If you’re looking to get on a hot Lake Vermilion musky bite during the MN Musky Opener, here’s some great information from local guide Billy Rosner who’s been guiding on the lake for a long time:

“Hey, it’s just about musky time up here on Lake Vermilion. Fish are post spawn, they are back in these shallow bays. I like going in there in the afternoons when the water temperature peaks. It will rise 2-8 degrees some days and that really turns these fish on. Actually on the right conditions you can sight fish for them. Make sure you have a good pair of polarized glasses and by as sneaky as possible.

“I like using light tackle. I’ve caught a lot of big fish over the years on this 7 foot medium heavy St. Croix rod. I have it spooled up with a Daiwa Ballistic with 20 pound braided line. It’s a blast fighting these big fish with this setup. You can also go a little bit heavier. I like the 7’3” St. Croix Downsizer baitcasting rod, too.

“As far as Lake Vermilion musky baits go, I like the Rapala #18 Floating Rap, the Storm Flatstick. I like the Blue Fox bucktail with the chartreuse blade, that seems to be a winner here on Lake Vermilion. The Super Shad with the bluegill pattern works great for me here on the Vermilion. A smaller Suick works great. And then the swimbaits like a 5.5 inch Storm 360 GT Searchbait or even a 4.5 inch model works great.

“Get out there, have a good time and get yourself a Lake Vermilion musky. Have a great week and I’ll see you next time!”

There you have it, a Lake Vermilion musky fishing report, just in time for opener! Vermilion is notorious for it’s early season open water musky bite, but don’t be afraid to look in shallow water as the fish may still be in the post spawn mode with the somewhat cool spring we’ve had this year.