between mid-summer and late summer patterns leaving fish scattered about multiple types of structure. Walleyes have been fairly aggressive with most fish keying in on fish flies along with some residual mayfly larvae in the water column. Additionally smallmouth bass, northern pike, and panfishing remain strong all over the west end of Vermilion. Water temperatures this week ranged from 67.4F to 75.1F. The water temperatures will continue to cool down during the month of August and fish will set up in their late summertime patterns.

Walleye

The walleyes on the west end of Vermilion are being found in a variety of mid-summer and late summertime locations. Fish are starting to become more dispersed and becoming less likely to be found in schools and more likely to be found in small pods of two to three. The most success for walleyes was found in the Niles and Wolf Bay basins while other basins on the west end of Vermilion saw a tougher past week for walleyes. Walleyes are primarily being found right now in 17’ to 22’ of water, with a few fish being found around the 24’ mark. Structure wise, walleyes are being found on steeper gravel drops adjacent to shallower mud flats in the 9’ to 14’ range. Searching for this type of structure can be done by looking for areas where the contour lines on your map are very close together, indicating a rapid depth change between a main lake basin (a large expansion of 25’ to 35’) and a shallow flat (fair sized area that is relatively flat in 9’ to 14’ of water). Fishing for walleyes on these breaks can be done with a variety of methods, all of which yielded fish. Trolling a ¼ ounce walking sinker and a #2 hook and green bead with a 4’ to 5’ leader tipped with half of a night crawler around 0.4 mph to 0.6 mph, jigging and swimming ¼ ounce Northland puppet minnows back to the boat, and trolling leadcore line with Cotton Cordel wally divers all caught walleyes. Walleyes were also caught trolling leadcore pulling a variety of lures including Cotton Cordel wally divers, Berkley Flicker Shads, and #5 Rapala Shad Raps. Using these baits in dark green, brown, and red to imitate rusty crayfish caught the most walleyes. Troll 15lb test leadcore line with a 10’ 12lb fluorocarbon leader around 2 to 2.2 mph over large mudflats ranging from 18’ to 24’ of water. Walleyes that have dispersed and are keying in on rusty crayfish and a variety of other bugs are scattered across these basins. Fishing leadcore over this type of structure will only become better as we progress into August and a mainstay tactic for the month. 

Pike 

Pike on the west end of Vermilion are being caught on the deeper edge of well-developed cabbage beds right now and over the tops of isolated reefs and rockpiles. Look for well defined weedlines by using your electronics or by visualizing the edge of the weed bed and cast or troll the edge in 7’ to 11’ of water. For isolated rock piles, look for reefs that come up to less than 5’ of water. Fish with ½ ounce bucktail spinners or Mepp’s in fire tiger and chartreuse, Johnson silver minnows tipped with a white mister twister, and 3.5” hammered spoons for pike. As always, fishing for pike in front of pressure changes will yield more success than steady weather.

Bass

Largemouth bass on west end of Lake Vermilion have moved into heavy weed cover in 5’ to 9’ of water. Fishing in this heavy weed cover can either be done by fishing the edge or going for topwater with weedless frogs during times of low wind. 3/8th ounce weedless green pumpkin jigs continued to yield the most success, particularly those tipped with a craw chunk or some other type of soft bait in dark green or black. Largemouth were also caught on wacky rigged Senko’s. Some better sized largemouth were found on the deeper edges of these weed beds with sparse weed growth where they taper off into deeper water of 10’ to 12’ and around deeper manmade structure. Smallmouth are being found on mid lake structure on isolated rock piles that top out in around 12’ to 14’ of water. Search for rock piles that are windblown, which will yield more success. The highest numbers of smallmouth were caught again on a red #2 hook tipped with a jumbo leech under a slip bobber set 12” to 18” off the bottom.

Panfish 

Crappie and bluegill fishing on the west end of Vermilion is getting more productive in the deeper water for crappie as we move into later summertime. Bluegills are being found fishing the edges of weed lines in 7’ to 9’ of water, with some still being found hanging in shallower water near manmade structure and reed beds during the high sun hours. Fishing for bluegills in both of these locations with a 1/16 ounce jig tipped with a piece of night crawler under a slip bobber yielded success. Crappies are beginning to be found in a few small pods of fish suspended over deeper basins of 30’ of water. Trolling number 5 shad raps in perch or purple descent color with leadcore line while using side imaging will yield the most success for these fish unit they group up again in fall over deeper isolated holes in the main lake basins. 

MN DNR Need-to-Knows

Please note Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit differs from the statewide limit. Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit is 4 fish, with all walleyes 20” to 26” having to be immediately released. All seasons are open for fish present in Lake Vermilion. Special northern pike regulations are in place for Lake Vermilion as it is in the northeast zone for pike. The limit for pike is two, with only one allowed over 40” and every fish from 30” to 40” having to be immediately released. 

Please refer to the MN DNR Fishing Regulations for a full set of rules and regulations for Lake Vermilion and the surrounding area.

 ——————————————————————————————————————–

Lake Vermilion Fishing Report- Week of July 24, 2023

Jake Hyppa of Hyppa’s Guide Service: https://www.hyppaguideservice.com/

The east end of Lake Vermilion saw a fair week for both walleye and multiple other species

including smallmouth bass, pike, and panfish. Significantly less bait in the water column has

made walleyes more aggressive, however fish are beginning to transition into some of their

later summer patterns. Walleyes were found over multiple types of structure, bottom, and

depths and although walleyes are still fairly schooled up right now this is the first sign that fish

will soon begin to disperse out over large basins and leadcore trolling will become one of the

most effective methods to boat walleyes. Water temperatures this week ranged from 68.0F to

76.2F and will likely continue to rise as some warmer weather is forecasted for later this week.

This is a great time to catch walleyes as a variety of methods over a variety of locations can all

yield success for walleyes.

Walleye

The east end of Lake Vermilion saw a fair week for walleyes. Fish were found in multiple

locations, but these were the three most common types of structure fish were boated from;

Large rock piles adjacent to shore that jut out into main lake mud basins with 25’ plus of water,

gravel humps and shelfs, and windblown rock to mud transition zones. Although this does not

narrow the structure to begin fishing that much, using the wind to your favor and most

importantly knowing how to read your electronics and what fish look like will help you to

narrow the search further. For the large rock piles, look for those that top out from 8’ to 12’ of

water and that the majority of the reef is in the target depth area. Additionally, look for reefs

that are adjacent to deeper water of at least 25’. Fish for walleyes on top of these reefs with

slip bobbers rigged 12” to 16” off the bottom with a red #2 hook tipped with a jumbo leech.

Fish were also caught in these areas casting and ‘swimming’ number 7 Rapala jigging rap’s in

perch or chrome blue color or a redfire crawdad ¼ ounce Northland puppet minnows back to

the boat. Walleyes were also caught in 19’ to 21’ over gravel bottomed humps and shelfs.

Those that were strictly gravel, with no loose boulders held the most walleyes. These fish were

also caught on slip bobbers, but also on a ¼ ounce walking sinker and a #2 hook and green bead

with a 4’ to 5’ leader tipped with half of a night crawler. Slip bobbers were preferred over Lindy

Rigs as fish mortality was much lower while fishing with slip bobbers. Several walleyes were

also found on the rock to mud transition zone in 16’ to 20’ and this structure will only get better

as the summer progresses. Look for sharper breaks in the 14’ to 18’ range that lead directly into

a mud basin or large area that is relatively the same depth. Pay attention to the color of the

bottom on the deeper side of this break and slowly troll a ¼ ounce jig tipped with a leech or a

Lindy Rig right on the rock to mud transition line. Finding breaks that the wind has been

blowing into will yield more success.

