Little Vermilion Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota116 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Little Vermilion Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 17 ft max depth
- Limited data
Little Vermilion Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 17 ft. Surface area: 115.55 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 25, 2011 caught 25.67 northern pike per gill net at Little Vermilion Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–25 inches. DNR survey details →
Little Vermilion Lake is a 116-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 17 feet. The lake supports 2 documented fish species including northern pike and yellow perch. No public access — the lake is private or restricted.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-07-13. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Little Vermilion Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10 ft of visibility
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Little Vermilion Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Little Vermilion Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Little Vermilion Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Little Vermilion Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 10 ft. TSI 44.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 10ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 44 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Little Vermilion Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 25, 2011 caught 25.67 northern pike per gill net at Little Vermilion Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–25 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Vermilion Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
2 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2011-07-25 (Standard Survey).
2 surveys on file · most recent 2011-07-25 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 45.50 | 5–12 in 2011-07-25 | 0.21 lb |
| Northern Pike | 21.42 | 11–25 in 2011-07-25 | 1.85 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Yellow Perch
Northern Pike
From the 2011-07-25 survey
Catches from this survey of Dovre lake show high numbers of both northern pike and yellow perch. The catch rate for both species was higher in this sample than from all other previous surveys. Although numerous, the pike in Dover lake aren't growing to larger sizes. Northern pike average 18.9" long with the largest…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Little Vermilion Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — DovreFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
17 ft
Surface area
116 acres
Shoreline
2.5 mi
Littoral zone
99%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
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Stays near Little Vermilion Lake
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Top-rated places to stay near Little Vermilion Lake
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Little Vermilion Lake
- → Little Vermilion Lake fishing: DNR survey catch rates, species & stocking
- → Little Vermilion Lake fishing forecast & best times (species outlook + 14-day solunar calendar)
- → Little Vermilion Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)
- → Is it safe to eat fish from Little Vermilion Lake? (mercury & PFAS guide)
EPA Impairment Status
Little Vermilion Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN69-0608-00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in St. Louis County
Frequently asked questions about Little Vermilion Lake
Where is Little Vermilion Lake?
- Little Vermilion Lake is a lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Little Vermilion Lake?
- Little Vermilion Lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 10 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 17 ft. Surface area: 115.55 acres.
Is Little Vermilion Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Little Vermilion Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Little Vermilion Lake?
- Little Vermilion Lake has a maximum depth of 17 feet. The lake covers 115.55 acres.
What fish are in Little Vermilion Lake?
- Fish species found in Little Vermilion Lake include northern pike, yellow perch. Little Vermilion Lake is located in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Little Vermilion Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on July 25, 2011 caught 25.67 northern pike per gill net at Little Vermilion Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 11–25 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Little Vermilion Lake’s water-quality measurements separately. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Little Vermilion Lake?
- Public access to Little Vermilion Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Little Vermilion Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
1 measurement from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA1 sample · 2021
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder