Minnesota guide Jason Freed of Leisure Outdoor Adventures gives his latest Buzz Bite Report for Lake Vermilion on May 17th, 2023.
Lake Vermilion: 5-17-2023
The fishing opener was this past weekend and the walleyes are biting up on Lake Vermilion.
Focus on areas with current like bottlenecks and narrows. Those are great places to find early season walleyes. You can also find numbers of walleyes on wind blown points.
A majority of these fish are going to be less than fifteen feet of water with a good number of them in less than ten feet especially during low light periods.
A few walleyes can also be found in the back of the shallow bays. As the water continues to warm up those fish will push towards to edge of the bays and out into the main lake.
Expect to find northern pike in the back of the shallow bays as well.
You can catch these walleyes on a number of different presentations. Jigs paired with minnows or plastics, slip bobbers, Lindy rigs, and trolling crankbaits are all good options.
Anglers can find smallmouth bass pushing up towards their spawning areas. These fish can be caught on jerkbaits, small swimbaits, hair jigs, and ned rigs.
Good luck to all the anglers fishing up on Lake Vermilion!
- Jason Freed