Pike

Pike on the east end of Vermilion are being caught on the deeper edge of well-developed

cabbage beds right now. Fishing ½ ounce bucktail spinners or Mepp’s in fire tiger and

chartreuse, Johnson silver minnows tipped with a white mister twister, and 3.5” hammered

spoons all caught pike. We are transitioning to later summer where anglers can visualize the

weed beds very well, work the edges of these beds in 7’ to 11’ of water while casting.

Aggressive pike will sit on the edges of these beds. During dawn and dusk hours, fishing Mepp’s

silver minnows in a topwater fashion skimming them across the top of these weed beds also

produced pike. As always fishing for pike in front of pressure changes will yield more success

than steady weather.

Bass

Smallmouth on the east end of Lake Vermilion have transitioned out to mid lake structure on

isolated rock piles that top out in around 10’ to 14’ of water. There is dozens and dozens of

rockpiles that fall into this category so finding schools of quality sized smallmouth may take

fishing five or six spots. A great method for this is to give each rockpile five minutes of fishing,

and if nothing bites move to the next. Smallmouth are extremely aggressive this time of year.

Per usual, one of the best baits for smallmouth this week was again a red #2 hook tipped with a

jumbo leech under a slip bobber set 12” to 18” off the bottom. If you are looking to fish

artificial bait, using a 1/8 th ounce shroom head jig tipped with a Yum 2.75” craw chunk in the

color crawdad yielded success as it replicates the high numbers of rusty crayfish on the east end

of Vermilion. Fish this bait in a twitch-sink motion on the bottom of these rockpiles. Some

smallmouth were also caught fishing topwater during calm periods with chug bugs and Rebel

Pop’ N Frogs.

Panfish

Bluegills are being found fishing the edges of weed lines in 5’ to 7’ of water, with some still

being found hanging in shallower water near manmade structure and reed beds during the high

sun hours. Fishing for bluegills in both of these locations with a 1/16-ounce jig tipped with a

piece of night crawler under a slip bobber yielded success. Some quality sized bluegills are still

being found in 18’ to 20’ of water on the gravel edges of reefs and were caught on slip bobbers

tipped with panfish leeches. Quality sized jumbo perch are being found mixed in with walleyes

on the rock to mud transition zone in around 18’ of water.

MN DNR Need-to-Knows

Please note Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit differs from the statewide limit. Lake Vermilion’s

walleye limit is 4 fish, with all walleyes 20” to 26” having to be immediately released. All

seasons are open for fish present in Lake Vermilion. Special northern pike regulations are in

place for Lake Vermilion as it is in the northeast zone for pike. The limit for pike is two, with

only one allowed over 40” and every fish from 30” to 40” having to be immediately released.

Please refer to the MN DNR Fishing Regulations for a full set of rules and regulations for Lake

Vermilion and the surrounding area.

—————————————————————————————————————–

Jake Hyppa of Hyppa’s Guide Service: https://www.hyppaguideservice.com/–July 17,2023

The east end of Lake Vermilion saw another tougher past week for walleyes with a continuum
of mayfly larvae in the various east end basins making the walleye bite difficult. Other species
including smallmouth bass, northern pike and panfish however had another productive week of
fishing. Water temperatures on the east end of Vermilion have cooled down a bit with this
week’s temperatures ranging from 67.3F to 73.1F. Using your electronics along with having a
variety of tactics and baits ready to fish walleyes along with being mobile with give walleye
anglers the most success.

Walleye
The east end of Lake Vermilion has seen a tougher past few weeks for walleyes. In addition to
finding walleyes, an amplitude of bait has made convincing fish of quality ‘keeper’ size to bite.
There continues to be large amounts of mayfly larvae present in the water column along with
young of the year perch minnows which have now progressed out into deeper water, and rusty
crayfish that are molting. Most walleyes caught this week ranged from 10” to 14” with several
in the 16” to 20” range being caught. We remain in a typical ‘summertime pattern’ for walleyes
in which most fish are in well established pods that occupy common summertime locations.
Wind did not make a difference to finding walleyes with electronics, however wind did play a
difference in finding walleyes that were actively biting. Fishing windward mid-lake structure
including shelfs, humps and reefs all yielded success for active fish. Do not be afraid to fish
where a strong wind is blowing into or where the wind was blowing the day before as bait could
still remain in the area. Walleyes are being found in 18’ to 21’ of water right now during
daytime hours. A dawn and dusk bite is occurring in 8’ to 12’ of water. During the daytime,
focus on mid-lake structure or structure that emerges out of a basin that does not connect to
shoreline structure. Walleyes in these daytime locations are primarily being found over
scattered rock and gravel bottoms. Utilizing down imaging to identify fish over the scattered
rock bottoms while standard sonar has worked for those over gravel bottoms. Identify mid-lake
reefs with rock bottoms in the 18’ to 21’ range and fish with slip bobbers rigged 12” to 16” off
the bottom with a red #2 hook tipped with a jumbo leech. This method yielded the most
success, however having a Number 7 Rapala jigging rap in perch color or redfire crawdad ¼
ounce Northland puppet minnow ready to snap jig was used when fish were present and would
not commit to live bait. While fishing over gravel bottoms Lindy rigs with a ¼ ounce walking
sinker and a #2 hook and green bead with a 4’ to 5’ leader tipped with half of a night crawler
caught several walleyes, but more success was found on fishing these same locations with slip
bobbers and leeches.

Pike

Not much change in pike on the east end of Vermilion this week. Pike continue to be caught in5’ to 9’ of water over or in well-established weed beds. ½ ounce bucktail spinners or Mepp’s infire tiger and chartreuse, Johnson silver minnows tipped with a white mister twister, and 3.5” hammered spoons all caught pike. Trolling with Rapala Husky Jerks on the edges of this weed growth also produced fish in the dawn and dusk hours. Larger pike are roaming in deeper water suspended in 30’ plus of water. Cast for these fish with ½ ounce bucktail spinners. As always fishing for pike in front of pressure changes will yield more success than steady weather.

Bass
The east end of Lake Vermilion once again proved what an awesome smallmouth bass fishery it
is this past week. Smallmouth bass were primarily found in 5’ to 10’ of water along heavy rock
shorelines, those with a mix of large boulders yielded even more success. As always one of the
best baits for smallmouth this week was again a red #2 hook tipped with a jumbo leech under a
slip bobber which proved hard for smallies to pass up on. For artificial baits, a 1/8th ounce
shroom head jig tipped with a Yum 2.75” craw chunk in the color crawdad yielded success as it
almost perfectly replicates the high numbers of rusty crayfish on the east end of Vermilion. Fish
this bait in a twitch-sink motion over boulder shorelines for success. A fair number of
smallmouth are being found on rockpiles that top out at around 10’ in both immediate
shoreline and mid-lake structure. Picking a handful of reefs to try with this type of structure to
find a school of smallmouth while using a slip bobber and leech yielded success. Nearly all
smallmouth caught had been feeding on rusty crayfish this past week.

Panfish
Bluegill fishing on the east end of Vermilion has continued to be productive in the shallows near
the edges of developed weed beds and man-made structure including docks and shore stations
in 3’ to 6’. Using a 1/16th or 1/32nd ounce jig with a small piece of worm or artificial tail set about
2’ to 3’ beneath a bobber is still working great. Some quality sized bluegills are being found in
18’ to 20’ of water on the gravel edges of reefs. When you have identified a school, using a 1/8th              ounce jig tipped with a panfish leech or worm is catching fish and minimizes fatal hooksets atthis depth. These bluegills were also caught on with slip bobbers rigged 12” to 16” off thebottom with a red #2 hook tipped with a panfish leech.

