It’s now official,
Lake Vermilion has some new walleye
regs for the 2006 season. The new protected slot for walleye is 17 to 26 inches with one fish over 26″s allowed in your bag limit.
The new bag limit for the 2006 open
water season is 4 walleyes, one of which can be over 26 inches.
“Ace” 
Now if we could only get some sort of restrictions down here in Iowa. 
Where are you talking about? Iowa has a slot on many of the walleye producing lakes.
Iowa has all kinds of walleye restrictions. Many lakes have size and slot limits with reduced daily limits. The Mississippi has a minimum length along with a 20″ to 27″ slot limit on pools 12 on down to the Missouri border as well as 3 closed to fishing areas (pools 12, 13 & 14) from December 1st to March 15th. The most unrestrictive walleye laws would be on the interior rivers but even they have minimum length limits.
I hope the new Minnesota restrictions on Vermillion help boost the population. Vermillion was always my Grandfather’s favorite lake in Minnesota.
After fishing this lake for going on 8 years, I would have to say that this slot should be somewhat helpful, but it is not the best plan of action. In my opinion, there should be a 3 fish limit, with a slot of 14-16″, meaning that all other fish go back. There are just so many small fish in this lake that I think they are kept before they can even get to be 17″. There are so many vacationers that come up there once a year and keep every walleye they catch. After the slower-than-average season I had last year, this program hopefully will work, or something drastic will have to be done. Just my two cents. Thanks
Tony
The primary reason behind the new regs is fishing pressure. Harvest levels are just getting to high to sustain the fishery. Although the walleye population is still very healthy (Estimated near 30 million
fish). It will be so much easier to
maintain it with these new regs. Rather than trying to repair the damage after the population crashes
with the current harvest levels.
Angling pressure has almost doubled
in the last 8 years. The harvest in the last couple years has been well over the target levels the DNR has.
They have estimated that anglers on Vermilion, combined with the trible netting, have been harvesting over 80,000lbs of walleyes the last two seasons.
There are plenty of big walleyes in Lake Vermilion, you just have to go fish for them. They don’t expect a change in the size structure of the lakes walleyes. It would be a nice bonus should that happen, however I don’t think it’s part of thier new management plan.
“Ace”
Terry, I was wondering on something and asking your opinion would be the mose logical way to answer it. I imagine you spend quite a few days guiding each year. What percentage of those days do you catch a walleye over 4 pounds? And do you ever get into numbers of pigs? In my experience, we don’t catch too many walleyes over 4, and even 4 is a pretty nice fish. Also, what side do you normally catch your pigs on? Thanks for the info. Also, how much snow is up there right now?
Tony
Hey Tony,
Most of my largest walleyes caught on Vermilion, have been on a slip bobber. My best average sized fish come trolling cranks, out in the main basin.
There are times during the season that you’ll have a better chance to catch big walleyes. Knowing how and when to fish for them will up your odds of catching those bigger walleyes.
Last summer I only caught one fish in the trophy class (over 8lbs) my customers and I did however, catch
some good numbers of 3 to 6lb fish over the course of the season. Of those, 70% were caught trolling on the east end and some were caught throwing muskie baits.
There are a number of Big walleyes taken on the west end trolling as well. I just don’t fish that end for walleyes, as much as I do the east end. 
“Ace”
Keep in mind there is only 1 over 20″ for State now…
Keep in mind, that because of the new “Special regulations” on the Big V this year, statewide regs do not apply to lake Vermilion. 
“Ace”
Really ?!?!!?!? I my just make it up there after all…
hey Walleye_GFA, talk DrewsDad into coming up on the same weekend. We’ll do a floatilla on Vermilion, like the fun we had on Mille Lacs last fall.
Will do buddy !!!!
Hello Terry,
I thought your comment about slip bobbers was interesting. My brother-in-laws and I have been fishing the east end of Vermillion once each year for a few days on each of the last 3 years. We have had mixed success but basically, up until last year did not catch many walleyes with much size. Being Mille Lacs fishermen, we decided to give slip bobbers with a leech a try on a couple of rock piles last year and we caught some dandy fish. We will be up again in 2 weeks to give it another try. I also noted your comment on pulling plugs in the main lake basin. I have had good success on Leech over the years pulling plugs, usually out in the main lake on the east end. I usually try to stay in 10 to 20 feet of water, depending on time of day and weather factors. What kind of depths do you do typically troll on Vermillion?
Winston
I would not limit yourself to those depths.
don’t be afraid to go shallow. Say 6 ft or so. I have been real successful trolling cranks shallow in the Moc Point area.
My 2cents.
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