Lake Vermilion Fishing in Vermilion County, Illinois

• Overview

  Vermilion County, Illinois, is where Lake Vermilion sits. Everything around it is mixed forest. About 793 acres, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. Shoreline length is close to 8.1 miles, and each section fishes a little differently. It is the biggest water on our Vermilion County list. The nearest place of any size is Danville, 3.7 miles away. Then Tilton, 5.6 miles, and Oakwood, 8.3 miles. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Lake Vermilion

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Open biodiversity records for Vermilion County list greenside darter, rainbow darter and longear sunfish. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Lake Vermilion responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 24°F and July at about 75°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid March. Ice usually gives way near mid March, and forms again about late December. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Time your trip to Lake Vermilion by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Public data has parking about half a mile from the shore. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Lake Mingo, 5.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat Lake Vermilion as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.