MN DNR Need-to-Knows

Please note Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit differs from the statewide limit. Lake Vermilion’s
walleye limit is 4 fish, with all walleyes 20” to 26” having to be immediately released. All
seasons are open for fish present in Lake Vermilion. Special northern pike regulations are in
place for Lake Vermilion as it is in the northeast zone for pike. The limit for pike is two, with
only one allowed over 40” and every fish from 30” to 40” having to be immediately released.
Please refer to the MN DNR Fishing Regulations for a full set of rules and regulations for Lake
Vermilion and the surrounding area.——————————————————————————————————————–

Lake Vermilion Fishing Report- Week of July 3, 2023: Jake Hyppa of Hyppa’s Guide Service: https://www.hyppaguideservice.com

The west end of Lake Vermilion including the Wake-em-up, Norwegian Bay, and Head O’ Lakes \nbasins saw a fair week for producing ‘slot’ sized walleyes with a few eaters mixed in. The Niles \nand Wolf Bay basins saw better success producing a larger number of eater sized walleyes. \nWater surface temperatures on the west end of Vermilion ranged from 69.2F to 77.8F as \nanother week of warm temperatures has passed by. Targeting shallower depths for \nsmallmouth, largemouth, and pike continues to yield success. There is still both some mayfly \nlarvae in the water column and mayflies on the surface boasting a great time to fish a variety of \ntopwater lures for bass. \nWalleye\nThe walleyes on the west end of Vermilion have set up in well-established pods in a variety of \ntypical summertime locations. Anglers should consider what usual spots they find walleyes at in \nthe summertime and will likely find success. Walleyes have primarily been caught over gravel \nand mud bottoms, with a few still being found over rock bottoms. Weed growth has been \nstrong this summer with large weed beds now being present and subsequently well-established \nweed lines that are holding walleyes. Walleyes were found over mud bottoms on the edges of \nwell-established weed lines in 10’ to 13’ of water. Fishing the windblown weed lines was the \nmost successful as young of the year perch favor the wind and can find cover in these weeds. \nTrolling with Northland Pro Walleye Crawler Harnesses in UV Gold with a 3/8th ounce walking \nsinker at speeds of 0.7 mph to 0.9 mph tipped with a crawler or even leech boated the most \nwalleyes near weeds. If small perch continue to pick at the live bait, try switching to an artificial \ncrawler such as a Berkely Gulp crawler. Walleyes that are over gravel bottoms are being found \nin 20’ to 23’ of water. Fishing a variety of locations at this depth including shelfs, humps, and \nsteeper drops all yielded success. Use your electronics with contour mapping to search for \nthese locations, which can be seen by where the contour lines are the closest together \nindicating quick depth changes. Fish for walleyes over these mostly gravel bottoms with your \nstandard Lindy rig with a ¼ ounce walking sinker and a #2 hook and green bead with a 4’ to 5’ \nleader tipped with half of a night crawler. A few walleyes are still being found over windblown \nrockpiles and reefs in 17’ to 20’ of water. Searching for the mid lake rockpiles, as this is where \nboth mayfly larvae and perch minnows were being pushed into yielded success for these fish. \nLook for structure that emerges out of the main lake basin. Fish for walleyes over the rock \nbottoms with slip bobbers rigged 12” to 16” off the bottom with a red #2 hook tipped with a \njumbo leech.\nPike \nPike on the west end of Vermilion are mostly being caught in 5’ to 8’ of water over or in well \nestablished weed beds. ½ ounce bucktail spinners or Mepp’s in fire tiger and chartreuse, \nJohnson silver minnows tipped with a white mister twister, and 3.5” hammered spoons all \ncaught pike. Trolling with Rapala Husky Jerks on the edges of this weed growth also produced \nfish in the dawn and dusk hours. Larger pike are roaming in deeper water suspended in 30’ plus \nof water. Cast for these fish with ½ ounce bucktail spinners. As always fishing for pike in front of \npressure changes will yield more success than steady weather.\nBass\nThe west end of Lake Vermilion had another great week for quality largemouth bass. \nLargemouth bass were found in established weed beds and around manmade structure \nincluding docks. These largemouth were caught in 3’ to 7’ of water on a variety of baits \nincluding 3/8th ounce weedless green pumpkin jigs, wacky rigged Senko’s, and Strike master \ncrankbaits. Better sized largemouth were found on the deeper edges of these weed beds where \nthey taper off into deeper water of at least 10’. Casting crankbaits or using pumpkin jigs on \nthese deeper edges yielded the most success. Smallmouth are still relating to mostly rock \nshorelines with isolated boulders in 4’ to 8’ of water. As always one of the best baits for \nsmallmouth this week was again a red #2 hook tipped with a jumbo leech under a slip bobber \nwhich proved hard for smallies to pass up on. With the presence of mayflies on the surface, the \ntopwater bite for both smallmouth and largemouth bass has been great during periods of calm \nwater including dawn and dusk. Largemouth were caught on topwater frogs while smallmouth \nwere caught on chug bugs. \nPanfish \nCrappie and bluegill fishing on the west end of Vermilion has continued to be productive in the \nshallows for bluegills and in deeper water for crappie. Bluegills are being found fishing the \nedges of weed beds, pencil reed beds, and man-made structure including docks and shore \nstations in 3’ to 6’ of water over gravel and mud bottoms. Using a 1/16th or 1/32nd ounce jig with \na small piece of worm or artificial tail set about 2’ to 4’ beneath a bobber is working great. \nCrappies are setting up on summertime locations. Look for these fish on the edges of steeper \nbreaks in 12’ to 18’ of water and fish them with a small jig and minnow for success. Utilizing \nyour side imaging on your graph can make finding these fish much easier. Some crappies are \nalso starting to move out into shallower basins in 20’ to 30’ of water. These crappies can be \nfound and caught by trolling number 5 Rapala shad raps on lead core line. \nMN DNR Need-to-Knows\nPlease note Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit differs from the statewide limit. Lake Vermilion’s \nwalleye limit is 4 fish, with all walleyes 20” to 26” having to be immediately released. All \nseasons are open for fish present in Lake Vermilion. Special northern pike regulations are in \nplace for Lake Vermilion as it is in the northeast zone for pike. The limit for pike is two, with \nonly one allowed over 40” and every fish from 30” to 40” having to be immediately released. \nPlease refer to the MN DNR Fishing Regulations for a full set of rules and regulations for Lake \nVermilion and the surrounding area”. 

———————————————————————————————————————-Lake Vermilion Fishing Report- Week of June 26, 2023

BY: Jake Hyppa Guide Servive: 

Another week of beautiful weather and great fishing has gone by on Lake Vermilion. Fishing remains consistent on the east end of Lake Vermilion with water temperatures ranging from 67.1 F to 76.0 F. The walleye, smallmouth bass, and northern pike fishing continues to be very productive with the walleye bite picking up in the past several days. Lake levels have continued to drop this past week with the water level nearly 16” to 18” lower than the high-water point of the spring. Hopefully recent rainfall will help to negate this, or lake levels will be very low come end of summer. 

Walleye

The east end of Lake Vermilion continues to boast what a great walleye fishery it is. Most walleyes this week still ranged from 12” to 16” with some under 12” being caught. A good number of slot sized fish ranging from 20” to 24” inches were also caught and released. The walleye bite was a challenge the early part of the week but began to pick up in the later half. Finding walleyes this time of year is not difficult, as fish are starting to group up nicely and utilize some typical summertime spots that anglers are used to fishing. There is a high amount of bait in the water column right now. Most walleyes are feeding on mayfly larvae, young of the year perch minnows which have now progressed out into deeper water, and crayfish that are still molting. This large amount of bait has made convincing walleyes to bite difficult, so utilizing your electronics and the wind to your favor has made a considerable difference getting fish topside. Walleyes are being found from 17’ to 22’ of water right now. Walleyes are being found both over gravel and rock/hardpan bottoms. Most walleyes over rock bottoms are being found in 17’ to 20’ of water. These fish were much more aggressive than those found over gravel bottoms in 20’ to 22’ of water. Searching for windblown mid lake structure including rockpiles and gravel humps and shelfs yielded the most success as this is where both mayfly larvae and perch minnows were being pushed into. Look for structure that emerges out of the main lake basin. Fish for walleyes over the rock bottoms with slip bobbers rigged 12” to 16” off the bottom with a red #2 hook tipped with a jumbo leech. On several occasions fish would not commit to a bobber in which a Number 7 Rapala jigging rap in perch color was used in a snap jigging fashion or a ¼ ounce fireball jig tipped with a minnow was used with success. While fishing over gravel bottoms Lindy rigs with a ¼ ounce walking sinker and a #2 hook and green bead with a 4’ to 5’ leader tipped with half of a night crawler caught walleyes. 

