2018-2019 Lake Vermilion Ice Fishing Reports

[Sorgy]

Black Bay usually has a fair amount of slush. As far as walking out and trying some Ice fishing you could try it. I am assuming you are renting one of the big cabins in the back of the bay. That bay is shallower than the main part of the bay like 4-5 ft.  You may be able to throw out some tip ups in shallow water for pike. The snow just before New Years created some very bad slush in many areas of the lake. It may have firmed up some by now. You may find some crappies and sunfish shallow as well.

 

Good Luck

 

Steve

 

 

[Pat McGraw]

See attached file. If I were limited to Black Bay, these are the areas I'd try. If you have numbers of folks, also consider a vast spread of tip-ups between the main island (with the "i") and the south shore. Also try the creek mouths but be cautious of course. Good luck. We'll expect a report

Black_Bay.pdf

[jiggin9]

Thank you very much to all 3 of you for the replies and the map!  It sounds like lake travel will be our biggest obstacle.  We are planning on bringing the portable with and see what happens.  There will only be a couple of us going out.  Most of the younger bucks want to watch the football games.  We are indeed renting one of the large cabins in Black Bay.  I looked at a few resort websites and it seems like they are closed in the winter.  I could be wrong though.  I was looking for possible house rentals or even an access to get on the lake.  I've never fished Vermilion before but the pics & reports seem very appealing and scenic.  I didn't realize how extended the lake actually is.  Is there a place where a person can get some bait in the area?  Thanks again everyone!  The Vermilion page is definitely active and sincere.  I appreciate it!      

[Sorgy]

I would pick up bait in Cloquet or sooner. In Cook your bait choices are somewhat limited depending on your arrival time.

I looked at Pat's map and he had some good points. The channel area heading into the bay will probably have some snowmobile traffic. sleds run the length of the lake and run up Black Creek to Black Lake.

The other area would be in the center of the channel on the far right of the page. I would try the middle of the bay between the island and mainland South of that shoreline area Pat marked up (see yellow note quotes). I believe it is just a little deeper there. All three areas in the bay that Pat Marked would be good starting points. It will still be a good workout from the rental cabins off the right side of the map to the first area. Deep water in the bay is 6  to 7 feet. Navionics shows the contours pretty well as well as the lakemaster chips.

 

Good Luck

 

Steve

[CFD200]

I have been fishing in the Moccasin Point area the last month (close to the cabin).  I was picking up a few small walleyes.  We are going to try the big bay area this weekend.  Looks to be balmy this weekend compared to the forecast for next weekend?  Thanks for the tip for rainbows JerkinLips, I have been using shiners with little success.  A change in bait might help.

[Pat McGraw]

The country store in cook may have bait. The Y-Store down by tower, at the TH 169, CSAH 77, HWY 1 split will have bait. If open, Northwoods in Cook (across from Zup's) is the best! Lucky 7 in Cook may also have bait.

[bassbouncer]

20 hours ago, Pat McGraw said:

The country store in cook may have bait. The Y-Store down by tower, at the TH 169, CSAH 77, HWY 1 split will have bait. If open, Northwoods in Cook (across from Zup's) is the best! Lucky 7 in Cook may also have bait.

Northwoods bait isn’t open in the winter. Country store and Edwards lucky 7 are the only choices this time of year. 

[jiggin9]

Thank you everyone for the advice!  We ended up grabbing bait in Effie at the gas station and supper and a few drinks at the local bar & grill.  Both nice places!  The snow on the lake made it a real challenge to get around anywhere.  There is definitely more snow out that way than there is back home.  We popped a few holes and gave it the old college try for a few hours but couldn't manage to catch anything.  The lake area is beautiful in the winter!  I really wish I had a snowmobile to go out exploring the lake.  Didn't see much for traffic or other people fishing in the area.   

[Pat McGraw]

jiggin9,

Glad you enjoyed your time. Hope you can make it back soon.

[Cold feet]

I'm relatively new to Vermilion, but I've been out a few times on Big Bay this winter.  My approach has been to go where the "permanent" fishing shanties are, thinking there must be fish there if folks go to the trouble of putting them in and having to take them out later.  I've found the walleye bite to be slow, and when my grandson comes with me, he gets bored stiff.  So as to not sour him on ice fishing, I'm wondering there's a different location on Vermilion where I might be able to get him a little more action on perch or crappies.  Anyone have any thoughts?  Thanks for any help you can give me.

[side_laker]

Thinking about heading to vermilion tomorrow morning. Does anyone have  any new reports 

[KeithNyst]

[SkunkedAgain]

Ahhhh! My kind of weather. Sadly I won't be there to enjoy it.

[Pat McGraw]

Can you all share what sort of areas you tend to target this time of year on vermilion? Deep holes? Sharp breaks? Sand flats? Main basin reefs? Others?

 

Thanks.

