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Posts: 23
| For those who know the water well and understand the diversity and differences between east and west, would someone be so kind as to provide the pros/cons of one vs. the other?
Also, with things like weather, water temps, etc. all being equal, is the opportunity for success generally similar east vs. west or are they different animals?
Thanks much!!
Brad |
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Posts: 32934
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I like the west end due to the fact I like to fish bass, crappies, bluegills as well as muskies. Loads of bays with great structural elements, good reef structure, and lots of deep weed edges. |
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Posts: 2382
Location: Chisholm, MN | East has more fish. It’s mostly rock structures. Better chance at catching a muskie in general. West is more weeds. Average size is bigger. Fish are harder to catch. Both will make you work. |
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Posts: 333
Location: SE Wisc | Consider staying somewhere in the central portion of the lake if you want to fish both ends, hiring a guide, and bringing your bass/walleye Rods. |
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Posts: 238
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota | I have been fishing vermilion for years now although I’m by no means good at putting musky in the boat. My family has a cabin on head o lakes which is the furthest west basin. Spent more time on the west end but fish both sides
West
More smallmouth smaller size
More small perch
Less walleye bigger average size
Less musky bigger average size
Much more diverse structure wise, way more shallow weedy bays, more sand
The west end has a lot of what you would think is largemouth water, docks, soft bottom shallow bays that warm quickly. Pretty solid largemouth fishing too in those specific spots
East
Much bigger smallmouth lower numbers
Less small perch
More walleye smaller size
More musky, smaller average but still has giants
Way more rusty crayfish which contributes to the lack of weeds
East is almost strictly rock structure. Still has some sand but a fraction of the weed bays that the west end does
Especially with the low water last year east end has more unmarked rocks to destroy your motor on
Both sides are amazing fishing. If all you want to do is put a fish in the boat than east end. If you want to fish more of a variety of spots than west end, and if all you want is a chance at a giant than west end. Both sides are still very tough fisheries today. I’m hopeful that it will get better as the stocking numbers have gotten better in the last few years. They are still not where they should be but they have almost doubled in numbers. I’m also encouraged that there is at least a tiny bit of natural reproduction as I knew of a couple tigers caught in July and august last year. Even with as tough of a place it is still my favorite lake in minnesota, whole reason I got interested in fishing was because I caught a 4lbs smallmouth off of the dock at Muskego point resort when I was 6 years old. |
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Posts: 23
| Hey All. Thanks for the feedback and guidance - very helpful. At the end of the day, chasing 'Skies is challenging anywhere but good to know of the different dynamics on each side of this huge piece of water. Also, good to understand the other species options to consider as I will have to balance time with others with me that will need to have some success/action because there is zero guarantee of the muskies, weather, etc. cooperating anyway. I'd like to think I could catch bass as successfully as I might other places so it would be good have that as an option to mix in .
Ogandrews....love the backstory and why Vermillion is special....totally get it. It doesn't need to be that the lake is a world class fishery (however, vermillion arguably is) to be a special place. I have a place like that and it definitely is not a world class fishery but nothing like being on the water where ever ones special place happens to be.
Edited by bcrecka 3/2/2022 2:03 PM
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Posts: 20255
Location: oswego, il | Vermilion can also get rough. One year I was there two.separate weeks and had one.day I could go wherever I wanted. I ended up going to Glenwood Lodge because I never had to worry about wind there the east and north side of pine are never rough. Good bass and rice bay is loaded with pike. You can be out on big bay in 3 minutes.
Edited by ToddM 3/2/2022 2:23 PM
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Posts: 1582
Location: Brighton CO. | Stayed in Pike Bay one year did not like Pike bay but little ride out to the big lake with lots of reefs and islands great looking water. But if the wind comes up watch out it's a good place to die. I have a old map and there's a big box on the map "high wind area" Last two times I stayed at Vermillion Dam Lodge. From there you can go three way's |
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Posts: 4080
Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | If you are into remote Island camping, Vermilion offers Island campsites on a first come basis.
The ones in between East & West would be a good choice and have some protected bays to be out of the wind.