Pike 

Again, not much change in the pike fishing this week. Smaller pike, those under 30”, continue to be caught in 4’ to 7’ of water over mud bottoms in areas with established weed beds. ½ ounce bucktail spinners in fire tiger, Johnson silver minnows tipped with a white mister twister continued to be the go-to baits. Trolling with Rapala Husky Jerks over the top or edges of this weed growth also produced fish. Larger pike have begun to push out into deeper water roaming the basins suspended in 30’ plus of water, casting and fishing in a jerk bait fashion with silver number 11 Rapala Shadow Rap’s has yielded success. As always fishing for pike in front of pressure changes will yield more success than steady weather.

Bass

The east end of Lake Vermilion poses a great smallmouth bass fishery with ample opportunity for trophy size smallmouth bass with the high numbers of rusty crayfish providing a great forage base for smallmouth. Smallmouth are still relating to mostly rock shorelines in 2’ to 6’ of water. Finding shorelines with isolated large boulders and aggressive granite drops held the most smallies. Several smallmouth are beginning to relate to immediate shoreline structure including reefs and rockpiles that top out around 6’ to 8’ of water. Searching for both rock shorelines and rockpiles with adjacent deep water of at least 15’ will yield the most success. As always one of the best baits for smallmouth this week was a red #2 hook tipped with a jumbo leech under a slip bobber which proved hard for smallmouth to pass up on. For artificial baits; anything to imitate crayfish including red, orange, and brown plastic colored baits on a 1/8th ounce jig also caught fish. Swim this bait back slowly while trying to maintain about a foot off the bottom. Nearly all smallmouth caught had been feeding on rusty crayfish.

Panfish 

Bluegill and perch fishing on the east end of Vermilion has continued to be productive in the shallows near the edges of developed weed beds and man-made structure including docks and shore stations. On warm afternoons when the water temp climbs, mostly bluegills are utilizing the shallows of less than 4’ of water over gravel and mud bottoms. Using a 1/16th or 1/32nd ounce jig with a small piece of worm or artificial tail set about 2’ to 3’ beneath a bobber is working great. Keepable sized jumbo perch from 10” to 14” were found in 16’ to 18’ of water along the edges of shoreline rock piles feeding on windblown mayfly larvae. These perch can be caught with a 1/8th or ¼ ounce orange jig tipped with a piece of worm vertically jigging. Bluegill will continue to occupy the shallows for most of the summer months. 

MN DNR Need-to-Knows

Please note Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit differs from the statewide limit. Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit is 4 fish, with all walleyes 20” to 26” having to be immediately released. All seasons are open for fish present in Lake Vermilion. Special northern pike regulations are in place for Lake Vermilion as it is in the northeast zone for pike. The limit for pike is two, with only one allowed over 40” and every fish from 30” to 40” having to be immediately released. 

Please refer to the MN DNR Fishing Regulations for a full set of rules and regulations for Lake Vermilion and the surrounding area.

—————————-Lake Vermilion Fishing Report- Week of June 19, 2023

Jake Hyppa Fishing Guide

The west end of Lake Vermilion including the Wake-em-up, Norwegian Bay, and Head O’ Lake’s basins saw a bit tougher week at producing ‘eater sized’ walleyes, but still produced a fair number of slot sized fish. Niles and Wolf Bay area basins did produce higher numbers of ‘eater sized’ walleyes than other locations on the west end of Lake Vermilion. Water surface temperatures on the west of Lake Vermilion ranged from roughly 66.0 F to 74.2 F as this past week brought more seasonable temperatures. Both smallmouth and largemouth bass fishing continues to be strong. The mayfly hatch is beginning in several of the basins on the west end of Vermilion as large amounts of mayfly larvae can be seen on the graph floating in the water column. The abundance of food is going to make for a tougher week for walleye anglers. 

Walleye

The walleyes west end of Vermilion are being caught in a variety of early summertime locations. Most walleyes were caught in 18’ to 23’ of water over rock bottoms on the edges of reefs, sunken islands, and points. Fish were caught on both mid lake structure and shoreline structure. Use your contour mapping to look for isolated rock piles that top out around 14’ to 18’ and then utilize down imaging to work the edges of the rocks looking for fish on the rock to mud transitions. Walleyes right now are mostly over the rock side of this transition zone but are foraging on mayfly larvae that is drifting over the mud bottom on the edges of these rocks. Convincing these walleyes to bite with the abundance of food present right now took a variety of presentations. For live bait presentations, slip bobbers rigged 12” to 16” off the bottom with a red #2 hook tipped with a jumbo leech or 1/8^th ounce orange jigs tipped with a piece of crawler under a slip bobber caught some walleyes. Vertical jigging with a ¼ ounce fireball jig tipped with a minnow on the edges of these reefs also boated some fish. Snap jigging was used to convince fish that would otherwise pass up on live bait. Number 7 Rapala jigging raps in perch or redfire crawdad color and ¼ ounce Northland puppet minnows snap jigged in an aggressive fashion with a braid mainline and fluorocarbon leader with a VMC crankbait snap swivel were used to turned looker walleyes into biters by trigging a reaction bite. Walleyes were also caught on windblown mud flats in 14’ to 18’ of water with Lindy rigs with a ¼ ounce walking sinker and a #2 hook and green bead with a 4’ to 5’ leader tipped with half of a night crawler. Walleye anglers will see a tougher week with the mayfly hatch but utilizing your electronics to only be fishing when fish are seen and fishing the windward shore or windblown reefs since this is where mayfly larvae will drift will yield the most success.

Pike

Not much change in the pike fishing this week. Pike continue to be caught in 3’ to 6’ of water this over mud bottoms in areas with new emerging weed growth. ½ ounce bucktail spinners in fire tiger, Johnson silver minnows tipped with a white mister twister continued to be the go-to baits. Trolling with Rapala Husky Jerks over the top of this weed growth also produced fish. Larger pike can be found on the deeper edge of emerging weed lines and off main lake points in 7’ to 9’ of water. Most pike right now are keying in on perch as baitfish. As always fishing for pike in front of pressure changes will yield more success than steady weather.

Bass

The west end of Lake Vermilion had a great week for quality largemouth bass. Largemouth bass were found in developing weed beds, hanging around downed wood in the water, and around manmade structure including docks. These largemouth were caught in 2’ to 6’ of water on a variety of baits including 3/8^th ounce weedless green pumpkin jigs and wacky rigged Senko’s. During the evening or morning hours with calm water, largemouth were also caught on topwater frogs. Smallmouth can be found in the same depths of 2’ to 6’ but are mainly relating to rock shorelines adjacent to deeper water of 15’ plus. One of the best baits for smallmouth this week was a red #2 hook tipped with a jumbo leech under a slip bobber. As usual, greater largemouth numbers are present on the west end of Vermilion, while greater smallmouth numbers are on the east end of Vermilion.

Panfish

Crappie, bluegill, and perch fishing on the west end of Vermilion has continued to be productive in the shallows near downed trees, pencil reed beds, and man-made structure including docks and shore stations. On warm afternoons when the water temp climbs, mostly bluegills are utilizing the shallows of less than 4’ of water over gravel and mud bottoms. Using a 1/16^th or 1/32^nd ounce jig with a small piece of worm or artificial tail set about 24” to 36” beneath a bobber is working great. Crappies have begun to pull away from shore and are setting up on summertime locations. Look for these fish on the deeper edges of developing weed beds and steeper breaks in 10’ to 14’ of water and fish them with a small jig and minnow for success. Utilizing your side imaging on your graph can make finding these fish much easier. Perch were found in 3’ to 6’ of water over gravel and rock bottoms. Perch were caught using a 1/8^th ounce jig and vertically fishing it with a small minnow or under a slip bobber. Panfish will continue to occupy the shallows for most of the summer months.

