Vermilion River

How big is Vermilion River?

What kind of fish can you catch in Vermilion River?

Are there boat launches on Vermilion River?

Vermilion River area businesses:

Are there places to eat and drink near Vermilion River?

The Vermilion River flows north from Lake Vermilion to Crane Lake in St Louis County, Minnesota. Within this system is a shallow 1,071 acre body of water commonly referred to as the "Chain of Lakes". The lakes are located approximately 8 miles south of Buyck, Minnesota. This is a shallow and heavily vegetated system with water clarity of 5.7 feet during the 2018 survey. Anglers can boat to the Chain of Lakes via a public access on Twomile Creek.

Good panfish populations are available to anglers in the Vermilion River. Black Crappie catch rates were fairly low during the 2018 survey. However, average size was impressive. Crappies up to nearly 14 inches were sampled, and the average was nearly 12 inches. Bluegill catch rates were near the average for similar lakes, as was their size. Bluegill averaged nearly 6 inches and fish up to 8 inches were sampled during this survey.

Northern Pike were generally small, which is typical of lakes similar to this system. An average pike weighed 1.7 pounds and was 20 inches in length. While the pike are typically small, it is likely that the occasional Muskellunge from Lake Vermilion takes up residence in the Chain of Lakes, which could give anglers some opportunities to target trophy fish.

A naturally reproducing population of Walleye exists in the Vermilion River. Catch rates during lake surveys have been low, and attempts to stock Walleye fry since 2013 have not appeared to increase abundance as of this survey. The average size of Walleye sampled in 2018 was 13 inches.

There is a very healthy Yellow Perch population in the Chain of Lakes. Perch provide a good source of forage for larger predator fish, and the size of the Yellow Perch should be of interest to some anglers as well. Perch over 11 inches were sampled, and the average length was 8.5 inches. The sample showed that these fish have fast growth rates and fairly consistent year classes.

Bass are not typically caught in high numbers in traditional netting gear used during this survey. Two Smallmouth Bass were sampled and it is likely that there is a population in this system that would be of interest to bass anglers. Other fish sampled in low abundance included Golden Shiner, Green Sunfish, Pumkinseed, Rock Bass, and White Sucker.

What is the average air temp for Vermilion River?

Are there any state parks near Vermilion River?