Minnesota · St. Louis County

Little Vermilion Lake Fishing guide

Little Vermilion Lake sits in St. Louis County, Minnesota, and covers 1,288 acres, reaching 52 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 7.9 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 7 times, most recently in 2021, with walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.

Open the live map → Survey data

Depth to 52 ft · top 5 summer marks

Surface1,288 ac

Max depth52 ft

Clarity7.9 ft

Littoral18%

Surveyed2021

How to fish Little Vermilion Lake through the year

Walleye

Spring: Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds.
Early summer: Walleye are setting up on the outside weed edge, points and shallow structure.
Summer: Walleye are working the weed edge, points and any wind-blown structure. On a lake that drops to 52 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
Fall: Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.

Smallmouth bass

Spring: Smallmouth are on shallow rock, gravel and sand where they spawn.
Early summer: Smallmouth are post-spawn on rock points, gravel bars and the adjacent breaks.
Summer: Smallmouth are on rock humps, points and hard-bottom breaks. On a lake that drops to 52 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
Fall: Smallmouth are bunched tight on deep rock, so find one and you have found the school.

Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.

Size history

Biggest fish by survey year

Survey year	Walleye	Smallmouth bass	Northern pike
2021	30"	16"	33"
2016	19"	15"	33"
2011	22"	12"	34"
2006	22"	13"	29"
2001	29"	17"	33"
1996	29"	17"	33"

Longest fish measured by DNR survey crews in each year's nets. Survey gear samples the population, so the lake usually holds larger fish than any survey measured.

Suggested tackle

What to bring

Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:

Walleye · Live bait

Live-Bait (Lindy) Rig + Leech/Crawler

jumbo leech or half a nightcrawler

8–35 ftslow

Shop octopus hooks →

Walleye · Trolling

Leadcore Line + Crankbaits

4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run

15–45 fttrolling

Shop deep-diving crankbaits →

Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics

Ned Rig

2.75" finesse stickbait or craw-style Ned bait

5–25 ftdead slowweedless

Shop ned rig plastics →

Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics

Drop Shot (Finesse Plastic)

4" finesse worm or 3" minnow-profile plastic

8–40 ftdead slowweedless

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Northern pike · Soft plastics

Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead

4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead

3–25 ftmoderate

Shop paddletail swimbaits →

Northern pike · Muskie & pike

Soft Rubber (Bull Dawg / Medusa)

10" soft rubber body bait

3–25 ftslow

Shop musky rubber →

Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

MN DNR · in their words

From the 2021 survey

Little Vermilion is a 1,287 acre Class 7 lake on the Minnesota-Ontario border. The lake is 3.5 miles east of Crane Lake, Minnesota; however the lake is accessed by boat through Crane Lake and Sand Point Lake which is approximately an 8 mile route. The portion of Little Vermilion that lies in Minnesota is approximately 540 acres, and is entirely within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Little Vermilion has an experimental regulation which states that all Walleye from 18 to 26 inches must be immediately released, with one over 26 inches allowed in possession. There is also a combined possession of six Walleye and Sauger, where a maximum of four can be Walleye. A standard fisheries survey was completed on Little Vermilion in 2021.

Little Vermilion Lake continues to produce an excellent Walleye fishery. Walleye exceeded the expected range for abundance, and an average fish in the 2021 sample was 13.3 inches, with 30+ inch fish present in the survey. The high catch rates of 2-4 year old fish in 2021 should provide good Walleye angling opportunities in the coming years.

Read the full DNR narrative

Northern Pike catch rates were within the expected range for this class of lake and the average size was above average. An average Northern Pike from the 2021 sample was 2.8 pounds and ranged from 17.5 to 33.8 inches.

Little Vermilion is a varied fishery with several species of interest to anglers. For the panfish angler, Black Crappie are present with fish over 13 inches sampled, and Bluegill were of average size for the area. Sauger and Yellow Perch catch rates were within the expected range for this class of lake. Only a few Smallmouth Bass were sampled, however nets are not appropriate gear for effectively sampling these fish, and there is likely a quality Smallmouth fishery here similar to the lakes that are connected to Little Vermilion. Other species present during the survey included White Sucker, Silver Lamprey, Rock Bass, Redhorse, Burbot, and a single Mooneye. Little Vermilions inclusion in the Namakan Reservoir and Boundary Waters Canoe Area provides pristine surroundings to access a diverse fishery.

Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.

Recent reports

Little Vermilion Lake fishing reports

Recent reports on Little Vermilion Lake from guides, tournaments and regular anglers. Anything posted in the last two weeks also bumps the matching spots on the live map, so you'll see a "matches a recent report" tag on them.

Open the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report

St. Louis County reports

Public water access

Getting on the water

US Forest Service access: Access is via water routes from Crane Lake or the Loon River. There is also a portage trail from East Bay of Crane Lake.

DNR bathymetry

Little Vermilion Lake depth map

Little Vermilion Lake depth contour map, St. Louis County, Minnesota — Depth contours to 52 ft from Minnesota DNR bathymetry, free to save or print. The live map adds ranked spots and conditions on the same contours.

Within 30 miles

Nearby lakes

Dovre Lake · 116 ac · 1.2 mi
Crane Lake · 2,921 ac · 3.2 mi
Mukooda Lake · 774 ac · 4.9 mi
Little Loon Lake · 167 ac · 7.1 mi
Sand Point Lake · 8,527 ac · 7.3 mi
Loon Lake · 2,498 ac · 7.4 mi
Steep Lake · 97 ac · 8 mi
Echo Lake · 1,142 ac · 8.4 mi

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

How deep is Little Vermilion Lake?

Little Vermilion Lake reaches 52 ft at its deepest point; about 18% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).

How big is Little Vermilion Lake?

Little Vermilion Lake covers 1,288 acres with about 37.5 miles of shoreline.

How clear is the water in Little Vermilion Lake?

DNR Secchi readings on Little Vermilion Lake average 7.9 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.

What fish are in Little Vermilion Lake?

Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2021) record walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass, sauger.

Is Little Vermilion Lake stocked?

No stocking is on record for Little Vermilion Lake in the DNR's stocking database.

Does Little Vermilion Lake have a public access?

Yes. Little Vermilion Lake has one public access site: US Forest Service access (Access is via water routes from Crane Lake or the Loon River. There is also a portage trail from East Bay of Crane Lake.).

How big do walleye get in Little Vermilion Lake?

The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 30"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1996.

When was Little Vermilion Lake last surveyed?

The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Little Vermilion Lake in 2021, the most recent of 7 surveys on record.

Page updated September 22, 2026.

The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Little Vermilion Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:

Open Little Vermilion Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report