A Lake with Legendary Bass Fishing —and Room to Explore
Lake Vermilion sprawls across 40,000 acres in northern Minnesota, its 365 islands and 1,200 miles of convoluted shoreline hiding more bass habitat than an angler could fish in a lifetime. While its smallmouth fishery often steals the headlines, Vermilion quietly earned the No. 23 spot on Bassmaster’s “Top 100 Bass Lakes in the U.S.” on the strength of its tournament largemouth weights. The secret? A vast network of <10-foot flats laced with bulrushes, lily pads, boat docks, and rock-strewn neck-downs that keep green bass shallow from ice-out to freeze-up.
East vs. West: Two Personalities, One Lake
- East Arm: Clearer water and endless reefs support dense smallmouth populations, with only select bays holding largemouth.
- West Arm: Slightly shallower, weed-rich basins favor largemouth while still producing quality bronzebacks.
Regardless of arm, the best largemouth sessions play out in two to eight feet of water. Think shoreline bulrush beds, pad fields, inside weedlines around docks, and current-swept island cuts—“spots that just scream bass” the moment you idle past.
Reading Cover and Structure the Vermilion Way
- Bulrush Belts & Pad Pockets
Thick, emergent stalks combined with sand or scattered boulders create ambush lanes. Bomb a compact jig or soft craw between stalks and hang on. - Dock Patterns
Both rock-based and weed-based docks produce. Key targets include first inside weed clumps, shade pockets, and cross-braces—especially when midday sun drives fish tight to overhead cover. - Rock-Weed Transitions
Vermilion’s endless boulder fields often butt against coontail or cabbage edges. Smallmouth patrol the rocks; largemouth prowl the weed edge. Fish both for mixed bags. - Island Neck-Downs
Narrow passages funnel wind and current, stacking forage and bass alike. Skip a jig tight to the bank, then drag it across the flow-side points.
Battle-Ready Tackle for Heavy Cover
- Rod: St. Croix PhysX 7’4″ MH, moderate—maximum sensitivity for feeling rocks, wood, or sparse grass, yet enough backbone to winch bass from rushes.
- Reel: Daiwa Tatula Elite Pitch & Flip 8.1:1—high gear ratio for rapid line pick-up and brute-force extraction.
- Line: 17 lb Sufix Advance Fluorocarbon—abrasion resistance with minimal stretch for crisp hook-sets.
- Bait of Choice: Big Bite Baits Craw—ultra-soft plastic that pulses with the slightest rod movement, triggering bites in both clear and stained water.
Boat Control: From Quest Trolling Power to High-Tech Mapping
Running Al Lindner’s rig gave us a firsthand look at Minn Kota’s Ultrex Quest. The weed-shedding prop made plowing through dense pad stems effortless, while Spot-Lock kept us pinned on high-percentage pockets after every hook-set. 
Pair that with Humminbird Helix mapping:
- Shallow-Water Highlight: 0–5 ft shaded red—immediately exposing the biggest largemouth bays.
- Depth Highlight: 6–15 ft shaded green—revealing the outer weedline and transition rock humps for summer migrations.
- Side Imaging & MEGA 360: Detailed scans for isolated boulders, weed clumps, and subtle points the eye can’t see.
With these electronics, you can pre-plan milk runs of shallow flats, then fine-tune casts to every bit of sweet cover—from the first pad pocket in spring to deep weed edges by midsummer.
Zeroing In on Weed-Line “Sweet Spots”
Once side-imaging and MEGA 360 expose the outline of a shallow bay, the next step is hunting for breaks or bends in the weed line—little points, pockets, or rock spines where predators pin forage. Largemouth and smallmouth mingle here, so make precision, fan-style pitches to every irregularity, letting the jig glide tight to the stems before popping it free. If the spot shows life, Spot-Lock the Ultrex Quest and dissect it from multiple angles; most of our biggest fish bit after the third or fourth pass.
Match the Hatch: Rusty Crayfish Rule
Lake Vermilion bass gorge on Orconectes rusticus, the rusty crayfish. We mimicked them with a palette of natural browns, oranges, and muted greens:
| Presentation | Set-Up | When & Why It Shines |
|---|---|---|
| 3⁄8-oz Swim Jig + Big Bite Baits Craw Tube | 17-lb fluoro, steady reel-and-pause | Covers water fast along outside weed walls |
| Flipping Jig + Soft Craw Chunk | 50-lb braid for heavy mats | Punches pads, rice, and bulrush clumps |
| Compact Ned-style Craw | 10-lb braid to 12-lb fluoro leader | Dead-sticks on rock/gravel transitions for smallmouth “bonus” bites |
Keep at least two craw profiles on deck; bass can switch from a swimming to a bottom-drag presentation as light or wind changes.
Vermilion Welcomes Anglers
Whether you trailer up for a weekend or stay a month, resorts, marinas, and lakeside diners all cater to fishermen. Ample launch ramps, fish-cleaning houses, tackle-savvy staff, and boat-friendly dockage make logistics painless. After a long day of flipping bulrushes, it’s a treat to tie up, walk 50 yards, and order a shore-lunch-style walleye sandwich without raising eyebrows about muddy deck shoes.
Gear & Gadgets That Earned Their Keep
- Minn Kota Ultrex Quest (Weed-Cut Prop): Tore through rice and pad fields without stalling, yet held rock-steady on Spot-Lock.
- Smooth Moves Seat Suspensions: Absorbed the chop when a north wind whipped Big Bay—saving backs and keeping jig hops precise.
- Humminbird MEGA 360 + Depth Highlight: From scouting 5-foot red-shaded flats to tracing 6–15 ft green transition zones, mapping trimmed hours off the search.
- Big Bite Baits Craw Plastics: From tubes to chunks, every model produced—proof that “right forage, right profile” still matters more than color minutiae.
Closing Thoughts: Why Vermilion Belongs on Your Short List
Lake Vermilion offers a unique cocktail: Canadian Shield scenery, U.S. licensure, and year-round shallow-water largemouth action backed by world-class smallmouth fishing. Add angler-friendly amenities and the promise that “you’ll never be bored”—and it’s easy to understand why Bassmaster slotted it among America’s elite bass lakes.
Bring a handful of craw imitations, trust your electronics to find those weed-line kinks, and keep an open heart for the unexpected—whether that’s a five-pound largie exploding from a pad pocket or a reminder, like Tom’s, that miracles still happen lakeside.
See you on Vermilion—where every cast, every conversation, and every sunrise feels just a little larger than life.
