2021 Lake Vermilion Fishing Reports

[BWpineisland]

My morning visitor at daybreak!  Heading towards the Trout portage. 

[JerkinLips]

Slow day fishing today. Caught just 5 walleyes with the biggest at 17".  My brother in law caught a 25" eye and that was all. Marking lots of fish but tough bite today. Took another sled ride to Fortune Bay this evening. The lake trails are now marked and there is a lot of slush on the lake.

[SkunkedAgain]

Has anyone been into Black Bay lately? I'm wondering if my 4-wheeler is going to be dealing with slush this week?

 

Cigar Guy?

[CigarGuy]

Heading up Thursday. I left 4-5 days ago and Ritchie Bay had a lot of slush along the edge. I haven't been out on the lake yet. I know your neighbor, Chad was up about 10 days ago and went out with a Trax wheeler. Was some slush along the shore where he went out, plus the snow was pretty deep. With the warm weather, I'm sure the snow depth has gone down. So, basically, I'm no help

[JerkinLips]

SkunkedAgain - last weekend I drove the sled from Stuntz Bay to McKinley Park then to Fortune Bay and found slush in about a dozen spots in that run.  I know that it is not close to where you are but the rest of the lake should be similar.  Where there has been heavy traffic the slush will freeze over fairly quickly.  Untraveled areas will still have slush in spots under the undisturbed snow for several weeks until we get a long run of very cold weather.

[SkunkedAgain]

Thank you both.

 

If Chad was up ten days ago, I should be able to follow his tracks which is helpful! You'll probably see me hiking my gear past your place tomorrow afternoon!

Edited December 25, 2019 by SkunkedAgain

[islandmn]

Went out from the Landing on Monday by snowmobile,  to our place between Schmidt and Taylor's islands, if you kept moving wasn't too bad,  had some slushy spots. 

[Cobber]

Good morning!

Looking to get out and about here over the next few days - which may get interesting with the storm impending.

Our place in on Everetts Point, near the channel heading to the Casino.

It’ll be my first time actually getting out fishing this winter-

 

Open (and welcoming) of any advise as to where a guy may find fish.

I’ve got rainbows, suckers, and waxies- along with a portable & snowmobile, so I’m open to about anything!

 

Not species specific either- anything that guys are willing to share (even depth or structure generalities) are very appreciated!

 

Here until Wednesday- thanks!!

 

(will report back with results of advise to share feedback)

-Cobber

[CigarGuy]

On 12/25/2019 at 4:46 PM, islandmn said:

Went out from the Landing on Monday by snowmobile,  to our place between Schmidt and Taylor's islands, if you kept moving wasn't too bad,  had some slushy spots. 

Did the snowmobile club stake the lake trail?

[Bigfatbert]

28 minutes ago, CigarGuy said:

Did the snowmobile club stake the lake trail?

yes it’s all staked out .

[JerkinLips]

3 hours ago, Cobber said:

Open (and welcoming) of any advise as to where a guy may find fish.

I’ve got rainbows, suckers, and waxies- along with a portable & snowmobile, so I’m open to about anything!

 

Not species specific either- anything that guys are willing to share (even depth or structure generalities) are very appreciated!

Cobber - I am not a great angler, but I have been doing well for walleyes in 28 fow over mud (I have caught walleye with freshwater shrimp in their mouth).  Rainbows are outperforming chubs and suckers.  Plain hook or a small jig head have both been good.  Seeing you are portable and fishing during the busy time, I would avoid high traffic areas since that can spook fish away.  Good luck and let us know how you do.

[CFD200]

Pretty slow today by Mocc Point.  Hoping something other than the Northerns start biting.

[BrianF]

6 minutes ago, JerkinLips said:

I would avoid high traffic areas since that can spook fish away.  

Have always heard this to be the case but saw it firsthand on Livescope a couple weeks ago.  While fishing a hole over a deep rock bar, my son slowly drove his snowmobile around the contour of the bar to drill out some new holes, doing a ‘U’ around me.   As he passed to my left a group of fish came screaming through my Livescope screen desperate to evade the noise above them.  As he looped around to my right, another school or perhaps the same school came screaming back thru going the other direction.  We were in deep water (30’) with lots of snow on top.  It was very insightful as to how fish react to snowmobile traffic - and it wasn’t positive.  That Livescope sure has opened my eyes to previously unseen fish behavior under the ice. 

[CigarGuy]

2 hours ago, Bigfatbert said:

yes it’s all staked out .

I just went for a ride out of Partridge River into Wakemup and HOL bay. Lots of slush and some very hard ridges, be careful out there! 

[delcecchi]

5 hours ago, CigarGuy said:

I just went for a ride out of Partridge River into Wakemup and HOL bay. Lots of slush and some very hard ridges, be careful out there! 

I am being extremely careful!!!

Also there are springs or something around the schmitts / Taylor island area.  Make weak spots.  Guy and a couple kids went through and died, years ago.

 

[SkunkedAgain]

I walked from the Landing to Black Bay on Thursday. The lake was in fair shape with the slush only ever going above my boot. When I took my ATV out, it found some more slush but a snowmobile would have cruised over the top. Over course, on my final trip my chain loosened and stripped the drive sprocket. I clicked my way back to the Landing Saturday afternoon with only power to the front wheels and loaded her up for a repair trip home.

 

Looks like I finally need to invest in a sled again!

