Lake Vermilion is a shallow freshwater lake located in the heart of Minnesota’s Arrowhead Region. The name comes from the French translation of Onamuni, the original Ojibwe name for the lake translating to “lake of the sunset glow”. As the fifth-largest lake in the state, it covers nearly 40,000 acres with an average depth of 25 ft (7.6 m) but reaching as far down as 76 ft (23 m). The lake is speckled with a total of 365 islands.
The lake is comprised of two major basins typically separated at Oak Narrows, known as East Vermilion and West Vermilion. The two parts of the lake are different in terms of the habitats they provide. East Vermilion is a deep basin whereas West Vermilion is shallower, and the clear water supports weed growth. Therefore, the two basins support a vast cast of fish populations. If you are new to fishing, Lake Vermilion offers a broad range of guides specialized in catching certain species e.g. the popular walleye.
The Vermilion Lake Association has worked tirelessly since the 1990s on preventing the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) to protect the fishery. Although some invasive species such as the spiny water flea and rusty crawfish have been confirmed in parts of the lake, intensive work is carried out to keep the numbers low and avoid expansion. Due to this work, Lake Vermilion continues to support a broad range of species. Below is a list of the most common species fished in the lake.
Fish Species in Lake Vermilion
1) Black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus)
The black crappie is very similar to the white crappie, with both species displaying the deep and laterally compressed body associated with panfish. However, the black crappie can be identified by its higher (7 – 8 compared to 5 – 6) number of dorsal spines and more general distribution of black speckles.
The crappie is commonly caught close to fallen trees or aquatic vegetation in areas with little or no current and clear water. The population can occasionally produce very good fishing with weighty individuals pushing the 1.5 to 2-pound (0.68 to 0.91 kg) mark commonly caught. However, a regulation with a protected slot for 20- to 26-inch fish (51 to 66 cm) and one fish over 26 inches (66 cm) allowed in a four-fish possession was introduced in 2017.
The species preferably breeds when the water temperature is 58 – 68 °F (14 – 20 °C). The males build their nests in parts of the lake where the bottom is protected from turbulence caused by wind and wave movements. Satisfied with the nest, the female produces an average of 40,000 eggs which the male watches over for 2 – 3 days, before they hatch and the larvae eventually disperse into the water column.
2) Bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus)
The bluegill has the typical shape of a sunfish, a blue or black extension of the opercular flap (the gill cover), and is named for the striking blue color visible on its gill rakes. It has well-developed color vision and can distinguish between green and red. The retina continues growing, which increases receptor density, hence adult bluegill sunfish can spot smaller prey items than their younger conspecifics. However, in more turbid waters the fish must rely on sensory input from the lateral line.
If you are looking for bluegill fishing, Lake Vermilion is a good place to start. The bluegill prefers calm waters in habitats filled with weed beds and fallen over logs, where it hides from predators. It is an ecologically important species as it serves as prey for the northern pike, muskies, and walleye, to name a few. The bluegill typically feeds on insect larvae and zooplankton in the twilight zone and stays at larger depths during the heat of the day.
3) Bluntnose minnow (Pimephales notatus)
The bluntnose minnow is a small silver-colored fish with a dark stripe running from head to tail. The name stems from the nose, which seems to end rather abruptly. They prefer rocky streams and clear water. As a smaller fish in the lake, they are an important prey species for larger fish and birds. The bluntnose minnow often moves in schools, consuming algae, insect larvae, and small crustaceans.
The males of the bluntnose minnow are often more colorful than their female counterparts. In the breeding season, the male additionally grows 16 bumps in three distinct rows on its head. In addition to this, the males make a variety of pulsed sounds when competing with other males. They reproduce quite successfully and are one of the most common species, especially in the eastern USA.
4) Brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus)
The brown bullhead is culturally important for the Ojibwe, from whom the name of the lake also stems. According to their tradition, the bullhead is one of the original six beings that came out of the sea. The Giigo (fish) clans were known to enjoy a long life.
The brown bullhead belongs to the genus of catfishes in the family Ictaluridae. It can be identified as a bullhead by its tailfins being square instead of forked. They are extremely tolerant and can survive in very warm waters with low oxygen levels. They are bottom feeders and opportunistic omnivores typically active at night, where they eat a wide range of invertebrates and small fish. They are known for their ability to produce sound by rubbing body parts together.
5) Burbot (Lota lota)
The burbot is the only member of the Gadiformes (cod-like) family living in freshwater. Its native range includes the whole circumpolar region of the Northern Hemisphere and is widespread in cold waters. The fish is recognized by its almost eel-like appearance complete with small eyes. Instead, it uses the barbel on its chin to detect food. The skin is yellow to brown and soft to the touch. Its scales are embedded, smooth-edged and so small, that they can only be seen clearly in large adults. Historically, the fish has been favored gastronomically and even been a dish for royalty. When caught they are known to wrap themselves around the arms and legs of the angler.
