7 miles northwest of Tower
St. Louis County, Minnesota · 47.8640° N, 92.4191° W
Directions to Vermilion Lake, Norwegian Bay Public Water Access SiteApple Maps
Directions open in Google or Apple Maps, to the Minnesota DNR public access sites (14 listed; this is the first).
Updated 15 Oct 2026, 5:29 pm EDT.
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Minnesota DNR lake survey, fetched 15 Oct 2026. Not for navigation.
14 public access sites on Vermilion Lake.
Minnesota DNR public water accesses, fetched 15 Oct 2026.
Minnesota DNR stocking reports list 20 stockings of Vermilion Lake in 9 of the years 2016 to 2025. The most recent, in 2025, included 754 muskellunge fingerlings. Species stocked: muskellunge, walleye.
Latest: 2025: 7,500,000 walleye fry.
Source: Minnesota DNR Fisheries (LakeFinder stocking reports), fetched 15 Oct 2026. How we measure
Measured from Minnesota DNR contours. How we measure
Minnesota DNR’s latest standard fish survey of Vermilion Lake was in June 2025: 20 gill nets caught 14 species.
Walleye per gill net, standard surveys: 2021 16 · 2022 17 · 2023 17 · 2024 14 · 2025 19
Walleye: 904 measured, 4 to 25 in, half 6 in or longer; average 1 lb, normal (normal 0.8–1.3 lb).
Northern pike: 21 measured, 17 to 35 in, half 27 in or longer; average 4.5 lb, above normal (normal 2.8–4.3 lb).
Smallmouth bass: 272 measured, 2 to 17 in, half 11 in or longer; average 1.3 lb, above normal (normal 0.7–1.2 lb).
Black crappie: 21 measured, 4 to 11 in, half 6 in or longer; average 0.35 lb, normal (normal 0.2–0.6 lb).
Bluegill: 26 measured, 5 to 8 in, half 6 in or longer.
Also caught: bluegill, brown bullhead, lake whitefish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, pumpkinseed, tullibee (cisco), white sucker.
Source: Minnesota DNR Fisheries lake survey, 1 Jun 2025, via LakeFinder, fetched 15 Oct 2026. Normal range: DNR’s range for lakes of the same class (43 classes, grouped by water chemistry and shape). Each line has its own scale. How we measure
Measured water clarity averages about 8 ft: the Secchi depth across 96 readings, 2006–2025.
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and volunteer Secchi readings, via Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, fetched 15 Oct 2026.
Minnesota DNR lake survey; straight-line miles.
Vermilion Lake is 76 feet at its deepest point, measured by Minnesota DNR survey. It covers 39,272 acres.
Yes. 14 public access sites are listed: Vermilion Lake, Norwegian Bay Public Water Access Site; Vermilion Lake, Pederson Landing (Wakemup Bay) Public Water Access Site; Vermilion Lake, Head o Lakes Public Water Access Site; Vermilion Lake, Stuntz Bay Public Water Access Site; Vermilion Lake, Hoodoo Public Water Access Site; Vermilion Lake, Everett Bay Public Water Access Site; Vermilion Lake, Frazer Bay Public Water Access Site; Vermilion Lake, Polley Road Public Water Access Site; Vermilion Lake, Moccasin Point Public Water Access Site; Vermilion Lake, McKinley Park Public Water Access Site; Vermilion Lake, Rice Bay Public Water Access Site; Vermilion Lake, Hoodoo (N) Public Water Access Site; Vermilion Lake, Oak Narrows Public Water Access Site; Vermilion Lake, Cable Bay Public Water Access Site.
Yes. Minnesota DNR stocking reports list 20 stockings of it in 9 of the years 2016 to 2025. The most recent, in 2025, included 754 muskellunge fingerlings.
Minnesota DNR’s June 2025 standard survey caught 14 species, most often walleye, yellow perch, bluegill and northern pike.
About 100% of the lake's area is deeper than 10 feet, measured from Minnesota DNR depth contours.