North side of Pine Is. is a good one, Hinsdale, smarts bay area,
On the right going into Norwegian Bay have a few nice sites.
The lake is so big that you could spend weeks on either end and still miss 100's of good spots.
East end ... big water, mostly rocks.
West end... not as much open water as the east end but has a lot weedier areas and of course rocky areas are all over the place.
Have fun. |
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| Top H2O - 3/16/2022 2:14 PM
If you are into remote Island camping, Vermilion offers Island campsites on a first come basis.
The ones in between East & West would be a good choice and have some protected bays to be out of the wind.
North side of Pine Is. is a good one, Hinsdale, smarts bay area,
On the right going into Norwegian Bay have a few nice sites.
The lake is so big that you could spend weeks on either end and still miss 100's of good spots.
East end ... big water, mostly rocks.
West end... not as much open water as the east end but has a lot weedier areas and of course rocky areas are all over the place.
Have fun.
As someone with a lot of experience on the lake, is it a body of water a guy can fish without having been there or would it make more sense to hire a guide the first time there? |
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Posts: 4080
Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | Hiring a guide is always a good thing... If you can afford it.
I learned the lake 98% on my own..
If you fished Bass or pike it's not much difference in where the muskies will be. follow the bait fish, find good structure, and keep an eye on where other muskie guys/guides are fishing, and when they leave go find out why they were fishing that spot.
Always be learning.
Just go fish and enjoy the journey/adventure. |
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| Top H2O - 3/16/2022 3:41 PM
Hiring a guide is always a good thing... If you can afford it.
I learned the lake 98% on my own..
If you fished Bass or pike it's not much difference in where the muskies will be. follow the bait fish, find good structure, and keep an eye on where other muskie guys/guides are fishing, and when they leave go find out why they were fishing that spot.
Always be learning.
Just go fish and enjoy the journey/adventure.
Thanks. My nephew has talked about going there now that his son has expressed an interest in musky fishing. My sister and her husband lived on Rainy Lake for a few years while he worked in International Falls, so my nephew passed Vermillion on the way up to visit them and apparently was intrigued by that big lake. |
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Posts: 1392
| First ten years of going up to the V, before I even got into muskie fishing, used nothing but a depth finder and a Fishin' Hot Spots map. Fished for walleye, smallies, and pike. Always found fish and learned more and more all the time. We always stayed on the west end. Since then, I've spent some time on the east end, but I have a fondness and more intimate familiarity for the west. |
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Posts: 2382
Location: Chisholm, MN | I would consider hiring a guide if you want to have muskie action. It’s unlike any other lake in MN these days. Those that figured it out on their own 10 years ago had a lot more fish in the lake to learn from. You can’t find spots as easy anymore because even if a fish or two are there, they will most likely not show themselves until it’s the exact right time. Most people that go there for the first time have very little action in an entire week. You need to always be fishing good spots in order to maximize your chances at getting a bite. A guide can help. |
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Posts: 333
Location: SE Wisc | It’s not the same lake but not all doom and gloom either, it still has some giants in there and is as pretty as any lake you will find in lower 48. If a spot looks fishy - fish it! Muskie spots are Muskie spots and they typically hold on the best structure/bait. Put your time in and just enjoy learning the water. Scenery and hope are two fantastic things in Muskie Fishing! |
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Posts: 164
| Obviously a guide is going to cut your learning curve on this lake but is by no means necessary to have success on it. For me personally exploring the lake and seeing what I can figure out is most of the fun. Everyone always says for every decent sized Minnesota lake to get a guide. I recently started fishing this lake the last 3 years. I get up there about once a year for a decent 2 or 3 days of fishing. I have had some decent success on my own. Its not hard to look at a map or your lake chip and put a milk run together. And one thing I have learned on this body of water is you can fish 10 to 20 spots all day without a hint of activity and come back to those same spots at a very precise time and all of a sudden the fish are everywhere. I personally fish from Frazer Bay and everything East. It can be a frustrating lake, but once that light switch switches on be ready. |
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Posts: 5
| i made a trip there for a week last summer . it was a beautiful lake . but i have never experienced fishing pressure like their . it was get in line to fish spots |
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