MN DNR Need-to-Knows

Please note Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit differs from the statewide limit. Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit is 4 fish, with all walleyes 20” to 26” having to be immediately released. All seasons are open for fish present in Lake Vermilion. Special northern pike regulations are in place for Lake Vermilion as it is in the northeast zone for pike. The limit for pike is two, with only one allowed over 40” and every fish from 30” to 40” having to be immediately released.

Please refer to the MN DNR Fishing Regulations for a full set of rules and regulations for Lake Vermilion and the surrounding area.

___________________***SPECIAL REPORT________________________________________________________________

Trout Lake Fishing Report- Week of June 19, 2023

Trout Lake provides a unique boundary waters experience for the fisherman looking to get off the beaten path while having the luxury of up to a 25-horse motor. Trout lake is one of the few lakes in the northern Minnesota area that is home to Lake Trout. Direct access to Trout Lake can be achieved through Lake Vermilion and the mechanical portage that bridges the lakes. Trout Lake also provides opportunity for smallmouth bass, walleye, and northern pike. Water temperatures ranged from 65 F to 74 F, slightly colder than neighboring Lake Vermilion. Nearly all fish have wrapped up the spawn with walleye and lake trout seeking deeper water during the daytime and smallmouth and pike occupying the shallows.

Trout

Lake trout were caught in depths of 35’ to 75’ of water. Several methods can be used to successfully place your bait in the right spot in the water column for lake trout. Down riggers, dipsy divers, and three-way swivels are all ways to successfully do this. For those who may not have down riggers, one of the best and cheapest ways to get your bait in front of summertime lake trout is the three-way swivel method. Utilizing a heavy trolling rod and reel equipped with 40lb to 60lb braid tie on a three-way swivel. This is your mainline point. Off another point tie a 20” to 30” leader of 15lb monofilament and tie on a 12- or 16-ounce triangle weight. This will be what gets your bait to the right depth efficiently and will be your sinker line. It is tied with a lighter pound test, so if it becomes snagged it will break off before your lure. Off the third point of the swivel, tie on a 40lb or 60lb fluorocarbon leader that is 3’ to 5’ in length. Tie on a snap swivel on the end and this is where you will place the spoon of your choice. Silver or variations of orange seemed to work the best for colors on either laker taker and standard hammered spoons for trout. During the daytime hours, the most success for lake trout was found fishing the windward break at 45’ to 75’ feet on the mud to rock transition and trolling baits across sunken points that are adjacent to deep water of greater than 60’ feet. During the dawn and dusk hours lake trout were also caught on the windward shores but in shallower depths of 25’ to 45’. Most lake trout forage on cisco so mimicking where the cisco schools will be present will yield the most success.

Walleye

The ultra clear water of Trout Lake presents a unique challenge for targeting walleyes during times without high wind or low light conditions. Walleyes are occupying deeper water of 26’ to 34’ during the daytime. Utilize down imaging and contour mapping to search for underwater points and reefs that top out around 20’ and consist of large boulders. Search the edges of this structure where boulders begin to find walleyes. The structure in which walleyes are being caught require you to be mobile while fishing vertically to avoid snags. A ¼ ounce to 3/8 ounce blue or black jig tipped with a large shiner or chub has been producing. During cloudy, windy, or low light conditions walleyes are being found in shallower water of 12’ to 16’ over both rock and gravel. Trolling #5 Berkley Flickr shads with lead core line in the evening hours in these depths caught both walleyes and smallmouth bass. Using lindy rigs while fishing over a gravel bottom in a windblown bay with a minnow or half night crawlers also produced fish. Staying mobile and using multiple techniques is the best way to boat Trout Lake walleyes.

Smallmouth

Trout Lake poses a great smallmouth bass fishery with ample opportunity for trophy size smallmouth bass and large numbers of quality sized fish. Smallmouth are still relating to the shoreline in pre, post and spawning areas of rock in 3’ to 8’ of water. Fishing rocky points and shorelines with steep drop offs adjacent to deep water of greater than 25’ yielded the most success. For artificial baits, success was found on jerk baits, ned rigs, and chug bugs. Using jerk baits of nearly any color caught the most smallmouth. Occasionally more finesse was required to get larger fish to commit in which a black or green ned rig along with a ¼ ounce thumper head was used. Scan the shoreline for those primarily of jagged or broken up shelf rock. Once you have identified a shoreline with this structure, look to your contour mapping to pick one that drops off into deep water and begin fishing. If artificial baits are not having success, try using a #2 red hook tipped with a jumbo leech and slip bobber set 12” to 18” off the bottom.

Northern Pike

Pike were primarily caught in 3’ to 6’ of water over new emerging weed growth and developing cabbage beds. ½ ounce bucktail spinners in fire tiger, Johnson silver minnows tipped with a white mister twister were the go-to baits. Several larger pike were found off sunken main lake points in 10’ to 15’ of water foraging on whitefish. Trolling for these pike can be done with size 14 Rapala Down Deep Husky Jerks in silver or pure chrome. As always fishing for pike in front of pressure changes will yield more success than steady weather.

MN DNR Need-to-Knows

Please note Trout Lake’s walleye limit aligns with the statewide limit, which is different than Lake Vermilion’s. The walleye limit is 6 fish, with not more than one walleye over 20” allowed. The lake trout limit for Trout Lake is two, with no size restrictions. All seasons are open for fish present in Trout Lake. Special northern pike regulations are in place for Trout Lake as it is in the northeast zone for pike. The limit for pike is two, with only one allowed over 40” and every fish from 30” to 40” having to be immediately released. A BWCAW permit is required for day use motorboat anglers.

Please refer to the MN DNR Fishing Regulations for a full set of rules and regulations for Trout Lake and the surrounding area.

____________________________________________________________

Lake Vermilion Fishing Report- Week of June 12, 2023

Another week of beautiful weather and fair fishing has gone by on Lake Vermilion. Fishing remains consistent with water temperatures already ranging from the warm temperatures of 68.1 F all the way up to 78.0 F. On the east end of Lake Vermilion, the walleye, smallmouth bass, and northern pike fishing have all been very productive. Nearly all species of fish have now wrapped up the spawn and are seeking out feeding opportunities to recuperate energy lost during the spawn. 

Walleye

The east end of Lake Vermilion continues to boast what a great walleye fishery it is. Most walleyes this week still ranged from 12” to 16” with some under 12” being caught. All walleyes have wrapped up the spawn at this point and are beginning to move onto immediate shoreline structure in the 10’ to 16’ of water. A few walleyes are being found on the mid-lake structure like isolated rockpiles and gravel humps. For immediate shoreline structure, search for reefs and rockpiles that jut out from the shoreline. Use your graph to work the edges of these reefs on the rock to mud or gravel transition zone on sunny days or days with no wind. If you are fishing in overcast, or the wind is blowing into the reef do not be afraid to fish the shallowest point of the reef. Most of these walleyes are being caught on slip bobbers rigged 12” to 16” off the bottom with a red #2 hook tipped with a jumbo leech. 1/8th ounce orange jigs tipped with a piece of crawler are also catching walleyes under a slip bobber. For mid lake structure, search for rockpiles that are surrounded by a mud basin and top out at around 16’ to 18’ of water. Utilize the same slip bobber and leech setup for these walleyes. A few walleyes are already being found on some gravel humps and shoals in around 18’ to 22’ of water. Use your contour mapping to search for these subtle changes in the contour that hold fish. Knowing how to recognize gravel versus mud bottom on your graph is also imperative to identify this gravel structure even if it is not holding fish. Fish these areas with Lindy rigs with a ¼ ounce walking sinker and a #2 hook and green bead with a 4’ to 5’ leader tipped with half of a night crawler.  This type of mid-lake structure will continue to hold fish into late July. Your typical ‘dock’ fishing of casting a bobber and leech in the dusk hours into 4’ to 8’ of water also yielded success. 

