Lake Vermilion

[greebs]

Since we have our own state forum here, I thought it would be kind of neat to have a posting about some individual lakes in the state that members of this board fish at. If you start another thread on another lake, maybe if you just put the name of the lake like I did on the thread line?

Lake Vermillion in McCook County is one that I've ice fished at usually at least once or twice every year; not necessarily because it's been a good lake, but probably more so due to proximity to Sioux Falls.

Anyhow, this lake can be good for crappies but it seems to be an evening/nite bite for them. I've gotten into them a few times late in the afternoon fishing the old river channel along the eastern shoreline but I've also been skunked many a time. I also caught the only proud angler fish of my life, a 1.75 lb perch about seven or eight years ago in that same area (only fish I caught all day)

A couple years ago I did decent fishing by the bridge by the baitshop right at sunset too for walleyes. Caught about eight of them (only kept 4) once and always caught one or two. But that area never has very safe ice so you have to be careful.

Other than that, has anybody else fished it thru the ice with much success? If so, any tips? It seems to be mainly a crappie lake if you are going to catch any numbers, although the lake is supposed to hold a good population of bluegills, but I've yet to ice one on that lake.

Hope others like this idea and make new posts and threads on this and other lakes. It's nice to hear about others successes.

ps. I'm hoping in another two weeks or so it might be cold enough to hit the hard water!

[Guest]

About this time of year several years ago we caught some walleyes suspended with schools of crappies. Noticed clouds of fish on the depth finder so we started working them and caught some walleye. Later after cleaning the fish and finding small crappies in their bellies I realized the clouds of fish must have been the crappie. This was still open water about a week before freeze up.

[Thunderchicken]

I have fished along the south end of the lake a few years ago and hade fair luck with eye's late at night ( from 9:00 to 12:00 ). Only problem was they were mostly to small, 10 to 12 inchers. And yes we did get a couple of perch in the house as well but they were hard to come by.

Later,
Chuck

[Dakota Iceman]

Hello fellow south dakotans. I live over near chamberlain on the missouri river. I will be posting some ice conditions for the river when it warrants doing so, right now there is a thin skim of ice going out about 50 to 100 yards from shore allong both shorelines but its definatly got a ways to go and we need the cold temps to hang around for an extended period of time. I plan on doing some traveling around this year and will post any news of new spots i find. Later, the Iceman.

[Guest]

Lake Vermillion seems to be a hard lake to fish.Do'nt know why guess just have to fish it more.This fall some guys hooked walleyes off the handicap dock.Might be a place to try.

[Guest]

have had good luck on vermillion. caught many northerns along the east side of the lake by the campsites. walleyes by the the point where the lake heads north near campgrounds. there is a 24 foot hole there. have also caught walleyes by bridge in spring and fall. there is an old road bed that goes from east to west . it's been good for crappies. caught my biggest northern there, 15#

[greebs]

I was there today. fished from about 2 until 6. Tried a bay that has some christmas trees that was a good area this spring for crappies. But nothing there. It's only about five foot there and water was clear enough that I could see the bottom. Not fish sighted.

Then moved deeper but nothing marked on the vexilar. Moved into about 9 foot of water along eastern shoreline near new campground. Finally started marking fish around 5:15 and caught and released seven 12 -13 inch walleyes in the next twenty minutes and as quick as it started it was done.

Ice was mostly about five inches although there are some areas that looked iffy. I'd guess there were probably twenty or so other fishermen scattered on the lake but none close enough to me to find out if they had any success.

[Nicholas_23]

I see alot of guys fishing the south west side of the main lake . I was told they were fishing for crappies on that part of the lake.

[Valv]

Dakota Iceman, do you know a Paul Koch in Kimball ? He's a lineman for power company.