The burbot is one of the earliest breeders in the lake. They spawn in mid-winter or early spring before the ice has melted. In the frigid waters, the male and female come together and release eggs and sperm, which the female mix and scatter with a series of powerful tail beats. The burbot does not build a nest and the parental fish do not display any care for their young.
6) Golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas)
The golden shiner is a smaller fish, reaching an average size of 4 inches (10 cm). It has a pointed snout and a small mouth with well-developed and often serrated teeth. It uses the teeth to feed on zooplankton, aquatic invertebrates, and even small fish. The golden shiner spawns over dense vegetation in rapid circling movements. When the adults leave the site, eggs can be found clinging to rocks and plants. The species reproduction depends so greatly on submerged vegetation, that it can fail to spawn in habitats without it.
The golden shiner is the only North American member of the Leuciscinae subfamily of the Cyprinidae family. The rest of the subfamily is found in Eurasia. It is an ecologically important fish, which serves as food for many larger species such as the black crappie, muskellunge, and the various bass species. Therefore, it is also often used as baitfish.
7) Lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis)
The lake whitefish is similar in appearance to the cisco with a slender, elongated body and the adipose fin characteristic of the Salmonidae family. They have a silver to white color with a darker back and a deeply forked tail. They can be distinguished from the cisco on their snout, which overhangs the lower jaw; this is an adaptation that allows the lake whitefish to easily consume food from the bottom of the lake. The adult mainly eats aquatic invertebrates and small fish.
The lake whitefish typically spawn in late fall to early winter during the night. The parental fish rise to the surface, the female emitting her eggs as she rises. The eggs then settle on the bottom of the lake, where they are left to hatch. The incubation of the eggs is strongly related to the water temperature ranging from 42 days in warmer waters to 182 days when near freezing. As they mature, the lake whitefish develop strong sexual dimorphism with the female growing larger than the male.
8) Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)
The largemouth bass is a carnivorous fish in the sunfish family, Centrarchidae. It resembles the smallmouth bass but can be told apart from its jaw, which extends to or beyond the rear edge of the eye. However, in Lake Vermilion they are rarely found overlapping with the smallmouth bass. Without competition and with ample food, the populations can become overcrowded, which results in stunted growth. Note that there is a six-fish combined total for largemouth and smallmouth bass.
The largemouth bass is typically attracted to shallow areas; in Lake Vermilion they tend to cluster in the back end of bays with sparse to dense vegetation. During the day, they cruise above aquatic plants or lie in the shadow of overhanging growth. It is quite good at distinguishing colors and a study from 1961 (Mraz et al.) showed that it preferred colors like red and violet.
9) Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy)
Like Lake Vermilion, the name for the muskellunge has Ojibwe ancestry, stemming from the word maashkinoozhe meaning ‘great fish’. The species, more lovingly known as the muskie, is also the largest member of the pike family, Esocidae. Known as a curious fish, it might follow your lure to the boat without the slightest interest in biting it. However, when an individual’s home range is known, returning at low light might present a fish with a more bite-ready attitude. The minimum size limit is 54 inches (137 cm) and there is a one-fish possession limit.
The muskie is like the northern pike in appearance, with an elongated, slightly flattened body. The muskie can be identified by the lack of scales on its cheeks and gill covers, in addition to 6 – 9 sensory pores on each side of its lower jaw. Where the habitats of the muskie and the northern pike overlap, the two species sometimes hybridize, resulting in the dark striped variety known as the tiger muskie (Esox masquinongy X lucius).
10) Northern pike (Esox lucius)
The northern pike is an opportunistic carnivorous freshwater species, known to consume almost anything from frogs to waterbirds. Larger individuals are even known to be cannibalistic. They are ambush predators, capable of holding still in the water as they wait for prey to venture within striking distance. Their olive-green back and yellow to white belly is a common pattern in aquatic predators, where the coloration makes them hard to spot from both above and underneath.
The northern pike average around 16 – 22 inches (40 – 55 cm), however the depth of Lake Vermilion provides a home of plenty for E. lucius, which allows them to grow to an impressive size. Individuals surpassing 20-pounds are more likely to be caught here than in other lakes in the state. The biggest specimen caught in the lake was a whopping 48 inches (122 cm)! These giants typically venture to deeper waters when the temperatures reach about 70 °F (21 degrees Celsius) but are drawn to the shallows again at the end of summer.
11) Pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus)
The name of the pumpkinseed comes from its body shape, which resembles that of a pumpkin seed. The species is also similar in appearance to its sister species, the bluegill, however the pumpkinseed can be distinguished from its fellow sunfish by the crimson spot found on its operculum. The sharp spines along the dorsal and anal fins make the pumpkinseed an unpleasant mouthful for the unaware piscivorous predator.
The species has been introduced to Europe, where it is seen as an invasive species which outcompetes the native fish. The species was registered on the Invasive Alien Species of Union concern list in 2019, making it forbidden to import, breed, and release the species in European waters.
12) Rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris)
The rock bass is a member of the sunfish family, Centrarchidae, and is not a true bass. It is often found in the same habitats as smallmouth bass since it prefers large lakes with rocky bottoms. Like other sunfish, it is carnivorous and feeds on smaller fish and crayfish. It is a robust, laterally compressed fish with red eyes, olive-green to golden color, and a light-colored belly, however it is known to change to a more silver or black hue for camouflage.
The female lays on average 5000 eggs while being protected by the male. Afterward, she swims away and leaves him to protect the eggs. The male occasionally fans the adhesive eggs with his fins and stays with the fry until they start to leave their nest.
13) Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu)
The smallmouth bass live primarily in shallow waters and prefer water temperatures in the range of 70 – 80 degrees °F (21.1 – 26.7 degrees Celsius). When the water temperature drops they seek refuge in deeper water, where they almost stop feeding and enter a semi-hibernation state. As adults, they feed mainly at dusk or dawn while the young might feed through most of the day and even at night. The males build nests by sweeping silt, sand, and small stones away with his tail and removing larger objects with his mouth. He can be observed to build several so-called ‘practice nests’ until he has constructed a large, circular, and clean structure.
The smallmouth bass is considered an important fishing species and can be found throughout the lake. The population numbers are currently increasing especially in West Vermilion. However, the length distribution in the lake is often vastly different, and the most recent study suggests that the largest individuals can be found in East Vermilion. Note that there is a six-fish combined total for largemouth and smallmouth bass.
14) Cisco/Tullibee (Coregonus artedi)
The cisco or tullibee is a member of the salmon family, Salmonidae. The family can be recognized by its adipose fin towards the rear of the back which is fleshy to the touch, in comparison to the dorsal fin, in which the rays are easily felt. The species can be difficult to separate from the lake whitefish, however the cisco’s lower jaw is similar in lengths or goes beyond the upper jaw, while the upper jaw overhangs the lower jaw in the lake whitefish.
The cisco has numerous well-developed gill rakes, which it uses to feed on zooplankton. They live in large schools and are typically fished with gill nets, but bear in mind that individuals over the length of 7 inches must be released.
15) Walleye (Sander vitreus)
Walleye, also known as the yellow pike or yellow pickerel, is the most popular species among anglers at Lake Vermilion. The common name stems from the walleye’s pearly white eyes caused by the reflective tapetum lucidum, a layer of tissue in the fish’s eye, which provides it with superior night vision. A gifted species, S. vitreus often hunts at night, preying on species that do not see as well as it does. Therefore, it is common for anglers to seek out this fish at night.
In the state of Minnesota, you can buy a walleye stamp. The revenues from the sale are used for stocking the population from the private sector, should it be necessary. It is, however, not a requirement for fishing. The possession limit for the walleye is 6 combined total, with no more than one specimen over 20 inches (50.8 cm).
16) White sucker (Catostomus commersonii)
Recognized as one of the most common fish in Minnesota, it is an important food source for larger piscivorous species, such as the walleye and northern pike. The white sucker is a durable species that can survive in a broad range of habitats and tolerate relatively polluted and turbid waters.
C. commersonii eat algae, plants, and small invertebrates that are sucked up from the bottom using its fleshy papillose lips, which has given the species its name. The white sucker is mainly used for bait but it is safe to eat. Since its natural diet does not include other fish, the species is not susceptible to bioaccumulation of metals such as mercury. It is therefore regarded as an excellent source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids.
17) Yellow perch (Perca flavescens)
The yellow perch has an elongated body with a long, blunt snout. The name stems from the golden-yellow color common for most individuals, although the color can vary from yellow to olive-green. As is common for fish belonging to the perch family, it has two separate dorsal fins. Apart from being a popular panfish, it is also an important food source for larger, piscivorous species.
The yellow perch is a popular sport fish and is frequently caught – also by anglers targeting other species. Yellow perch catch-per-unit effort significantly decreased from before 2000 to after 2006. However, in 2018 the catch rates were on par with historical records, which confirms the variable nature of yellow perch catch rates. The use of light line and slow retrieval is typically enough to make the fish bite if a school is located. Larger specimens identified around weed beds are often attracted to live minnow on a jig head.