Pike 

Pike were primarily caught in 3’ to 6’ of water this week over mud bottoms in areas with new emerging weed growth. ½ ounce bucktail spinners in fire tiger, Johnson silver minnows tipped with a white mister twister continued to be the go-to baits. Larger pike can be found on the deeper edge of emerging weed lines and off main lake points in 7’ to 9’ of water. Most pike right now are keying in on perch as baitfish. As always fishing for pike in front of pressure changes will yield more success than steady weather. 

Bass

The east end of Lake Vermilion poses a great smallmouth bass fishery with ample opportunity for trophy size smallmouth bass. Most smallmouth bass have wrapped up the spawn at this point although a few still remain on their nests or have yet to spawn. As always if a fish is caught over the nest snap a quick picture and immediately return it to the water to complete it’s spawning cycle. Smallmouth are still relating to the shoreline in spawning areas of loose gravel and rock in 2’ to 4’ of water. Success was found for smallmouth on slip bobbers tipped with leeches set about 12” off the bottom. For artificial baits; red, orange, and brown plastic colored crayfish tipped on a 1/8th ounce jig yielded the most success. Swim this bait back slowly while trying to maintain about a foot off the bottom. Nearly all smallmouth caught had been feeding on rusty crayfish. Largemouth bass were found in developing weed beds and hanging around downed wood in the water in 2’ to 6’ on a variety of baits including ned rigs, hair jigs, and wacky rigged Senko’s. During the evening or morning hours with calm water, largemouth were also caught on topwater frogs. Several smallmouth are starting to be caught on topwater baits in the dawn and dusk hours. This bite should continue to improve as summer progresses. 

Panfish 

Crappie, bluegill, and perch fishing on the East end of Vermilion has continued to be productive in the shallows near downed trees, emerging weeds, and pencil reed beds with not much change to location this past week. On warm afternoons when the water temp climbs, keepable size bluegills are utilizing the shallows of less than 2’ of water. Using a 1/16th or 1/32nd ounce jig with a small piece of worm or artificial tail set about 12” to 18” beneath a bobber is working great. Crappies continue to pull away from shore and have wrapped up their spawning cycle. Look for these fish on the deeper edges of developing weed beds in 8’ to 14’ of water and fish them with a small jig and minnow for success. Utilizing your side imaging on your graph can make finding these fish much easier. Perch were found mixed in with walleyes in 10’ to 14’ of water over rock and gravel bottoms. Perch were caught underneath slip bobbers and using a 1/8th ounce jig tipped with a worm and vertically fishing it. 

MN DNR Need-to-Knows

Please note Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit differs from the statewide limit. Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit is 4 fish, with all walleyes 20” to 26” having to be immediately released. All seasons are open for fish present in Lake Vermilion. Special northern pike regulations are in place for Lake Vermilion as it is in the northeast zone for pike. The limit for pike is two, with only one allowed over 40” and every fish from 30” to 40” having to be immediately released. 

Please refer to the MN DNR Fishing Regulations for a full set of rules and regulations for Lake Vermilion and the surrounding area.

———————————-

Jake Hyppa :

Lake Vermilion Fishing Report- Week of June 5, 2023

The west end of Lake Vermilion is still producing a fair number of slot sized walleyes with some additional eater sized fish this past week. Walleyes in the areas of Niles, Wake-em-up, and Head O’ Lakes basins are still hanging a bit deeper than fish on the east side of Lake Vermilion. Water surface temperatures on the west of Lake Vermilion ranged from roughly 59.9 F to 68.0 F as we have seen yet another weekend of unseasonably warm weather. Largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing has been great in the shallows because of this. The Minnesota muskie season also opened on Saturday, so seasons for walleye, pike, bass, muskie and panfish are currently open right now. 

Walleye

The west end of Vermilion poses a great fishery to catch slot sized walleyes. Two distinct size groups of walleyes were caught on the west end this week which were your typical ‘eater’ size of 12”-16” and those in the slot of 20”-26”. Walleyes on this end of the lake are still hanging a bit deeper than where most walleyes are being caught on the east end. During days with overcast or wind to help break up rays of sunlight walleyes were found over rock and gravel bottoms from 2’ to 6’ of water on slip bobbers rigged 12” to 16” off the bottom with a red hook tipped with a jumbo leech or minnow. Also using a brighter colored 1/8th ounce jig head caught walleyes under a bobber. Look for areas with shallow gravel flats that fish have likely spawned on, then key in on shoreline structure such as large boulders or points jutting out into deeper water. Additionally, fishing these same areas in the dusk hours along with your typical ‘dock’ fishing of casting a bobber out after dinner also yielded success. Slip bobbers produced multiple slot fish this past week. The majority of walleyes caught were found during the daytime hours on shaper breaks ranging from 14’ to 22’ of water. Look for a large gravel or mud flat that ranges from 7’ to 14’ and then utilize your contour map to look for sharper breaks or drops in the depth heading into deeper water adjacent to this. These fish were all caught over gravel bottoms on the sharper breaks. Knowing how to utilize your graph and what color your graph shows over mud versus gravel bottoms will help you to be more successful. Fish these areas with Lindy rigs with a ¼ ounce walking sinker and a #2 hook and green bead with a 4’ to 5’ leader or with a ¼ ounce UV Moonlight Glo Northland Fireball jig both tipped with a live minnow. 

Pike 

The larger sized pike are beginning to pull away from shorelines of their post spawn areas. Fish for these pike on the deeper edges of developing weed lines in 7’ to 9’ of water or over loosely developing weed beds in the same depth with Johnson silver minnows and ½ ounce Mepp’s spinners. Adding a white mister twister tail to the end of either spinners or spoons got more success. Pike were also found looming in the shallows keying in on spawning bluegills in 2’ to 3’ of water over mud bottoms. Fishing for pike in front of pressure changes will yield more success than steady weather. 

Bass

The west end of Lake Vermilion continues to prove what a great largemouth bass fishery it is. The warmer weather and frequent sunlight has led to the early development of large weed beds providing perfect habitat for largemouth. Largemouth bass were found in these developing weed beds, hanging around downed wood in the water, and setting up over shallow loose gravel and mud bottoms to build nests and begin spawning. These largemouth were caught in 2’ to 6’ of water on a variety of baits including ned rigs, hair jigs, and wacky rigged Senko’s. During the evening or morning hours with calm water, largemouth were also caught on topwater frogs. Smallmouth were also found in the same depths from 2’ to 6’ of water over loose gravel bottoms with rock ranging from dime to golf ball size. Several smallmouth were already seen on their nests. Fish for these smallies with red or pumpkinseed colored ned rigs or a 1/8th ounce jig tipped with a white mister twister. If a fish is pulled off their nest take a quick picture and immediately return it back to the water so it can continue with its spawning cycle. As usual, greater largemouth numbers are present on the west end of Vermilion, while greater smallmouth numbers are on the east end of Vermilion.

Panfish 

Crappie, bluegill, and perch fishing on the west end of Vermilion has continued to be productive in the shallows near downed trees, emerging weeds, and pencil reed beds. On warm afternoons when the water temp climbs, mostly bluegills are utilizing the shallows of less than 2’ of water for spawning. Using a 1/16th or 1/32nd ounce jig with a small piece of worm or artificial tail set about 12” to 18” beneath a bobber is working great. Crappies have begun to pull away from shore and wrap up their spawning cycle. Look for these fish on the deeper edges of developing weed beds in 6’ to 10’ of water and fish them with a small jig and minnow for success. Utilizing your side imaging on your graph can make finding these fish much easier. Perch were found in 8’ to 14’ of water over gravel bottoms. Perch were caught using a 1/8th ounce jig and vertically fishing it with a small minnow. Panfish will continue to occupy the shallows well into June. 