[Spearing Machine]

11 hours ago, Pat McGraw said:

Can you all share what sort of areas you tend to target this time of year on vermilion? Deep holes? Sharp breaks? Sand flats? Main basin reefs? Others?

 

Thanks.

To be honest 95% of people fishing Vermilion plop their house down out in front of McKinley park when it's safe in December and pull it off at the end of the year leaving it in the same spot or maybe moving it once by a hundred yards. I've traveled the entire lake by sled in winter checking many areas and the lake is virtually untouched besides a few community type areas with good access and a few folks with houses right off their own shoreline. A few will run around with sleds but that is very FEW. 

[Bbobber]

I would recommend trying fishing saddles and  deep holes during the day with shiners or rainbows.Try  shallow reefs in the evening,

 

[Sushilicious]

Low/no light shallow. Mid day fish deep.

[Pat McGraw]

Thanks for the tips. If you or anyone else thinks of anything more, I'm all ears. FYI I'm on Frazer Bay. Hoping to run-n-gun a bit more from there this year. Thanks again.

[FishinCT]

I would think any of those reefs from breezy point to the west shore of Frazer that are surrounded by 30+ feet of water would hold walleyes in the winter. Especially if they're almost untouched. One of these days I'll get up in the winter and try it for myself. Would love to hear a report if you try it

[JerkinLips]

Been 4 weeks since I was last up on Vermilion. Now had 29” of ice so we added 10” more over the last 4 weeks. 

 

Fishing has has been decent for late season, catching 4 eyes yesterday and 8 today. Most were small but did catch a handful of eaters and one 25” pictured. Also caught 4 tulibees and one each of pout, perch, and northern. Rainbows still out catching pike suckers by 2:1 margin. The Y and Fuel and Food were out of rainbows now. 

[Ron05]

JL - what depth have you been fishing?

 

We are in Niles Bay across from Oak Narrows and I have not been able to find the walleyes. We have found a good spot in 19-21’ to catch perch. Based on the sidescan from summer I believe it is a flat/mucky bottom. I have been at it for the past two years trying many different types of structure (rocks, submerged points, holes, etc) but with limited luck. Any insights from the thread would be appreciated! Thanks in advance. 

 

[JerkinLips]

Ron05 - I have been fishing in 28 FOW all winter.  I believe it is a muddy bottom with no significant structure close by.  Some days they bite, other days they don't.  Sunday was one of those "don't" days.  Caught two 10" walleyes, a 11" perch, and a 15" eelpout.

 

Forgot to attach the photo of the 25" eye I caught Saturday so I attached it now.  Nice looking walleye, but not so much for the angler.

 

[Ron05]

Thanks! I’m headed up this weekend so will try a little deeper and let you know how it goes. Nice fish!

[chaffmj]

On ‎2‎/‎4‎/‎2019 at 12:52 PM, JerkinLips said:

Ron05 - I have been fishing in 28 FOW all winter.  I believe it is a muddy bottom with no significant structure close by.  Some days they bite, other days they don't.  Sunday was one of those "don't" days.  Caught two 10" walleyes, a 11" perch, and a 15" eelpout.

 

Forgot to attach the photo of the 25" eye I caught Saturday so I attached it now.  Nice looking walleye, but not so much for the angler.

 

 

I don't know Jerkin, I think your better looking than leech and you keep your shirt on!

[BassMaster787]

I’m planning on going up this weekend. Any advice on spots or updates on pike or walleye?

[side_laker]

How is it getting off the road out of McKinley 

[Bigfatbert]

1 hour ago, side_laker said:

How is it getting off the road out of McKinley 

 

The only off-roading on the Big V is by snowmobile, and slush is always possible when doing such.. The road and most spurs are fairly good at McKinley. Good luck !

[side_laker]

Bert 

thanks for the response. Thinking about heading there this weekend with a group. Some of us have snowmobile others don’t some were thinking about just taking a truck out and finding a spot to fish just off a spur where they could get their truck. 

[Deet]

anyone willing to point me in the right direction for jumbo perch? I'm sure you catch them mixed in with walleyes at many classic spots, but are there known community areas with big roaming schools? Do they swarm into the shallow flat bays this time of year, for example?

Or should a guy hop around deeper soft-bottom areas in the main basins?

 

Thanks for any tips.

[JerkinLips]

11 hours ago, Deet said:

anyone willing to point me in the right direction for jumbo perch? I'm sure you catch them mixed in with walleyes at many classic spots, but are there known community areas with big roaming schools? Do they swarm into the shallow flat bays this time of year, for example?

Or should a guy hop around deeper soft-bottom areas in the main basins?

 

Thanks for any tips.

I have caught only 2 perch this winter so I may not be much help.  However, several years ago I was catching tons of perch on the 20 FOW reef to the west of Spider Island.  Had a hard time catching walleyes on that spot so I quit going there.