Little Vermilion Lake in Kenora District: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Kenora District entry here is Little Vermilion Lake, in Ontario. This is lake country bush country. Surface area runs to some 22.91 sq km, so a boat and a plan are both worth having. At about 99 km of edge, most people fish a single area and learn it well. Size puts it in the front rank of our Kenora District list. Sioux Lookout lies 14 km from the water. It is 277 km to Thunder Bay, the nearest city. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Little Vermilion Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Kenora District records list northern pike, longnose sucker, white sucker, johnny darter and logperch among the fish reported. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. The shape of Little Vermilion Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -18°C to 18°C. Hard water is a season in its own right here. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. The open-water window runs from around late April to about mid November in an average year. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Little Vermilion Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. The water borders Ojibway Provincial Park, so expect the reserve rules to apply. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Closs Lake at 3.1 km is the sensible second choice. Check the position on Little Vermilion Lake before loading the car.