MN DNR Need-to-Knows

Please note Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit differs from the statewide limit. Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit is 4 fish, with all walleyes 20” to 26” having to be immediately released. Muskie season is finally open as of June 3rd. Special northern pike regulations are in place for Lake Vermilion as it is in the northeast zone for pike. The limit for pike is two, with only one allowed over 40” and every fish from 30” to 40” having to be immediately released. 

Please refer to the MN DNR Fishing Regulations for a full set of rules and regulations for Lake Vermilion and the surrounding area.

Fishing continues to be improving as water temperatures continue to warm further. The east side of Lake Vermilion has had a great past week of fishing as the shallow water bite for walleyes has been very productive. We have had another week of extremely mild temperatures for this time of year. The lake level has dropped down again this week allowing most people to utilize their docks and shore stations. Seasons for walleye, pike, bass and panfish are currently open right now as late May and early June pose some of the best fishing for shallow water walleyes coming off the spawn. 

Walleye

The east end of Lake Vermilion has been producing a fair number of eater sized walleyes from 12” to 16”. Most of these walleyes are being caught in two primary types of locations while smaller non-spawning males are still being caught in deepwater. Small non-spawning males are still being found in deep water from 30’ to 36’ of water over mud bottoms. These walleyes are being caught on lindy rigs, 1/8th ounce jigs or ¼ ounce fireball jigs all tipped with a minnow. Anglers should express diligence when fishing this deep as the mortality rate for small fish of this size is high when being pulled from deep water. Looking for deeper drops off points or deeper holes adjacent to shallow gravel flats yielded the most success for these fish. Use contour mapping to look for structure that is 2’ to 3’ deeper than the surrounding area and you will likely find walleyes during the daytime. Better sized ‘keepable’ walleyes along with some slot fish are beginning to be caught in shallow water during the dawn and dusk hours along with days of wind and waves pushing walleyes in shallow water to capitalize on various types of bait being pushed into shore. These fish are being caught over rock and gravel bottoms from 2’ to 6’ of water on slip bobbers rigged 12” to 16” off the bottom with a red hook tipped with a jumbo leech or minnow. Look for areas with shallow gravel flats that fish have likely spawned on, then key in on shoreline structure such as large boulders or points jutting out into deeper water. Work these areas in the early morning and evening hours for success. Additionally, if you can find a location like this in which a heavy wind is blowing into or overcast skies are present, walleyes may feed in shallow water for the entire day. Mid-day or ‘high sun’ walleyes are being found not far from these same locations. Look for gravel to mud transition zones and steeper breaks in 12’ to 18’ of water near these areas to target walleyes during the day. Using a ¼ ounce lindy rig with a #2 hook and green bead and minnow are catching walleyes in these areas. 

Pike 

Pike are still being found cruising the shorelines in shallow bays. Some pike are keying in on post spawn perch which are sitting in 10’ to 14’ of water right now. Pike are being caught on a variety of lures right now including Johnson silver minnows, Rapala jerk baits, and ½ ounce Mepp’s spinners. On occasion pike were even caught on slip bobbers or jigs with minnows. The majority of pike continue to be found in less than 10’ of water in areas of rock, gravel and mud. On warm afternoons think of where you might find panfish and pike will not be far away from these areas. Fishing for pike in front of pressure changes will yield more success than steady weather. 

Bass

The smallmouth and largemouth bass are starting to seek out areas to build nests and beginning spawning in water of less than 6’. Smallmouth can be found over loose gravel bottoms with rock ranging from dime to golf ball size. Search for areas with these types of bottom and you will likely find smallies. Nests will likely start being seen within the next week. Fish for these smallies with red or pumpkinseed colored ned rigs or a 1/8th ounce jig tipped with a white mister twister. If a fish is pulled off their nest take a quick picture and immediately return it back to the water so it can continue with its spawning cycle. Largemouth were caught over bottoms with a mix of gravel and mud. Largemouth were caught on wacky rigged senko worms. Bass will continue to be in shallower water as the spring goes on and into summer so anglers should key in on depths less than 5’ of water. 

Panfish 

Crappie, bluegill, and perch fishing on the east end of Vermilion has continued to be productive in the shallows near downed trees, emerging weeds, and pencil reed beds. Not much change in the locations to find them in the past week. On warm afternoons when the water temp climbs, panfish are utilizing the shallows of less than 2’ of water. Using a 1/16th or 1/32nd ounce jig with a crappie minnow or artificial tail set about 12” to 18” beneath a bobber is working great. On cloudy cooler days set the jig at 2’ to 3’ beneath the bobber and work offshore in the same areas. Seeking out new places in shallow south facing bays, particularly those with down trees offshore posed the best bite. Perch were also found in 10’-14’ of water over gravel bottoms. Perch were caught using a 1/8th ounce jig and vertically fishing it with a small minnow. Panfish will continue to work the shallows well into June. 

MN DNR Need-to-Knows

Please note Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit differs from the statewide limit. Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit is 4 fish, with all walleyes 20” to 26” having to be immediately released. Muskie season is currently closed on Vermilion and will open on June 3rd. Special northern pike regulations are in place for Lake Vermilion as it is in the northeast zone for pike. The limit for pike is two, with only one allowed over 40” and every fish from 30” to 40” having to be immediately released. 

Please refer to the MN DNR Fishing Regulations for a full set of rules and regulations for Lake Vermilion and the surrounding area.

May 29, 2023 Fishing Report

Zach Hrvol: Fishing with Z Guide Service

Jake Hyppa: Lake Vermilion Fishing Report- Week of May 22, 2023
Another week of beautiful weather and fair fishing is among us on Lake Vermilion. Fishing
remains consistent with water temperatures still hanging in the mid to upper 50s depending on
what basin you are in. The west end of Lake Vermilion has been producing a fair number of slot
sized walleyes with some additional eater sized fish this past week. In addition to the walleyes,
panfish, bass, and pike fishing have all been productive in the Niles, Wake-em-up, and Head O’
Lakes basin areas. Water temps are still a touch on the warm side for this time of year and this
has pushed the bass and panfish into the shallows earlier than usual, however the walleyes are
not far off from their typical ‘spots’ for spring. The lake level has gone down again this week, as
we have likely already reached the high point of the open water season. Seasons for walleye,
pike, bass and panfish are currently open right now and May provides great opportunity of
success for anglers.
Walleye
The west end of Vermilion poses a great fishery to catch slot sized walleyes. Two distinct size
groups of walleyes were caught on the west end this week which were your typical ‘eater’ size
of 12”-16” and those in the slot of 20”-26”. Walleyes were caught in a variety of locations and
presentations but the most success was found with lindy rigs or jigs during the day and slip
bobbers during the dawn and dusk hours. Spring fishing is always a unique time for walleye
fishing as fish can be caught from 35’ of water up to as shallow as 2’ of water and anywhere in-
between as walleye stage for the spawn and push into shallow water when water temperatures
or feeding opportunities arise. During the daytime hours, the most success for walleyes was
found from 26’-35’ over mud bottoms, while working right on the mud side of mud-to-gravel
transitions posed an even better bite. Looking for steep drops off points or deeper holes
adjacent to shallow gravel flats yielded the most success. UV Moonlight Glo Northland Fireball
jigs seemed to get the most bites out of the jigs, especially in the deeper water. Lindy rigs with
a ¼ ounce walking sinker and a #2 hook and green bead with a 4’ to 5’ leader once again proved
to be a mainstay for getting walleyes topside. During the evening and lower light hours, the
shallow water bite for walleyes has been getting better by the day. These fish were caught in 6’
to 10’ of water off shoreline structure on slip bobbers tipped with jumbo leeches or minnows.
Utilizing a brighter colored 1/8 th ounce jig head like orange set 12”-18” off the bottom was a
great way to get slot sized fish. Looking for areas where the shoreline contains a steep drop
right into 10’ plus of water yielded the most success for bobbers. The bobber bite should
continue to improve all the way into June.
Pike
Pike are still relating the shoreline structure in post spawn areas along with any early
developing weed beds you can find. Pike are very aggressive this time of year as they have
recently concluded spawning. Pike are being caught on a variety of lures right now including

