2021 Lake Vermilion Fishing Reports

[chucker1101]

Fished Sat/Sun, about 8 hours each day, with four people total.  Lindy rigged with pike suckers exclusively. Two people were brand new to lindy rigging, and were learning the technique on the fly. 

 

Group caught 28 fish total, kept 12 fish - 10 walleyes and 2 jumbo perch. We got two slot walleyes at 24" and 25", and two good-size northerns as well. Only got two walleye keepers in 15-18" range, the other eight keepers were 12-14".  As others have said, the channels between islands and mainland, or islands and islands, were producing best for us. We caught almost all fish in one of those locations. Depth varied from 17-25', but never really too deep.

 

 

[SkunkedAgain]

Is anyone out there still working for walleye? Cliff?

[FishinCT]

I've been out every day since Thursday. It's been really tough. Decent amount of small fish but keepers have been few and far between. Haven't found good numbers in any of my usual fall spots. Tried everything I can think of and nothing has worked. Haven't been to big bay much because of wind. Fished frazer and daisy bay mostly. 

 

I'm interested if anyone else is doing any better as well. 

[Spearing Machine]

Kudos to anyone that's been out. We've had 7 straight days of rain and or snow including waking up to 3-4 inches today. Lots of wind with ask three fronts pushing through. Based on my water temps a week ago before the 2 snow events and temps all sub 40. I'd go and say water temps are around 40 now maybe even upper 30s in shallow protected bays. I had 46 on the one day last week we had a couple hours of sun.

[FishinCT]

I had water temp at 47 today. I agree that you would think with the temps we've had it'd be lower. Gave jigging raps a good try today so I didn't have to mess with the minnow bucket. Got a 22" and a fingerling. Seemed like a decent amount of guys out today. 

 

I'm officially out of good ideas. If anyone has some suggestions I'll go try them out!

[james_walleye]

Not feeling much optimism as I get ready for 4 days up over MEA.

[Pat McGraw]

Try running shad raps at ~2mph along first ~10' deep area outside of shallow, weedy bays (Larson for example), especially at or just after dark. Revisit safety considerations. After months of warm water fishing its easy to forget that the consequences of incidents can quickly become life threatening now that we're back to opener water temps.

[FishinCT]

James you are going to be fine. Weather is going to stabilize this week and I would bet they'll be snapping again by next weekend. The past week the weather has been changing every day and that's what has made it tough I think.

[PSU]

Funny how things can change so quickly. We were up for the last time of the year (closed Sunday) and had incredible walleye fishing in Frazer / Smarts from Thursday-Sunday. Literally couldn't keep the walleyes off my minnow and jig for three days fishing 30-35 feet. Mostly smaller walleyes (10-12 inches), but keepers were had too.

 

Good luck

[Spearing Machine]

South end of pike bay was froze over this morning with skim ice. Hope to get back out in the boat this week with average temps "hopefully" on the way by later in the week.

[JerkinLips]

SM - thanks for the info.  Might be an early ice fishing start.  Still hope for some more soft water fishing this season, but either way I will be fishing.  Glad I lifted my boat/motor out of the water in Stuntz Bay.

[outdoor1]

  On 10/12/2018 at 1:15 PM, Pat McGraw said:

Try running shad raps at ~2mph along first ~10' deep area outside of shallow, weedy bays (Larson for example), especially at or just after dark. Revisit safety considerations. After months of warm water fishing its easy to forget that the consequences of incidents can quickly become life threatening now that we're back to opener water temps.

Expand  

I was wondering if raps at 2 mph would work now. Will the fish still chase them down when the water temps are in the low 40s?

[FishinCT]

Fishing Friday and Saturday was a dramatic shift. Seems the west wind got them going. Found a reef on Friday that was loaded up with fish and they were hungry. Fished it for a few hours before losing the battle to the cold. 3 pig smallies up top in 18-20 feet, 3 keeper walleyes between 16-18" and one 25" on the sides of the reef to the transition in 24-30 feet, and 2 jumbos off the transition in the mud at 32 feet. Also lost a BIG fish--the kind that your heart sinks when it comes off the line. 

 

Saturday was more of the same. Biting a little lighter but we managed 6 walleyes from 15-19" in between the rain and getting blown off the lake. Could've easily limited if not for some "miscues"

 

Did try a little bit of trolling close to dark but only picked up a small muskie. Lots of guys out trolling all weekend but I'm not sure if they were going for walleyes or muskies. Interested to know if anyone on here was one of those guys and will give a report. 

