Lake Vermilion is well known for its walleye and muskie fishing but an overlooked specie is crappies. This year with early ice out and the late

 game fish opener anglers should focusing on the tasty panfish. 

If you searching for crappies on Lake Vermilion start by looking in those bays that are facing south in the afternoon. Those bays generally warm up the fastest and attract the schools of crappies that are in search of warm shallow water.

Another thing to keep in mind is to stay on the move. Vermilion is a giant lake with tons of bays. If you aren’t finding fish in one spot, don’t waste time, pack up and move to a new spot. 

Constantly stay on the move until you locate active fish. Another tip is to try and be stealthy. These crappies tend to be skittish in this shallow water, so if you are making a lot of nose you could spook them. 

Once you do find active fish some good crappie set ups are a thirty-second ounce or sixteen once jig under a bobber. You could pair the jig with either live bait like a crappie minnow or piece of a crawler. You could also pair it with a small plastic like a puddle jumper or a small tube skirt. You will just have to see what the fish want. 

Another bait anglers tend to forget about is the hair jig. Small hair jigs worked under a float can produce just as many fish as live bait. 

If you do end up keeping some crappies try to practice selective harvest and let those bigger fish go because they are an important resource to keep in the system. 

Good luck out and water and enjoy are the great things Lake Vermilion has to offer.