Edited December 30, 2019 by SkunkedAgain

[JerkinLips]

What a mess. Added another foot of snow since I was last up 11 days ago. Got the snowmobile stuck going up a small hill in our Soudan lot. Then the sled tipped over going over the road bank, dumping all the contents and breaking the fuel line on my gas auger. Sled tipped over again on the lake spilling everything again. Tons of slush on the lake. Hit one spot that was about 100 yards long. Barely made it out with my old snowmobile. Fortunately the holes in my house barely froze over in 11 days. I drilled a hole outside my house to check the thickness. Had 18" so it increased 4" in 11 days. I drilled this hole on a dry spot of ice and 2" of water poured out onto the ice. Now I have to jack up my house since the floor is in water. Practically nobody out fishing. Fishing has been slow. Have caught 2 dink walleye and a 16" pout in 2 hours. Marking a lot but not much luck. Hopefully the mid day bite will be good. Good luck if you do venture out and be extremely careful on the lake.

[chaffmj]

6 hours ago, JerkinLips said:

What a mess. Added another foot of snow since I was last up 11 days ago. Got the snowmobile stuck going up a small hill in our Soudan lot. Then the sled tipped over going over the road bank, dumping all the contents and breaking the fuel line on my gas auger. Sled tipped over again on the lake spilling everything again. Tons of slush on the lake. Hit one spot that was about 100 yards long. Barely made it out with my old snowmobile. Fortunately the holes in my house barely froze over in 11 days. I drilled a hole outside my house to check the thickness. Had 18" so it increased 4" in 11 days. I drilled this hole on a dry spot of ice and 2" of water poured out onto the ice. Now I have to jack up my house since the floor is in water. Practically nobody out fishing. Fishing has been slow. Have caught 2 dink walleye and a 16" pout in 2 hours. Marking a lot but not much luck. Hopefully the mid day bite will be good. Good luck if you do venture out and be extremely careful on the lake.

Wow Jerkin you deserve a limit just for making it out there after all that. I wish you well and better travels on your way back off!

[JerkinLips]

Didn't catch a keeper today. Did end up catching my biggest this winter 25" and 5 pounds even. Then spent half an hour figuring the best way off the lake with my snowmobile. Slush is horrible. When the disturbed trails and roads freeze it will be fine.

[FowlSki]

Jerkin, I enjoy your posts.  I gotta ask, what kind of tunes are you bumping on those sweet old school head phones that you are always rockin?  

[side_laker]

Is there a road out of McKinley park yet. In am thinking about coming up tomorrow for the day wondering if I could get out fishing with my Polaris ranger. Thinking if there is a owed

road I could drive ranger out on road and find a spot to set up portable. Maybe my thinking is wrong or maybe portable is bad idea if there will be a lot of flooding when I drill holes. 

[JerkinLips]

There are a couple of plowed roads coming out of McKinley Park. The one going to the right branches out at about a quarter mile. The right branch doesn't have much slush on it but has an extremely rough section where somebody must have been getting unstuck and left many ice chunks. The left branch has a long stretch of deep slush and water shortly after branching (photo attached)  the road to the left is in decent shape and bends back to the right.half way out ending at a group of houses just out of the bay. Travel with a Ranger is possible on the roads but I took my snowmobile out instead of my Ranger cause I worried about getting stuck (no chains).

 

Fishing has been very slow today. Caught a 12 " eye, 12" perch, and a couple of lovely eelpout. Did lose a 28ish walleye just under the hole when she broke my line. If you catch her with the pictures jig in her mouth let me know how big she was.

 

Regarding my music choice I am working my way through the top LPs of all time including Britney Spears, Eagles, Pink Floyd, Kenny Rogers, Meat Loaf. All good. Good luck fishing and be very careful on the lake. My house is now sitting in 4" of water.

[JerkinLips]

The current warm temps are not helping travel conditions. Only got down to 22 last night. Someone stuck there truck on the plowed road last night but were able to get it out this morning. Hope there was no damage. My house is now sitting in 5" of water. This creates a problem when releasing fish. Twice now I have released a small walleye only to have them begin to swim in this 5" water. Fortunately I was able to get them back down the hole eventually. If they didn't go back down the hole are they considered in my possession? 

[SkunkedAgain]

Scary stuff with all of that slush. How much snow did Vermilion end up getting last weekend? They were calling for 1-2ft, which chased me off of the lake!

Edited January 7, 2020 by SkunkedAgain

[JerkinLips]

My friend said they didn't get much snow on Sunday (couple inches maybe) but the wind was blowing hard as shown in the picture below.  Hopefully my house didn't sink further in the water since I am not going back up until the 16th.

 

Edited January 8, 2020 by JerkinLips
Removed extra photo.

[Rick]

This was merged due to search traffic being brought to this URL. When they go to the old report they look, see it's an old report and leave rather than interacting with us. We are trying to gain members and current fishing reports are the best way to do that.

 

Thank you very much for pointing out the difficulty in navigating to current reports. I am in the process of making that easier for each of you. 

Please check the first post in this thread. I can update that seasonally when I remember or you give me a reminder.

 

Link to 2020-21 Lake Vermilion Fishing Reports is in the 1st post in this topic. It will take you to the 1st post of 2020 (Click the link and see for yourself).

 

If you want the newest content you haven't read just click the Black Dot or Star on the left of the Title. To go to the latest fishing report page click the double arrow to the right of the page numbers top or bottom (left side).

 

Thank you everyone for being so gracious.  

[Rick]

How is the ice looking?

[BigVwalters]

Thanks Rick!

[JerkinLips]

Have not been up since January 5th since going back to work part time after retiring.  I will be up early Friday morning and report on Lake Vermilion conditions if I am not too busy freeing my house from the ice.

Edited January 16, 2020 by JerkinLips
Correct spelling.

[BrianF]

Rick, the ice is fine.  Had maybe 18” last wknd.  Travel conditions were surprisingly good on a snowmobile.  Few slush pockets here and there, but wasn’t bad.  Seems the cold weather had firmed up a lot of the soft areas and now the upper layer was kinda crusted over with a little fresh snow on top.  The bite was poor for us btw.