Johnson silver minnows, Rapala jerk baits, and ½ ounce Mepp’s spinners. Pike continue to be
found in less than 10’ of water in areas of rock, gravel and mud. On warm afternoons think of
where you might find panfish and pike will not be far away from these areas. Fishing for pike in
front of pressure changes will yield more success than steady weather.
Bass
The smallmouth and largemouth bass are still pre-spawn right now. The west end of Lake
Vermilion is a great largemouth bass fishery as large weed beds litter this side of the lake
providing perfect habitat. Largemouth were caught in 2’ to 6’ of water on a variety of baits
including ned rigs, hair jigs, and wacky rigged Senko’s. Most largemouth were caught relating to
structure in shallow water including wood, docks, and emerging weeds. Smallmouth were
caught a bit deeper in 6’ to 12’ of water with a few pushing up into the shallows on warmer
afternoons. Smallmouth continue to be caught on blade baits and jerk baits in this depth. Using
white to pearl colored baits for smallies seemed to be the most productive this week as the
numbers of crayfish to prey on are fractional as compared to the east end of Vermilion.
Typically, greater largemouth numbers are present on the west end of Vermilion, while greater
smallmouth numbers are on the east end of Vermilion. Bass will continue to move into
shallower water as the spring goes on until the spawn so anglers should key in on depths less
than 5’ of water.
Panfish
Crappie, bluegill, and perch fishing on the west end of Vermilion has continued to be productive
in the shallows near downed trees, emerging weeds, and pencil reed beds. On warm afternoons
when the water temp climbs, panfish are utilizing the shallows of less than 2’ of water. Using a
1/16 th or 1/32 nd ounce jig with a crappie minnow or artificial tail set about 12” to 18” beneath a
bobber is working great. On cloudy cooler days set the jig at 2’ to 3’ beneath the bobber and
work offshore in the same areas. Seeking out new places in shallow south facing bays,
particularly those with down trees offshore posed the best bite. Perch were also found in 22’-
28’ of water over gravel bottoms. Perch were caught using a 1/8 th ounce jig and vertically fishing
it with a small minnow. Panfish will continue to work the shallows well into June.
MN DNR Need-to-Knows
Please note Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit differs from the statewide limit. Lake Vermilion’s
walleye limit is 4 fish, with all walleyes 20” to 26” having to be immediately released. Muskie
season is currently closed on Vermilion and will open on June 3 rd . Special northern pike
regulations are in place for Lake Vermilion as it is in the northeast zone for pike. The limit for
pike is two, with only one allowed over 40” and every fish from 30” to 40” having to be
immediately released.
Please refer to the MN DNR Fishing Regulations for a full set of rules and regulations for Lake
Vermilion and the surrounding area.

Lake Vermilion Fishing Report- Week of May 15, 2023

The open water season is among us on Lake Vermilion and the east end of the lake has been producing multiple species and sizes of fish. Unseasonably warm weather has raised water surface temperatures already into the low to mid 50s, while during some warm and calm days the temperature has crested 60 degrees already. This has expedited spring spawning for multiple species of fish. The lake levels remain very high, nearly as high as last spring, leading to many docks still not being able to be put in and place boards on. However, the lake level has reached its high point and will likely continue to slowly work its way down as summer progresses. Seasons for walleye, pike, bass and panfish are currently open right now and May provides a great opportunity of success for anglers. 

Walleye

The east end is producing a consistent size of walleyes right now. Most walleyes being caught are from 10” to 17” but a more consistent range of keepable fish can be found depending on what basin you are fishing in. Big bay has had the best average size of walleyes currently. Spring fishing is always a unique time for walleye fishing as fish can be caught from 35’ of water up to as shallow as 2’ of water and anywhere in-between as walleye will stage for the spawn in this deep water and push into shallow water when spawning occurs. Large amounts of young male walleyes that are non-spawners are being caught in 30’ plus of water, anglers should express diligence when fishing this deep as the mortality rate for small fish of this size is high when being pulled from deep water. The most success for walleyes was found in 22’ to 32’ of water over gravel and hardpan bottoms. Looking for deeper drops off points or deeper holes adjacent to shallow gravel flats yielded the most success. Use contour mapping to look for structures that is 2’ to 3’ deeper than the surrounding area and you will likely find walleyes during the daytime. 1/8th or ¼ ounce jigs tipped with minnow or ¼ ounce lindy rigs with a #2 hooks and green beads and minnows are producing the most fish. Chartreuse northland fireball jigs seemed to get the most bites out of the jigs. Lindy rigs with 4’ to 5’ leaders are keeping the bait around 30” off the bottom right in the strike zone for walleye. During the evening and lower light hours walleyes were caught in 6’ to 10’ of water off shoreline structure on slip bobbers tipped with jumbo leeches or minnows. Looking for areas where the shoreline contains a steep drop right into 10’ plus of water yielded the most success for bobbers. The bobber bite should continue to improve all the way into June. 

Pike 

Pike have concluded with the spawn and are relating the shoreline structure in immediate post spawn areas. Pike are being caught on a variety of lures right now including Johnson silver minnows, Rapala jerk baits, and even your typical jig and minnow. Fishing for pike is great right now if you can find them as pike are still relatively dispersed along a variety of shoreline structures including gravel, rock, and emerging weeds. Pike can be found in less than 10’ of water in these areas. Fishing for pike in front of pressure changes will yield more success than steady weather. 

Bass

Both smallmouth and largemouth bass are still pre-spawn right now. Although if water temperatures continue to climb it will be an early spawning period. Both largemouth and smallmouth bass are being caught on primary shoreline structures such as fingers and underwater points in 8’ to 16’ of water. Using blade baits and jerk baits in this depth is effective at this time. Using perch colored jerk baits and brown to bronze colored blade baits to imitate crawfish are working the best. Some smallmouth are being found in shallow water during high sun periods getting ready to potentially find spawning areas to build beds. Sight fishing for these smallies can be done with a 1/8th jig tipped with a white mister twister. Some smallies were also caught on wacky rigged Senko’s. Bass will continue to move into shallower water as the spring goes on until the spawn so anglers should key in on depths less than 5’ of water. 

Panfish 

The crappie and bluegill bite has been steady since nearly ice out. Crappie and bluegill on the east end of Vermilion are staging in shallow water near downed trees, emerging weeds, and pencil reed beds. On warm afternoons when the water temp climbs, panfish are beginning to spawn in these areas in less than 2’ of water. Using a 1/16th or 1/32nd ounce jig with a crappie minnow or artificial tail set about 12” to 18” beneath a bobber is working great. On cloudy cooler days set the jig at 2’ to 3’ beneath the bobber and work offshore in the same areas. Look for areas with pencil reed beds or downed trees in the water as this provides cover for spawning panfish. The panfish bite will continue to improve as the water warms and more fish continue to spawn. 

MN DNR Need-to-Knows

Please note Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit differs from the statewide limit. Lake Vermilion’s walleye limit is 4 fish, with all walleyes 20” to 26” having to be immediately released. Muskie season is currently closed on Vermilion and will open on June 3rd. Special northern pike regulations are in place for Lake Vermilion as it is in the northeast zone for pike. The limit for pike is two, with only one allowed over 40” and every fish from 30” to 40” having to be immediately released. 

Please refer to the MN DNR Fishing Regulations for a full set of rules and regulations for Lake Vermilion and the surrounding area.