 

Wish I was starting my trip now instead of sitting at home. I think this is going to be a phenomenal week of fishing now that the weather is going to stabilize and warm up. Best of luck to everyone the rest of the year and stay safe. Saw some of the biggest waves I've seen on vermilion with the wind last week. Can get hairy pretty quickly out there

[Pat McGraw]

outdoor1,

 

My experience has been that this approach works all the way through October.

[outdoor1]

Thanks for the info!  I just started lead core trolling this past summer but it really quit about 3 weeks ago. I thought it was water temperature but it sounds like I need to switch locations. I had been trolling 24 to 34 feet on Big Bay at 2 mph with #5 raps

[Fish Head]

  On 10/15/2018 at 6:19 PM, outdoor1 said:

Thanks for the info!  I just started lead core trolling this past summer but it really quit about 3 weeks ago. I thought it was water temperature but it sounds like I need to switch locations. I had been trolling 24 to 34 feet on Big Bay at 2 mph with #5 raps

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I do a lot of lead core trolloing too.  My expierence has been that when it really cools down like it did a couple weeks ago, you are better of changing tactics to sucker minnows. Maybe others will have a different opinion. 

[SkunkedAgain]

I saw a lot of guys running planner boards. We braved the cold ride Friday and Saturday, going from the far west end over near Shamrock. We spot locked in the wind and had pretty good success with the 11-13" walleyes but nothing of size except a few beautiful jumbo perch. We just used jigs in 30-35ft of water with rainbow minnows, the smaller the better. Big minnows were useless.

 

We didn't stay at any of the west end locations too long, but mostly because we weren't marking fish and weren't getting any bites. I would have liked to work longer for the bigger fish.

[partyonpine]

We battled through 4 foot waves tonight but it was worth it.  My dad caught a 28 inch and a 26 incher within 5 minutes of each other.  We caught 5 slot fish and 15 total from 4-630 tonight in big bay

[partyonpine]

Also the bigger the minnow the better big rainbows and pike suckers.   Jig and a lindy

[Pat McGraw]

Fished mid-east end Saturday evening. 9-10' of water outside weedy bay. Pulling bronze shad-rap at 1.8 to 2mph from half hour before to forty-five minutes after dark. Four eyes ranging from 17 to 20".

[BrianF]

A lot of smiles today, Saturday, Nov. 3rd.  Boated 33 walleyes with five over the slot and the biggest being a 29.75”er PB.  All caught casting artificials and all released.  No live bait required!  39/40 degree water.  If tomorrow is even half as good, we’ll be plenty happy.   

[redlabguy]

Glad to see some fishing is still happening and Congratulations on that PB! I’m not surprised. You started the year big so why not a big finish! 

Dick

[BrianF]

Thx Dick!  The fishing slowed with the big east winds that blew Sunday but we still managed 52 walleye (and a bonus musky) for the weekend with six overs - all casting and all released. The fish were beefy and very aggressive.  Had plans to fish muskies next weekend, but Mother Nature is saying otherwise based on the frigid forecast.  So, that looks like a wrap for the open water season — and it was the best ever. Now looking forward to ice. C’mon cold! 

[Reid Saarela]

BrianF, if you don't mind me asking, What type of structure were you guys targeting. I've had pretty good luck using casting artificials in the spring, never tried it in the fall though!

[BrianF]

Reid, we’ve been targeting them on 10-14’ flats that break into deep water. Find them with side imaging, cast, catch, repeat. 

[Pat McGraw]

Any current water temp or ice reports? With single digits at night and 20's in the day, first ice can't be too far away.

[mbeyer]

some ice on Pike Bay this morning shown on the webcams....

 

lakevermilionresorts.com

[outdoor1]

Brianf

When you are using artificials, are you casting cranks or more soft plastics on jigs?

Thanks!

Paul

Edited November 10, 2018 by outdoor1

[BrianF]

Both actually.  No magic to the presentation.  We usually have some kind of plastic going and some kind of crankbait going to see if there is any preference that day.  Honestly, it doesn’t seem to matter.  What matters most is finding the fish and casting to them.  We’ve caught them on everything from swimbaits to lipless crankbait to untipped hair jigs.  Throw what you have confidence in to a big school of fish and they’ll probably slurp it down.  Next spring... lol

Edited November 10, 2018 by BrianF

[Spearing Machine]

Much of pike bay was froze yesterday. This morning it's firmed up much more. Got about 4 inches of snow up here right now so you see a lot of wet spots on the ice right now with it flooding and slushy.  Few more cool days and then warmer on the extended. Not great for ice making.